Pressfront
Online harassment documentation tools
Updated October 2026 · every tool checked on its own site, October 27, 2026
Save each post as a screenshot with the link, date and handle, plus an archived copy someone else can check.
The free tools cover most of it. A paid capture tool matters mainly when a lawyer or a court will look at the record.
| Tool | Cost | What it saves, and the catch |
|---|
| Screenshot | Free | What you see. Easy to question on its own, so keep the link with it. |
Wayback Machine
Save Page Now | Free | A dated copy at web.archive.org anyone can open. One page at a time; some sites block it. |
A log
spreadsheet or notes | Free | Date, time, link, site, whether you reported it. NNEDV has a template. |
Your data export
X, Instagram, TikTok | Free | Your own posts and messages. Takes hours to days; Instagram and TikTok keep the file 4 days. |
| Hunchly | $169/yr
30-day trial | Every page you visit, with link, time and a hash. Built for investigators. |
| Page Vault | from $199
per project | Capture for legal use, with an affidavit. Social profiles from $349. |
Green = enough for most people: screenshot, archive, log. All free.
Step by step: one post, three minutes
Do these in order for each post that matters, before you block or report anything.
-
Screenshot the whole post
- Username, date and time, text, replies and reposts all in the frame. PEN America lists the same items.
- Some apps block screenshots or tell the other person. If so, photograph the screen with a second device.
-
Copy the link
- Paste it into your log next to the screenshot's file name.
- Note the account's @handle, not only the display name. Display names change more often.
-
Save an archived copy
- Paste the link into
web.archive.org/save. You get a dated copy at a public address.
- It saves that one page, not the links on it. Archive important replies one by one.
- Open the copy once. Sites that want a login can save as a blank or login page; then the screenshot is your record.
-
Add a line to your log
- Date and time, site, link, a short description, whether you reported it and when, anyone who saw it.
- This is the format NNEDV's Safety Net project recommends.
-
Then report, and keep the confirmation
- A reported post can be removed. Your saved copy is then the only one.
- Keep the platform's report emails and any police report number in the same folder.
Since Oct 1, 2023
DocuSAFE, the free evidence app from the National Network to End Domestic Violence that many older guides still recommend, has not been available to download.
When a paid tool is worth it
Pay for capture when a lawyer, an employer's investigator or a court will rely on the record.
- Hunchly ($169 a year, 30-day free trial) records the link, time and a hash of every page you open while it runs, and builds a report with an audit trail. Good if you collect a lot over weeks.
- Page Vault captures for legal use and supplies an affidavit. On-demand pricing starts at $199 a project for websites and $349 for social media profiles; the browser software is quoted on request.
- Pressfront Trace paid traces come with an evidence pack: each post's record with a SHA-256 hash, screenshots, archived copies where the archive accepted them, a timestamp token, and a method note for your lawyer to review.
Pressfront makes Trace, which shows who is talking about you online and where it started, and Get Found, which helps online businesses show up on Google and in AI answers.
Who can help, for free
These groups publish free guides, and some take calls.
- PEN America Online Harassment Field Manual: step-by-step documentation and reporting guides.
- NNEDV Safety Net (techsafety.org): documentation tips and a log template.
- Right To Be (formerly Hollaback!): free bystander and self-care trainings.
- Cyber Civil Rights Initiative helpline: 844-878-2274, free, 24/7, for intimate images shared without consent (US).
- StopNCII.org: makes a fingerprint of an intimate image on your device so partner platforms can block it, without uploading the image. 18+ only.
What documentation can't do
A record shows what was posted and when, and nothing more.
- It doesn't show who someone is in real life, or why they posted.
- It can't recover deleted posts you didn't save, unless an archive caught them first.
- No format is guaranteed in court. NNEDV says so plainly. A lawyer can tell you what they need.
See every post in one place, freeOne free trace, looking back 7 days. No account, no card.
Related: what to do when lots of people post about you · how to find where you've been doxxed · how to trace where a pile-on started · signs of coordinated harassment on X
Questions
What should a screenshot of an online post include?
The username, the date and time, the full text, and the engagement (replies, reposts), with the link saved next to it. PEN America's Online Harassment Field Manual gives the same list.
Is a screenshot enough for police or a court?
Sometimes, but there is no guarantee any documentation will be accepted. A screenshot plus the link, an archived copy and a dated log is stronger than a screenshot alone. If it may go to court, ask a lawyer which format they want.
Is DocuSAFE still available?
No. NNEDV stopped offering the DocuSAFE app for download on October 1, 2023. Its Safety Net project still publishes free documentation tips and a log template at techsafety.org.
Should I document before or after reporting a post?
Before. A reported post can be removed, and then the only copy is the one you saved.
Sources (checked 2026-10-27)