# Internet Archive — card for AI agents

Digital library of books, video, audio, images and software with an open API; rights are set per item.

Category: Open and public-domain media · maker Internet Archive · checked 2026-10-20

## Price
- Price: Free
- Free tier: Free to access.

## License
Per item (uploader-supplied; no guarantee from the Internet Archive) — https://help.archive.org/help/rights/

- commercial: **conditions** (Commercial use with conditions)
  > The person who uploads an item often provides information related to use rights
  (https://help.archive.org/help/rights/)
- attribution: **varies** (Credit depends on the item)
  > The person who uploads an item often provides information related to use rights
  (https://help.archive.org/help/rights/)
- in app: **conditions** (Ship inside your app with conditions)
  > The person who uploads an item often provides information related to use rights
  (https://help.archive.org/help/rights/)
- bots: **allowed**
  > All automated requests to archive.org must include a descriptive User-Agent header.
  (https://archive.org/developers/bots.html)

## Rules to follow
- Check the rights information or Creative Commons license on each item page.
- The Internet Archive makes no guarantee of an item's copyright status; use is at your own risk.
- Send a descriptive User-Agent with automated requests and back off on HTTP 429.

## How an agent gets files
- Internet Archive API (archive.org/developers/) or the 'internetarchive' Python package; send a descriptive User-Agent on every automated request (sign-in: none)
- Not allowed: Automated requests must include a descriptive User-Agent header (bot name, version, and AI model if you are an AI agent)
- Not allowed: Honor 429 Too Many Requests and Retry-After; add delays between requests in bulk jobs
- Not allowed: The Archive makes no guarantee of an item's copyright status; check each item's rights

## How to connect
- Public API
- API docs: https://archive.org/developers/
- API limits: No numbers published; honor 429 and Retry-After; automated requests need a descriptive User-Agent.
- PyPI: `pip install internetarchive`
- Repository: https://github.com/jjjake/internetarchive
- Website: https://archive.org

## Notes
The Internet Archive says it asserts no new copyright over its database. Check each item for its own terms.

## Numbers (AgentGid data)
- Gid Score: 28.9
- GitHub stars: 1,923
- Downloads last week: 39,176

## Lines to paste into your prompt or AGENTS.md

```
- Internet Archive (Open and public-domain media). Digital library of books, video, audio, images and software with an open API; rights are set per item. Price: free; commercial use with conditions; credit depends on the item; ship inside your app with conditions.
  Connect: API docs https://archive.org/developers/; PyPI internetarchive. Limits: No numbers published; honor 429 and Retry-After; automated requests need a descriptive User-Agent.
  Get files: Internet Archive API (archive.org/developers/) or the 'internetarchive' Python package; send a descriptive User-Agent on every automated request.
  Not allowed: Automated requests must include a descriptive User-Agent header (bot name, version, and AI model if you are an AI agent)
  Not allowed: Honor 429 Too Many Requests and Retry-After; add delays between requests in bulk jobs
  Not allowed: The Archive makes no guarantee of an item's copyright status; check each item's rights
  Rule: Check the rights information or Creative Commons license on each item page.
  Rule: The Internet Archive makes no guarantee of an item's copyright status; use is at your own risk.
  Rule: Send a descriptive User-Agent with automated requests and back off on HTTP 429.
  License: https://help.archive.org/help/rights/ (checked 2026-10-20; details: https://agentgid.com/assets/internet-archive/)
```

## Links
- AgentGid page: https://agentgid.com/assets/internet-archive/
- Is it free for commercial use? https://agentgid.com/assets/internet-archive/commercial-use/
- Source: https://help.archive.org/help/rights/
- Source: https://archive.org/developers/
- Source: https://archive.org/developers/bots.html

---
AgentGid's catalog is curated: every entry was checked against the maker's official pages (registry, repository, license and pricing pages) on the date shown; a license value shows the quote it stands on wherever AgentGid has one. Usage numbers come from AgentGid's own scan of public repositories set up for AI coding agents. Claims by makers are reported, not tested by AgentGid.