PastPerfect Online Training

Are you using your PastPerfect Online site to its full potential? Brush up on your PastPerfect Online knowledge with our free videos.

Watch and learn as we demonstrate ways to improve your PastPerfect Online site. New and experienced PastPerfect Online users alike will find something new as we review basics and more in-depth information. Our videos cover topics such as the benefits of sharing your collections with the public, how to select and share your items, updating the look and feel of your site, and more!

PastPerfect Online is an optional add-on feature for users of our PastPerfect 5.0 desktop collection and contacts management software. If you are looking for a cloud-based software to manage your contacts and collections, check out PastPerfect Web Edition.


Upcoming Lunchtime Lectures

Lunchtime Lectures are free to attend and generally last around 45-60 minutes. Each session will end with a Question and Answer portion, giving you the opportunity to ask our PastPerfect Online specialists your questions about the topic.

No classes currently scheduled.


All Videos

"Just the Basics" Series: Updating Your PPO Site

This series provides an overview of how to select, create, and upload your files over four short videos. It is a great crash course for both new users and those who need a quick refresher. For more in-depth instruction, check out the "How to Share Your Collections" series instead.

Selecting Your Records to Go Online

January 2017 • Video 1 of 4 • 3m 19s

This video reviews two ways to select records to share online: individually and from a Catalog List.

Selecting Fields

January 2017 • Video 2 of 4 • 3m 10s

This video reviews how to select which data fields to share online, how to change the order that the fields appear on your site, and how to rename the fields so they display with a web-friendly name.

Setting up Advanced Search

January 2017 • Video 3 of 4 • 2m 39s

This video reviews how to set up Advanced Search mapping to help your visitors receive the best possible results when performing a search on your site.

Creating and Uploading Files

January 2017 • Video 4 of 4 • 4m 5s

This video reviews how to create and upload web-friendly data and images to your PastPerfect Online site.

Series: How to Share Your Collections

This 3-part video series offers a deep dive into the PastPerfect side of the sharing process: selecting, creating, and uploading your files.

Selecting Your Records to Go Online

September 2023 • Video 1 of 3 • 14m 45s

In this lecture, we review the various methods of selecting records to be shared online individually and how to remove both records and individual image attachments from the web. We also share a few tips on how Catalog Lists can be used to further manage your online collections for future uploads.

The Web Publishing Wizard Part 1

September 2023 • Video 2 of 3 • 18m 57s

This video covers the first three steps of the Web Publishing Wizard. It reviews how to select which fields are shared and why field order matters, customizing the display names for your fields, and setting up Advanced Search categories and field mapping.

The Web Publishing Wizard Part 2

September 2023 • Video 3 of 3 • 17m 40s

Our series concludes with the final three steps of the Web Publishing Wizard: reviewing your selected records, creating web copies of your selected data and images, and uploading your files.

Series: How to Search Your Collections

This 2-part webinar series discusses how to search within PastPerfect Online, provide your web visitors with helpful tips so they can understand their options, and modify the appearance of search results on your site.

Understanding Your Search Options

June 2024 • Video 1 of 2 • 16m 40s

This video identifies and demonstrates each of the methods available to search your site. Learn about the different search operators available to further narrow results, as well as where you can add search tips on your site to explain this functionality to your web visitors.

Search Result Modification in IMS

June 2024 • Video 2 of 2 • 20m 25s

Following up on the previous video, learn how to use the Interface Management Site to change settings for your site’s Keyword Search, Search by Term, Advanced Search, and Catalog Search functions. Learn how to edit your search tips and use the built-in search reporter to see the most popular searches on your site. We will also discuss how Quick Links can be added to your site, helping you to highlight specific records and collections for your visitors.

Standalone Videos

Share your Collections with the World

3m 40s

A brief introduction to the PastPerfect 5.0 add-on feature: PastPerfect Online. Learn about the features available inside the add-on, and how to make the items of your choosing available to the public.

Introduction to PastPerfect Online

May 2023 • 25m 29s

This is a video on the basics of sharing your PastPerfect 5.0 collections with the public using PastPerfect Online. We will review an example site from the visitor's perspective, highlight ways you can customize your site, explore the multiple search functions, and more.

Image Options

December 2017 • 46m 15s

Learn about various options when creating web-friendly images for your online researchers. Topics will include selecting images from your PastPerfect records, resizing online images, watermarking online images, and changing the shape of your image thumbnails. We’ll also discuss tips to speed up the image creation process.

Sharing Media Files with PastPerfect Online

August 2024 • 14m 22s

Enhance your PastPerfect Online records by sharing links to multimedia files. This video discusses the steps for sharing files and covers information from the different hosting options available to best practices for deciding which media to share. Learn how to link different types of files, including a PDF and a video, using simple HTML.

More detailed instructions are available for users of our option PPO Links hosting service in our "How to Use PPO Links" video.

How to Use PPO Links

August 2024 • 15m 12s

Follow along with step-by-step details on how to supplement your online records with multimedia files hosted through our optional PPO Links service. This video covers best practices for deciding which media to share and demonstrates how to link different types of files, including a PDF and a video, using simple HTML.

For general information about sharing media files, including information about other hosting options, see our "Sharing Media Files with PastPerfect Online" video.

Customizing Your Site with IMS

September 2024 • 24m 9s

Learn all about Interface Management Site (IMS), the website where you can make design and functionality changes to your PastPerfect Online site. This video covers each of the options available in IMS to help you change the look and feel of your site.

Updating Your Landing Page

December 2017 • 49m 37s

See two versions of the same website as we walk through the steps to get from point A to point B. Step-by-step instructions on how to make some of the most commonly requested changes are included.

Benefits of Sharing Collections Online

1h 4m 38s

The internet has changed the way we look at our museums and museum collections. Visitors expect more on-demand access and for most of us, it's in our mission to provide that access. Sharing your collection items online gives anyone with an internet connection the ability to explore and research your collection, whether they are on their computer at home or using their smart phone on the go.