View source for Help:Permanent link

{{information page|H:PERL|H:PLINK|WP:PERMLINK}}
A '''permanent link''' (or '''[[permalink]]''') is a link to a specific version of a Wikipedia page. Normal [[Wikipedia:Wikilink|internal links]] always lead to the current version of a page, but the permalink leads to the text as it was at that point in time; the text does not include any edits made since. Unlike what the name suggests, the permalink does ''not'' show exactly the same page, though; only the ''main text'' is guaranteed to be retained. Certain elements still update dynamically like pictures,<ref>The most obvious differences are if images that existed at the time are subsequently deleted. They would be shown as [[Wikipedia:Red link|red links]], and inevitably the layout of the article would suffer.</ref> [[Help:template|templates]] such as [[Help:Infobox|infoboxes]] with text and images placed in the page's right-top corner, as well as any content [[Help:Transclusion|transcluded]] from other pages. In other words, the permalink displays what the article would look like today if someone [[Help:Reverting|reverted]] to the revision in question.
[[File:View history - Create permalink - February 2025.png|thumb|Creating a permanent link URL from the page history tab of a page.]]
A permalink can be made by clicking '{{int:Permalink}}' in the sidebar's toolbox or by accessing a prior revision of a page from its [[Help:Page history|page history]] tab. Both of these will display that version and the page's [[URL]] can be used as the target of the permalink.

==Wikilink==
<syntaxhighlight lang=wikitext inline>[[Special:PermanentLink/oldid]]</syntaxhighlight> or the shortcut <syntaxhighlight lang=wikitext inline>[[Special:Permalink/oldid]]</syntaxhighlight> can be used to make a [[H:WIKILINK|wikilink]] when this is preferred over a URL. <code>oldid</code> is the [[Wikipedia:Revision ID|revision number]] in the URL of a permanent link; for example, {{Xtn|1=[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Help_desk&oldid=402359171 https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Help_desk&oldid=402359171]}}, which is thus equivalent to <code><syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" inline="">[[Special:Permalink/402359171]]</syntaxhighlight></code> or {{Xtn|[[Special:Permalink/402359171]]}}.

The normal rules for wikilinks apply: such as regarding [[MOS:SECTIONS|section names]], [[H:IW#Prefix codes for linking to projects|interwiki prefixes]], and [[WP:PIPE|pipes]] (as further explained in the table below). Wikilinks work in [[WP:ES|edit summaries]], unlike URLs. A wikilink only works in Wikipedia, and some other wikis if it has the right interwiki prefix. Here are some examples showing how to wikilink from a Wikipedia page, [[Help:Page history#Linking to a specific revision of a page|to a specific version of a page]]. Note the <code>oldid</code> part of the permanent link, and write your own [[H:WT|wikitext]]:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Link to
! Wikitext 
! Result to reader
|-
| any page, in any [[Wikipedia:Namespace|namespace]] in Wikipedia: 
| <code><nowiki>[[Special:Permalink/402359171|a version of Wikipedia:Help desk page]]</nowiki></code>
| [[Special:Permalink/402359171|a version of Wikipedia:Help desk page]]
|-
| a section of any page at Wikipedia:<br/><small>Note the section title is appended to the [[Wikipedia:Revision ID|revision ID]]. See {{Section link|Help:Section|Section linking}}</small>.
| <code><nowiki>[[Special:Permalink/402359171#December_14|a particular section at a version of WP:HD]]</nowiki></code>
| [[Special:Permalink/402359171#December_14|a particular section at a version of WP:HD]]
|-
| any page in a [[WP:SISTER|sister project]]:<br/><small>Note the use of [[Help:Interwikimedia links#Prefix codes for linking to projects|prefix codes]] <code>wikt:</code> for [[wiktionary]] and <code>c:</code> for [[Commons]]. See {{section link|Help:Interwikimedia links#Prefix codes for linking to projects}}.</small>
| <code><nowiki>[[wikt:Special:Permalink/27434896|wiktionary:scribble in July 2014]]</nowiki></code><br/>
<hr/>
<code><nowiki>[[c:Special:Permalink/90453750|Commons Eiffel tower sunset old rev]]</nowiki></code>
| [[wikt:Special:Permalink/27434896|wiktionary:scribble in July 2014]]<br/>
<hr/>
[[c:Special:Permalink/90453750|Commons Eiffel tower sunset old rev]]
|-
| a [[Help:Section#Section_linking|section]] on a [[WP:SISTER|sister project]] page:<br/><small>Note the use of prefix codes <code>[[q:]]</code> and <code>[[m:]]</code>.</small>
| <code><nowiki>[[q:Special:Permalink/2220436#Le_Petit_Prince_(1943)|Feb 2017 rev of ''Little Prince'' quotes]]</nowiki></code><br/>
<hr/>
<code><nowiki>[[m:Special:Permalink/18885973#Translations|old rev of Meta VisEd § Translations]]</nowiki></code>
| [[q:Special:Permalink/2220436#Le_Petit_Prince_(1943)|Feb 2017 rev of ''Little Prince'' quotes]]<br/>
<hr/>
[[m:Special:Permalink/18885973#Translations|old rev of Meta VisEd § Translations]]
|-
| any page in [[List of Wikipedias|any foreign Wikipedia]]:<br/><small>{{warning sign|Deprecated}}: [[Wikipedia:LOCALLINK|Local interlanguage links]] should not be used in the article namespace.<br/>Note the use of [[Help:Interlanguage_links#Method|interlanguage prefixes]] to [[H:IW#Note on linking to foreign-language Wikiprojects|link to foreign-language Wikiprojects]].</small>
| <code><nowiki>[[:fr:Special:Permalink/385114|oldest copy]] of [[:fr:Agra|]] at [[:fr:|French Wikipedia]]</nowiki></code><br/>
<hr/>
<code><nowiki>[[:ja:Special:Permalink/676516|oldest rev]] of [[:ja:Sydney|]] at [[:ja:|Japanese Wikipedia]]</nowiki></code>
| <br/>[[:fr:Special:Permalink/385114|oldest copy]] of [[:fr:Agra|Agra]] at [[:fr:|French Wikipedia]]<br/>
<hr/>
[[:ja:Special:Permalink/676516|oldest rev]] of [[:ja:Sydney|Sydney]] at [[:ja:|Japanese Wikipedia]]
|-
| the most current version of a page (''not'' a permanent link; this is just a [[Help:Link|plain wikilink]]) 
| <code><nowiki>[[Wikipedia:Help desk]]</nowiki></code>
| [[Wikipedia:Help desk]]
|}

==See also==
{{Wikipedia glossary}}
* [[Help:Diff]]
* [[Wikipedia:Simple diff and link guide]]
* {{slink|Help:Page history|Linking to a specific revision of a page}} for more details of browsing the history of Wikipedia.
* [[Wikipedia:Citing Wikipedia]] for more details on how to cite Wikipedia, for which you may need a permalink.
* [[Template:Oldid2]], link to an old version of a page
* [[Template:Cross-wiki oldid]], link to an old version of a page in MediaWiki, Meta-Wiki, Wikibooks, Wikimedia Foundation, Wikimedia Incubator, Wikinews, Wikiquote, Wikisource, Wikiversity, or Wiktionary
* [[Template:Cross-wiki language oldid]], link to an old version of a page in Wikibooks, Wikinews, Wikiquote, Wikisource, Wikiversity, or Wiktionary in any language

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

{{Wikipedia technical help|collapsed}}
[[Category:Wikipedia interface help|Permanent link]]
[[Category:Wikipedia sidebar help|Permanent link]]
[[Category:Wikipedia links]]
[[Category:Wikipedia page history]]