> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dataerai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Import from the Internet Archive

> Search the Internet Archive for texts, audio, video, software, and web captures and import them into a project as metadata-first assets — without copying the bytes. Each item's Download opens its data directly on archive.org.

Dataerai can pull items from the [Internet Archive](https://archive.org) — the public, non-profit digital library of texts, audio, video, software, and archived web pages — into one of your projects as **metadata-first assets**. The item's metadata — title, creators, year, media type, license — is copied into Dataerai so it's searchable and shareable alongside your own data. The **files are not copied**: clicking **Download** on an imported asset takes you straight to the item's data on archive.org's servers.

<Note>
  Imported assets are [metadata-first](/data/metadata-first-assets): they describe and link to data that lives on the Internet Archive. Nothing is stored in your Dataerai allocation, so importing doesn't consume your quota.
</Note>

One Internet Archive **item** (an identifier such as `alicesadventures19002gut`) imports as **one asset**. Because an Archive item can hold anything from a single file to many thousands (an original plus machine-generated PDF/EPUB/OCR derivatives, or a whole web capture), the asset's **Download** opens the item's **anonymous data directory** on archive.org (`https://archive.org/download/<identifier>/`), where you browse and download the individual files directly from the Internet Archive.

## Search the Internet Archive

Open the **Import from Internet Archive** page and enter a search term, then **Search**.

* The search is free text and matches item titles and metadata — try a book title, a band name, or a topic.
* Results show **Title**, **Type** (the item's media type — `texts`, `audio`, `movies`, `software`, `web`, …), and the item identifier and year under each title.
* Use **Per page** to trade clicks for a longer page; the page count reflects the full result set.

## Select and import

<Steps>
  <Step title="Select items">
    Tick the items you want — click a row, or press Space or Enter on it, to toggle its checkbox. The header checkbox selects or clears everything on the current page; your selection is kept as you page through results.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the destination project">
    Paste the UUID of the project that should own the new assets into the **Import into project** field.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Import">
    Click **Import**. A single **Import result** panel summarizes how many items were imported (and assets created), plus any that failed and why.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  **Download** opens the item's data directory on archive.org rather than streaming a single file — pick the specific files you need there. The files download anonymously over HTTPS directly from the Internet Archive.
</Note>

<Warning>
  Because imported assets point at the Internet Archive rather than your own storage, their data is only available while the Archive item is. Licensing varies item by item — check each item's license on archive.org before reusing its files. If you need a durable copy under your control, download the files and [upload them](/data/upload) as regular assets instead.
</Warning>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Metadata-first assets" icon="file-plus" href="/data/metadata-first-assets">
    How assets that describe data elsewhere work in Dataerai.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Import from Zenodo" icon="download" href="/data/import-zenodo">
    Pull public records from Zenodo the same metadata-first way.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Organize into collections" icon="folder-tree" href="/organize/collections">
    Group imported items alongside your own data.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Search & discover" icon="search" href="/discover/search">
    Find imported items by title, type, and metadata.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>