We like to think of summer as a season for growth, and this year, that’s exactly what’s happening at Permanent. We’re calling it our Summer Uplift. It’s not one single feature or one big announcement. It’s more like a bunch of small, meaningful upgrades happening all at once, all working toward the same goal. Making your files, stories, and legacy safer, easier to manage, and easier to share with the people you love.
Here’s what’s already happened, and what’s still coming.
A stronger foundation, built for the long haul
Some of what we’re working on this year happens behind the scenes, but it’s making Permanent stronger and more dependable.
Archivematica
We’ve adopted Archivematica, a preservation standard developed in 2009 by Artefactual Systems in collaboration with the City of Vancouver Archives and UNESCO. Without getting too technical, this means your files are being cared for the same way the world’s top archives care for their most important collections. We’ll share more details soon.
EDTF Dates
We’re also improving how we handle dates through EDTF (Extended Date/Time Format), a standard created by the Library of Congress. Sometimes a memory doesn’t come with an exact date; maybe you only remember the year, or that it happened “around” a certain event or point in time. Right now, you need to enter a specific date, month, year, and time in order for the date to save. EDTF lets you capture that detail more accurately, so the story isn’t lost just because the date wasn’t perfectly known. Learn more about EDTF in our blog post here.
Webrecorder
We’re also partnering with Webrecorder to bring web archiving to Permanent this year. Websites disappear more often than people realize; a blog, a page, a whole corner of the internet can vanish overnight. What makes this exciting is that Webrecorder doesn’t just save a flat snapshot. It captures the interactive version, the one you can click through and scroll, the way the site was meant to be experienced. Soon, you’ll be able to preserve that right alongside your photos and documents.
A community that keeps growing
Permanent has always been about more than storage. It’s about people, and this year, our community keeps expanding.
Byte4Byte
In 2026, we welcomed 15 new nonprofit organizations into our Byte4Byte program, providing storage grants for them to preserve community storytelling. Every new partner brings a story that might otherwise have been lost, and we’re honored to support them. Our spring inductees include BIPOC Foodways Alliance, Shrewsbury Historical Society, Scriptorium Press Inc./Arthuriana, Your Heritage Matters, Badge Of Pride, Black in Appalachia, Oakwood University, and Tor House Bookstore.
Permanent Circle
We’ve also launched Permanent Circle, our new community hub. It’s where you’ll find our monthly Legacy Lab courses, discussion boards to connect with other members, shared resources, and direct access to Permanent staff. Preserving your legacy can feel like a solo project, but it doesn’t have to be. Circle is here to remind you that you’re part of something bigger. Sign up for an upcoming Legacy Lab course at community.permanent.org.
Making everyday preservation easier
All this technical progress means little if the platform isn’t easy to use. So we’re also focused on the everyday experience, the little things that make a big difference.
Share Management on Mobile
Earlier this year, we launched Unlisted Shares on the web, making it easier to share files with exactly who you want, no account required. Next up, we’re bringing that same share management to our mobile apps, so you can control who sees what right from your phone. Life happens on the go, and we want Permanent to keep up.
Reimagined Onboarding
We’re also reimagining how new members get started. If you’ve ever invited a family member or friend to join your archive, you know it can feel a little clunky. We’re simplifying that process so the people you care about most can jump in without feeling overwhelmed.
A New Dashboard
And looking further ahead, we’re already starting to plan a new dashboard that will make navigating your archive feel more intuitive. You’ll be able to create different collections and different views to showcase your archive. We don’t have specific details to share yet, but we’re excited about where this is headed, and we’ll reach out to members to test this before it goes live.
This is just the beginning
This list didn’t come together in a single planning session. It’s the result of years of steady work, small steps that were always building toward something bigger, and it all points back to the same thing. We want Permanent to be a place you trust, not just today, but for decades to come.
So as these updates roll out over the coming months, keep an eye out for new Knowledge Base Articles. Some will be obvious right away, others will happen quietly in the background.
Thank you for being part of this journey with us. There’s a lot more to come!
