Reliable portfolio links need ongoing care. Use stable destinations, test them without your account, record the version linked from each application and review access after changes. Provide a useful explanation when material moves or is retired. A working homepage does not prove that every project link, download or embedded sample remains available.
Treat every application link as a maintained reference
A link on a CV is a promise that the reader can reach relevant evidence. List the destinations you share: homepage, case studies, downloads, repositories and embedded demonstrations. Note which applications use them and whether the URL points to a stable overview or a changeable working draft. A small link register can prevent a site redesign from quietly breaking the evidence behind an active application.
Prefer a clear, stable project address where you control it. Avoid temporary preview links for long-lived CVs unless you understand their expiry and access conditions. If you depend on a third-party platform, record that dependency and keep an authorized local copy of your own publishable content. Ownership of a domain or account does not remove the need to check its renewal and access status.
Test the route a reviewer will actually use
Open links without the account that created them and check the intended content, not just whether a page loads. A sharing page may display a sign-in prompt, a permission request or the wrong file version. Follow downloads and embedded links as well. Test on a small screen when the portfolio may be reviewed on a phone, and confirm that essential text is readable.
Check the surrounding context. A broken image can hide the main artifact even while the page returns successfully. A demo can load but fail on its central task. A repository may become private after a cleanup. These are different problems, so a simple availability check is only a starting point. Review a representative task and make the project’s limitations clear where the reader encounters them.
Handle changes and retirement deliberately
When moving a project, preserve the old address with a suitable redirect if you control it, and check that the redirect reaches the specific replacement. Sending every retired URL to the homepage makes the reader search again. If no equivalent replacement exists, provide a brief retirement page where appropriate, explaining the status and offering a current relevant sample without exposing private reasons.
Keep version context for active applications. A project may evolve after submission, but you should be able to explain what the employer saw. Record the date and significant changes in a private application log. Do not silently replace a labeled prototype with a different project while assuming that an old CV description still accurately represents the destination.
Set a practical review rhythm around applications and substantial site changes. Check access, link targets, dates and any downloadable CV copies. Remove obsolete contact details and review whether public samples remain permitted to share. Reliability includes knowing when material should be withdrawn, not merely keeping every old page online forever. A deliberate retirement is better than a forgotten file with misleading information.
Fictional example: moving a case study during applications
A fictional candidate rebuilds their portfolio while two applications remain active. The old CV links directly to a case study that has moved. Instead of redirecting every old project address to the new homepage, the candidate creates a project-specific redirect and tests it from a signed-out browser. They also check the linked PDF, which still contains an obsolete email address, and replace the public download with a corrected version.
The private application log records the original submission date and the later portfolio move. A short project note explains that the case study layout changed while the underlying work remained the same. The candidate can now discuss the version originally submitted and the current presentation. This process does not guarantee that every recipient revisits the link; it keeps the route they were given useful and accurate.
A checklist for your next step
- Inventory project, download and embedded links.
- Test access without the creating account.
- Check the central artifact and task, not only loading.
- Use specific redirects when material moves.
- Record versions and retire outdated content deliberately.
Common questions
How often should I check portfolio links?
Check before sending an application, after significant site or permission changes and on a recurring schedule suited to how often the portfolio changes. Important active applications justify a fresh access check.
Is a PDF copy a useful backup?
It can preserve a readable snapshot if sharing is permitted, but it also needs maintenance and accessible text. Record its date and avoid leaving obsolete copies publicly linked after important corrections.
Further reading
These primary resources provide related background. They do not validate the illustrative example or endorse AliveCV.
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