Create Your First Archive

Create Your First Archive

Congratulations on taking the first step to preserving your legacy by signing up for a Permanent.org account!

Once you have created your Permanent.org account, you will create your first archive. An archive is a collection of material that represents the digital legacy of a person, a group or family, or an organization. 

The first step to creating your first archive is selecting what kind of material you wish to preserve. This represents what your archive is about. Click the material from the drop down that best represents what you hope to preserve in your archive.

A screenshot of Permanent.org where you can select the content you plan to capture and preserve in your archive.

What will your first archive represent? It might be yourself, a family member, an ancestor, your neighborhood association, a small business or a nonprofit organization.

Not sure what archive option to choose? Start with yourself. You can always create new archives or change the name and type of your archive later. 

Next, name your archive. The archive name is generally the name of the individual, group, family, or organization that your archive is about. Type in that name, so it completes the archive name to become The [name of your archive] Archive. For example, "The Katherine Johnson Archive."

A screenshot of the Permanent.org application that depicts where you name your first archive.

Click Next to continue in your onboarding experience.

If you do not wish to create your first archive yourself, you can always choose the Make my archive for me option on the lower left side of the screen. This will automatically create an archive with your name. You will need to confirm that you want your archive created automatically by clicking Yes, create my archive for me.



Next, think about your goals with Permanent.org. Do you want to digitize your materials? Do you want to collaborate with family and friends to create an archive? Goal setting can help by allowing you a moment to think about your plan for creating your archive and set some intentions. Select a goal by clicking on it. You may select all that apply. Then, click Next. You can always skip this step by clicking Skip.

A screenshot of the Permanent application where you select your goals for building your archive.

Finally, tell us why you decided to create an account with Permanent. This helps us to better understand your needs and goals so we can help you accomplish your preservation goals. You can always skip this step by clicking Skip. Click Make My Archive to finish creating your archive.

A screenshot of the Permanent.org application that depicts where you select what brought you to Permanent.

Congratulations! You have created your first archive and taken an important step in ensuring that your legacy is passed on to future generations.

You'll be taken to your new archive that you have created, where you can start preserving your legacy by uploading your first file or filling out your archive's profile. Don't forget to check your email to redeem your free storage!

A screenshot of the Permanent.org application that depicts the welcome message when you first create your new archive


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