How do Familiar Archetypes work?

[Minigiant]

As the title suggests, how do Familiar Archetypes work?

Is it a free selection? Is it a feat like Improved Familiar?

Can classes that are not Wizards take it? AKA Arcane Bloodline?

D20 does not make Familiar Archetypes easy to understand

[willuwontu]

You can take them on any familiar. If you want to combine archetypes or use them on an improved familiar, make sure improved familiar and the archetype don't replace the same feature like normal archetypes.

[ErichAD]

Most familiar archetypes are free to take for almost anyone who has a familiar. Your familiar needs to be permanent, not temporarily summoned, and it needs to have the abilities that would be traded out to take the archetype. A familiar gained through the arcane bond ability granted by the arcane bloodline does qualify.

The archetypes with special qualification requirements are bloodline, figment, mauler, patron, and school familiars. Bloodline familiars are only available through exchanging portions of sorcerer or blood rager bloodlines. Figments and Maulers aren't available to those who get spells from their familiars like shaman and witches. Patron familiars are restricted to Witches and possibly others with patrons. And school familiars are restricted to those who have the appropriate school and have taken the school familiar feat.

The only other restriction I can think of is that you can't have a protector archetype on a tumor familiar.