Perma.cc

Decide whether to create a permalink

Assess whether it is appropriate to create a permalink for the citation.

• Generally, if the Bluebook says it is okay to provide a URL, create a permalink.
  • This means you should not create permalinks for things like law journal articles, unless they are only available online.
• If the content at the URL is split across multiple pages (e.g., a news article split across two or more pages), see if there is a way to view the entire article on one page. Use that URL for the permalink.
• Do not create a permalink for material that is behind a paywall or that you need a password to access. This includes the New York Times and other newspapers that have partial paywalls.
• Do not create a permalink for videos, as they do not archive properly.
• Do not create a permalink if the URL does not actually provide the content being cited (e.g., a link to a website where you must download the content).

Go to Perma.cc

Log in to http://perma.cc. (You should have received an email from Perma with instructions on how to create an account. If you cannot find this email, contact the Law Library Research Desk for assistance.

Once you log in the screen should appear similar to the image below.  

If this is not what you see, look to the upper right corner and click the  blue button titled "Create and manage Perma Links."

Create the permalink

Paste the original URL of the site for which you wish to create a permalink.

Select the folder on the left-hand side of the screen where you want this permalink to reside (you will only see folders for your organization and a Personal Links folder). Do not place your permalink in your Personal Links folder. Your editors should create a folder for each author before you begin making permalinks.

Finally, click the blue button titled Create Perma Link.

Note: If you get an alert stating "Capture Failed" check the url and reach out to an editor or the Law Library Research Desk.

Review

Review the permalink you just created. You are taken by default to the "capture," or Perma's attempt to capture the coding behind the web page. If something looks wrong, review the "Screenshot View," which is simply an image of the web page. If both of these look wrong, delete the permalink by clicking "Edit link details" and then the red "Delete record" button, and contact the Law Library Research Desk for assistance.

If everything looks okay, copy the new Perma Link URL provided, and move on to the next step.

Add permalink to citation

Per Bluebook Rule 18.2.1(d), add the permalink URL to the end of the citation, following the original URL, in brackets.

• Example: Rocio Gonzalez, Puerto Rico’s Status Debate Continues as Island Marks 61 Years as a Commonwealth, Huffington Post (July 25, 2013, 9:00 AM), http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/25/puerto-rico-status-debate_n_3651755.html [http://perma.cc/C6UP-96HN].