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Perma.cc for Journal Members

This guide is intended to assist journal members with using perma.cc to archive URLs.

How to Create a Perma Link

Creating a Perma link for an URL takes only a few seconds--just follow these three easy steps.

Step 1: Log in to your Perma.cc account.

                Screenshot of the Perma.cc login page

 

Step 2: Copy the URL you wish to preserve, paste it into the bar on perma.cc (at the top of the page once you've signed in), and select the appropriate folder where this link should be saved (e.g., your journal's folder). Click the blue "Create Perma Link" button. (This screenshot shows several journals as options, but you'll only see the journal(s) that you are a member of.)

               Screenshot of Perma.cc home page showing the field for entering a link and the drop-down for selecting your journal

 

Step 3: After a few seconds, you will see your Perma.cc record. You should add the URL of the Perma link (shown in blue near the top of the screen) into the citation by placing it in brackets at the end (Bluebook Rule 18.2.1(d)). The Perma link will become permanent after 24 hours.  

Screenshot of successful perma link creation

 

Troubleshooting: If you are unable to save a page, the website might be identifying Perma as a bot and disallowing capture. There is a workaround. See instructions in the box below labeled Archiving PDF Documents.

              

Special Cases

Batch Link Creation: If you have multiple pages to archive, Perma.cc now allows you to create multiple Perma links at once. Once you're logged in, select your journal from the drop-down menu and click on "create multiple links", just under the "Create A Perma Link" button. In the frame that pops up, enter your URLs, one per line; when you're done, click on "Create Links". When the links are ready, you'll see a list of the pages you've archived alongside their brand-new Perma Links. 

Screenshot showing the location of the link to batch-create Perma links Screenshot of the pop-up window for creating batch links

 

Private Records: Occasionally, Perma links will be marked as private records. This usually happens with sources that are behind a paywall. You can also choose to mark certain records as private. Only the creator of the link and the organization that controls the Perma.cc account (your journal and the Robert Crown Law Library) will be able to see the content at the Perma link. You should still create Perma links for these sources to archive those webpages for your journal's own records, but they will not be viewable to all readers.

       Screenshot of a private Perma.cc record, with the text "This is a Private Perma.cc record" at the top of the page

 

Browser Extensions and Bookmarklet: To create Perma links more quickly, you can install Chrome or Firefox extensions or use a bookmarklet.

       Screenshot of the Chrome Perma.cc extension's icon in the browser

 

Deleting Perma Links: You can only delete Perma links created within the past 24 hours. After 24 hours, the links will become permanent and can no longer be deleted. 

       Screenshot of the Perma.cc list of links, showing a recent link with the option to delete next to the link URL and an older link without the option

 

Organizing Perma Links: Perma.cc allows you to easily organize your links in folders, so you may wish to create a folder for each issue within a volume and then a subfolder for each article published in that issue.

       Screenshot of a folder structure with a folder for each journal issue, containing subfolders with the article authors' names

Archiving PDF Documents

Perma.cc can archive PDF documents posted online so that readers can download the documents from the Perma link in the future, even if the document is removed from a website. This function also serves as a workaround if you run into issues trying to save a website; just save the webpage as a PDF and follow the instructions below.

Step 1: After logging in, just leave the URL empty and click the button Create Perma Link; you will get an error message in a yellow box - click the button for "upload your own archive."

Screenshot of Perma.cc button to upload your own archive

 Step 2: Complete each field in the Upload Your Own Archive form pop-up and Save. 

Screenshot of Perma.cc Upload Your Own Archive form

Step 3: After a few seconds, you will see your Perma.cc record. You should add the URL of the Perma link (shown in blue near the top of the screen) into the citation by placing it in brackets at the end (Bluebook Rule 18.2.1(d)). The Perma link will become permanent after 24 hours. 

Screenshot of a PDF document archived using Perma.cc

Screenshot of a PDF document archived using Perma.cc

Archiving Multimedia (Audio Recordings and Videos)

Perma.cc cannot archive and retain multimedia content, such as audio recordings or videos. However, in many cases, it is still useful to create a Perma link for the URL of the webpage where the audio recording or video is hosted because that webpage contains valuable information such as the title of the video, date, and a description of the content, which a Perma link will preserve. 

               Screenshot of an archived Youtube URL, showing an error in playing the video but still preserving the rest of the information on the page