A permalink is a permanent URL that points to a specific blog post or message board, remaining constant over time. They solve the problem of broken links and are human-readable. Bloggers use them to link to older entries and they often include the title, date, and author. Versioning can be an issue, but some systems support it. Permalinks are useful for tracking link statistics and are often used in syndication software.
A permalink, a combination of the words permanent and link, is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that points to a specific message board or blog post after it has moved from the front page to an archived page. Unlike links which can become dead or unavailable, permalinks stay the same over time. The term permalink is mostly used in web blogs, while most other websites use the term permanent link.
Permalinks work by staying constant. Previously, content management systems (CMS) supported by more dynamic databases modified link URLs creating dead links, a condition known as broken links. The software would also change URLs to something longer and bulkier, making them difficult to read. Permalinks solve this problem by making the URL static and also more human-readable, meaning it would be laid out in a way that is easy for a casual viewer to read.
The primary users of permalinks are bloggers, those who write in a journal-like platform, known as a blog, on the Internet. Due to the way most blogs are displayed, entries in the blog are usually only available for a short time on the main page, and newer entries replace older ones and relegate them to an archive. If the blog is updated frequently, this can create a problem for those who want to visit an entry they have viewed previously or link to the entry from another website or blog. The permalink can solve this problem.
Permalinks usually have the title, date, entry and comments listed in the text, thus making it decipherable what the link refers to, when it was posted and who wrote it. This makes it convenient for categorization and reference. Most permalinks are identified with a symbol or the word permalink in the text, making them easily recognizable.
One problem that has arisen with permalinks is versioning, which refers to updates made to the entry. When an update is made to a blog or web entry to which a permalink is attached, the permalink usually does not change. Most software that supports permalinking does this, which means it doesn’t support versioning. This can be a problem if the link is used in research or is linked from a website or other blog for specific content. Some systems solve this problem by supporting versioning, and if the content of an entry changes, an additional permalink is created that links to the new version.
The use of permalinks has increased due to the increase in content available on the web. They are often used to track link statistics, such as who links to a particular entry and how often. This is useful for bloggers and website owners so they can monitor and edit content. Streaming syndication software, such as Real Simple Syndication (RSS), often uses permalinks to link to blog posts and news sites.
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