Verifying URLs with URL Checker

To use URL Checker, you must be assigned permission 201 (Modify URLBlock), 301 (View URLCheck), or 302 (Modify URLCheck), depending on the functions you want to perform. See Permissions Used by Sierra for more information.

If your library has acquired URL Checker, you can use the URL Checker reports to verify and update bibliographic record URLs listed in subfield u or (Sierra 6.1 and later) subfield g of MARC 856 fields. If your library has acquired the Electronic Reserves option, URL Checker verifies the URLs in the MARC 962 field as well. The system verifies each URL by attempting to open a connection to the indicated address and confirming that the expected type of protocol for sending data (HTTP, HTTPS, TELNET, or FTP) is available.

You can run URL Checker automatically or interactively.

Automatic URL Checking

When you use automatic URL checking, Innovative sets up the system to run a verification of the database at a pre-set time. By default, this verification occurs on the first day of each month at 2:30 AM, but you can change this by contacting Innovative.

Interactive URL Checking

You can run URL Checker at any time, whether you are using automatic URL Checking or not. Using the interactive URL Checker, you can run a report over a review file, a range of records, or from an index search. You also can run a report over the last automatic report results (to generate an updated report and to reflect changes made since the last automatic report was run).

When you select the Interactive option on the toolbar, the system displays the last Interactive report that was created. To create a new Interactive report:

  1. In the toolbar, choose Interactive, and then Create.
  2. Choose either Use Automatic URL Checker report range or Specify another range. If you select Specify another range, select one of the following options and enter the appropriate parameters to be used in generating the URL Checker report:
    • If you choose Range, enter the starting and ending numbers for bibliographic records.
    • If you choose Review, choose a review file from the drop-down list.
    • If you choose Index, choose an index type and then enter the starting and ending index entry.
    • If you choose Advanced, create a range by entering keyword(s), Boolean operators, and wildcards.
  3. Choose OK.

The system displays a dialog box that indicates the report is being created. Depending on the number of URL entries in your bibliographic records, this report can take some time. You can stop the report by choosing Stop, if necessary.

When you create an interactive report, it overwrites any existing interactive report.

See also:
URL Checker Results
Updating URLs
Blocking URLs
URL Checker Error Messages