Account creation on ArDrive is free as are uploads of small files (currently up to 500 KB).

Remember that ArDrive empowers you to be in control of your data; no one else has your password but you. Therefore, it is very important that you safely record your password and seed phrase as they cannot be recovered later.

Click on the red +New button and create a Drive.

Name your Drive and set it as “Public”.

ArDrive also offers “private” file storage; however, permanent websites must be public in order to maintain functionality.

To pay for permanent storage on the Arweave network you must either purchase ArDrive Turbo credits with a credit card or (or the advanced option) ensure your wallet has $AR, the native token of the Arweave ecosystem.

Most websites will cost less than $1 to save permanently. See current prices

Upload the static files to your new Public Drive. Offline Pages Pro will generate an index.html file that is separate from a large folder of assets (images, css, fonts, etc). Other downloader software will add the index.html file to the rest of your assets.

Either way, upload all the files you receive from your static site generator to your new Public Drive.

Permanence takes patience. Once static files have been uploaded, they need to be sent to the Arweave network before being assembled together. This process can take as little as 5 seconds (when using Turbo credits) or up to 30 minutes or more (when using $AR). Make sure to keep your browser tab open and do not refresh your browser while you wait.

To check on the status of your files, you can click the refresh icon in the top right of ArDrive. You’ll know your file is ready when the light on the icon turns from yellow to green. (Pro Tip: some files uploaded with Turbo are ready before they are green.)

Manifests are "special .json files that instruct Arweave Gateways to map file data associated with specific, unique transaction IDs to customized, hosted paths relative to that of the manifest file itself." In other words, they are the secret sauce that brings a permasite together.

Click on the red +New button and select Advanced > New Manifest. Select the location for your manifest, ensuring it is in the same place as your index.html file.

Give your Manifest a name like “permasite”, it will be the main way you access your permanent website from ArDrive.

Now the manifest needs to be sent to the Arweave network. Again, this process can take just a few seconds or up to 30 minutes or more.

After a bit, you can refresh your Drive by clicking on the icon in the upper right – and see if your manifest icon turns from yellow to green.

Got a green light? You’re ready to go! Click on your manifest file and you will see a panel of options appear on the right side of your screen. Click on the Preview icon in the top right and it will open a new tab with your permasite.

If a website appears with a long, random-looking URL in the browser bar, then congrats, you made a permasite!

Try clicking around and make sure all your pages are preserved. If they are not, it could be a limitation of your static site generator or an issue with the manifest (see FAQ below).

You’ll notice that your permasite has a long, random-looking URL generated by Arweave. These long URLs are designed to remain for decades, but they also are not very friendly nor memorable.

Try redirecting another domain to your permasite, or mask your permasite domain with a domain of your choosing. You can also acquire an ArNS name that enables you to create a custom, permanent name for your permasite.

Once you are done - rest secure knowing your site will be preserved for generations.