How to Save Indian Court Orders and Case Pages with ArchiveBox

To save an Indian court order with ArchiveBox, first find the case through the official eCourts service, open the order or judgment PDF, and copy its accessible URL. Add that URL to your ArchiveBox collection. If the case details page is also publicly accessible, add that URL separately to preserve context. Then inspect the resulting snapshot and keep the official court link with your archive. This workflow does not bypass a CAPTCHA or guarantee capture of a page that requires an active session.

The eCourts High Courts Services portal offers searches by case number, court number, party name, order date, and neutral citation number. Its instructions say to open “Order on Exhibit” or “Copy of Judgement” to view an order or judgment as a PDF. The eCourts Services app FAQ also says users can view and download interim orders and related documents in PDF format.

1. Find the order or case page in eCourts

Open the official High Courts Services portal.
Choose the search route that matches what you know: case number and registration year, party name, court number, order date, or neutral citation number. Available fields may depend on the selected court or search route.
Complete the portal’s CAPTCHA if prompted. The portal’s search instructions include CAPTCHA entry, so the lookup may require interactive participation.
Open the matching case result and use “Order on Exhibit” or “Copy of Judgement” to view the relevant order or judgment PDF.
Copy the PDF URL from the browser address bar if it is accessible as a direct URL. Also copy the case-detail page URL if you want to preserve the surrounding case information.

Use the PDF URL when the order itself is the primary item you need. Add the case page as a second target when the parties, case number, listing details, or other page context matters. These are two distinct URLs and may produce different archive outputs. The official portal explains how to reach a PDF; this workflow does not establish that any particular court link is permanent or accessible to ArchiveBox.

2. Add the URLs to ArchiveBox

ArchiveBox is described by its project as open-source, self-hosted web archiving software. It accepts URLs and lists outputs such as original HTML/CSS/JavaScript, single-file HTML, screenshot PNG, PDF, and WARC. Which outputs are available for a specific URL depends on the setup and capture result; do not assume every target will produce every format. See the ArchiveBox project and its Quickstart documentation.

Before you start

Install and initialize ArchiveBox using the instructions for your chosen setup. The project documents Docker Compose, Docker, and a uv package installation path; commands and setup details can vary by version.
Run ArchiveBox somewhere with network access to the public URL you intend to archive.
Keep the official source URLs and useful case identifiers in your own notes, even after adding the targets.

Docker Compose: add one URL

From the directory containing your initialized ArchiveBox Compose setup, submit the copied URL as an argument:

docker compose run --rm archivebox add 'PASTE_ACCESSIBLE_ORDER_PDF_URL_HERE'

To add the case page too, run the command again with that URL:

docker compose run --rm archivebox add 'PASTE_ACCESSIBLE_CASE_PAGE_URL_HERE'

The ArchiveBox project also documents running archivebox add inside a running service. If your Compose service is named archivebox, the form is:

docker compose exec -T archivebox archivebox add 'PASTE_ACCESSIBLE_ORDER_PDF_URL_HERE'

Use the command form that fits your installation. The service name and whether a service is already running depend on your Compose configuration.

Docker: add a URL to a mounted archive directory

If you initialized an ArchiveBox data directory and are using the project’s Docker image, the documented URL-input pattern is to mount the data directory and pass a URL to add. Adapt the local path and image tag to your installed version:

docker run --rm -v "$PWD/archivebox-data:/data" archivebox/archivebox add 'PASTE_ACCESSIBLE_ORDER_PDF_URL_HERE'

Follow the current ArchiveBox installation instructions for initialization and image version details; this command is not a substitute for those setup steps.

Add several URLs from a file

Put one URL per line in a file, for example court-targets.txt:

https://example.gov.in/path/to/order.pdf
https://example.gov.in/path/to/case-page

Then pipe the file into ArchiveBox using the command appropriate to your Compose setup:

docker compose run --rm -T archivebox add < court-targets.txt

Replace the example URLs with the copied official URLs. Treat this as a convenient way to submit targets, not as proof that a CAPTCHA-protected or session-bound URL can be fetched later.

3. Inspect and record the capture

Open your ArchiveBox collection and locate the new entry or entries.
Check the recorded URL, capture status, and available outputs. Open the PDF output if one was produced and compare it with the official document.
Check whether the case page snapshot preserved the context you wanted. A PDF-only result may preserve the order but not the surrounding case details.
Record the court, case number, order date, official source URL, and date you made the archive in your own notes.
Retain the official court link as the authoritative source and revisit it for the current version when needed.

ArchiveBox captures and the official court record serve different purposes. An archived copy is useful for personal preservation and reference; this process does not create a court-certified copy or establish suitability for filing. Obtain an official certified copy when your legal or procedural need requires one.

Choosing the right target

What you need to preserve	URL to submit	What to check
The order or judgment document	The accessible PDF URL opened from the official portal	Whether ArchiveBox produced a usable document output and whether it matches the intended order
Case information around the document	The publicly accessible case-detail or result page	Whether the saved page contains the case context you need
Both document and context	Submit the PDF URL and case page URL separately	Review each entry independently; one URL succeeding does not mean the other did

CAPTCHA, sessions, and inaccessible links

The portal’s search instructions mention CAPTCHA entry. You may be able to complete the search in your browser, open a result, and copy a URL, but an automated archiver may not be able to repeat the interactive search later. Some document links can depend on a session or have limited lifetimes. This is an inference from the portal’s interactive search workflow and ArchiveBox’s URL-based input; neither source promises that every result URL will remain retrievable or archive successfully.

If the PDF opens in your browser, try adding the address-bar URL promptly, then verify the archived output.
If the copied URL fails, return to the official portal, repeat the search interactively, and obtain a fresh link.
If the portal provides a direct download, use its official download flow and retain the downloaded file alongside the source URL if that meets your personal record-keeping needs.
Do not treat a failed capture as evidence that the order is unavailable. Confirm availability through the official service.

Options and practical configuration

For this workflow, the important choice is usually the URL target: the PDF, the case page, or both. ArchiveBox has additional setup and capture options, but exact availability depends on the ArchiveBox version and configuration. Consult the Quickstart and project documentation rather than assuming a particular extractor or output is enabled.

Docker Compose: useful when you want the project’s Compose-based setup and repeatable commands. The project documents Compose commands for adding URLs.
Docker: can run ArchiveBox with a mounted data directory; follow the current project instructions for initialization and image version.
Package installation: the project documents a uv route. Follow its current setup guide for environment and command details.
Archive depth: for a specific court order, submit the exact PDF and case page URLs you intend to preserve. Avoid broad crawling unless you understand how it changes the set of URLs submitted.
Storage: retain the ArchiveBox data directory in storage appropriate to your retention needs, and include it in your own backup plan.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	What to do
Search returns no case	Wrong court or bench, incomplete case number/year, name variation, or a search field mismatch	Confirm the selected court and bench, then try another official search route such as party name, order date, or neutral citation where available.
CAPTCHA blocks the lookup	The portal requires interactive verification	Complete the CAPTCHA in the official portal and continue the search there. ArchiveBox is not a CAPTCHA bypass.
ArchiveBox cannot fetch the copied URL	The URL may require a live session, may have expired, or may not be publicly reachable from the ArchiveBox host	Open the official portal again, repeat the lookup, copy a fresh accessible URL, and retry. Verify network access from the ArchiveBox environment.
The snapshot contains an error page or login/session screen	The target depended on browser state that was not present in the archive request	Use the official interactive flow to locate a direct accessible PDF link. If no public URL works, retain the document through the portal’s official download path and keep its citation details.
The PDF was saved but the case context is missing	Only the PDF target was submitted	Add the case-detail page as a separate URL if it is publicly reachable, then inspect that entry separately.
The case page is saved but the document is absent	The page capture did not also retrieve the linked document, or the document used a separate URL	Open the PDF through the official page, copy its own URL, and add it separately.
Compose reports that the service is missing or stopped	The command assumes a service name or running container that differs from your setup	Use the Compose service name from your configuration. Use `docker compose run` for a one-off command when appropriate, or consult the ArchiveBox Docker instructions.
Output is not a PDF, screenshot, or WARC	Output availability varies by target, installed tools, and configuration	Review the capture result and current ArchiveBox documentation; do not assume every format is generated for every URL.

Performance, reliability, and cost

Capture time depends on the target, its accessibility, the ArchiveBox environment, and which capture methods are available. No benchmark for Indian court portals is established here. Adding two direct targets (the order PDF and case page) keeps the task focused and makes it easier to identify which one failed.

Reliability depends on whether the URL remains reachable without the browser session used for the original search. CAPTCHA, session state, changing portal interfaces, and expiring links can interrupt automated retrieval. Review each capture instead of treating a submitted URL as a successful archive, and preserve the official citation and source link separately.

ArchiveBox is self-hosted software, so plan for the machine or server, storage, backups, and maintenance that your installation requires. The reviewed sources do not provide a cost estimate for this particular workflow. Your cost depends on your hosting and storage choices.

Or skip the browser setup

For a visual capture of a publicly reachable case page, ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server. It returns a screenshot or PDF from one GET request and offers a 63-option API, including full-page capture and PDF output. It is for visual page captures; use the official portal’s PDF and ArchiveBox workflow when preserving the original order document and archive outputs is the goal. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation.

curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/main.php -o court-page.webp

ScreenshotNeo accepts cookie and consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each cleanup step can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits cost nothing, and responses identify the page verdict and billing status in headers. Its MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients.

The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card. Paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots; every feature is on every plan. Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan.

FAQ

Can ArchiveBox save an Indian court judgment PDF?

You can submit an accessible PDF URL to ArchiveBox. Whether that specific URL can be retrieved and which outputs are produced depends on its accessibility and your ArchiveBox setup, so inspect the resulting entry.

Can ArchiveBox search eCourts for a case number?

This workflow uses eCourts for the interactive case search, then submits the resulting accessible URLs to ArchiveBox. The sources reviewed do not establish that ArchiveBox can complete the portal’s CAPTCHA-protected search.

Should I archive the case page and the order PDF?

If you need both the order and its surrounding case context, add both URLs and review both results. They are separate targets and either may fail independently.

Does an ArchiveBox capture count as a certified copy?

No. This preservation workflow does not create a court-certified copy or establish filing suitability. Use the official court process for a certified copy when required.

What if I need district-court records?

The workflow above uses the High Courts Services portal. The official eCourts Services app FAQ describes additional case lookup and PDF document capabilities; use the official eCourts services appropriate to the court and record you need.