Alpha features

Some parts of the Archive API ship behind an alpha flag while we refine them. Alpha surfaces are hidden by default and opt-in per request. This page describes how the alpha program works; it doesn’t document the alpha surfaces themselves.

Opting in

You opt into alpha surfaces per request with the X-Archive-Alpha-Features header. Its value is a comma-separated list of feature keys:

X-Archive-Alpha-Features: feature_one, feature_two

The header is parsed leniently: whitespace around each key is trimmed, keys are matched case-insensitively, and duplicates are collapsed. Unrecognized keys are ignored and never cause an error.

Hidden by default

If you haven’t opted into a given alpha feature, its surfaces don’t exist for your request. Referencing one in a query returns the ordinary GraphQL error Field 'X' doesn't exist on type 'Y', exactly as if the field had never been defined. There is no partial visibility. A surface is either fully available to an opted-in request or entirely absent.

Discovering the schema

You can’t discover alpha surfaces, or any other part of the schema, by introspection. Schema introspection is disabled on the production API, with or without the alpha header: a query for __schema or __type fails with Field '__schema' doesn't exist on type 'Query' (or the same error for __type).

The reference and the Explorer on this site are generated from the published schema, so they are the source of truth for every generally available field. Point code generators and IDE plugins at those instead of at a live introspection query. The published schema leaves alpha surfaces out by design.

Getting access

Alpha access is granted per feature. To try a feature in alpha, contact your Archive account team. They’ll give you the feature key to send and documentation for the surface, including the fields it adds. That documentation is the only way to learn an alpha surface’s shape. Because alpha surfaces carry no stability contract, they are intentionally left out of this reference.