An HTML iframe can contain a wide range of types of content, from a wide range of sources, which makes them a challenge for preservation. The quality of automated website archiving in general can vary greatly. For an iframe embedded in an EPUB or website, the more inconsistent, complex, and dynamic their content, the more likely they will be lost in an automated process. If these features are important to preserve, consider a manual process to capture and package the intellectual components of the iframe content in another form. For example, a video or screenshot with a caption that links to the website might be a sufficient fallback for conveying the contents of the iframe.
These guidelines may also be relevant to use of iframes:
- 38 - List the URLs for each embedded iframe in the metadata
- 39 - Avoid use of iframes in EPUBs
- 42 - Facilitate a local web archiving workflow to support iframes