York University Libraries FAQ

York University Libraries does not provide a service for creating permanent links ("permalinks") to web-based content, or to link-shortening services. Third-party services that provide this functionality include Bitly, TinyURL, and Perma.cc.

Bitly and TinyURL provide shortened URLs for long web links, and the links they create will point to the original web site. Perma.cc generates a shortened link in addition to creating a time-stamped snapshot of a web-based resource, similar to what appears in the Wayback Machine.

York University Libraries recommends the following practice for people who would like to create a shortened link to a historical/preserved copy of a website:

1. Using a web browser, navigate to https://archive.org and enter the URL for the relevant website in the "Wayback Machine" field. In the resulting page, browse to any recent capture of the URL to see a snapshot from that date.
   • To request a new snapshot of the website for today's date, use a browser extension such as the Official Wayback Machine Extension.
2. Use a service like Bitly or TinyURL to create a shortened version of the desired Wayback Machine snapshot.

It is important to note that link shortening services often hide the original URL of the website they point to. This may create problems in the future if the URL behind the shortened link becomes unavailable. Although Wayback Machine links are long, they do include the address of the original website that a future reader may use to try to locate an *alternate* archive. For this reason, we recommend you use full-length Wayback Machine links in any published bibliographies or reference lists.