Archiving a repository on GitHub allows it to become read-only, preserving its content without accepting further contributions, which is useful when development is no longer active but deletion is not desired. Once archived, all interactions such as editing, creating issues, pull requests, and comments are disabled, although the repository can still be forked for continued development elsewhere. Before archiving, it is recommended to adjust settings, close open issues and pull requests, and update the README to inform visitors of its archived status. If necessary, repositories can be unarchived to restore full functionality, though most settings are inaccessible while archived.