Create a truthful source-and-permission video manifest
Keep a small record that connects each retained video to its source, known permission, selected representation and later derivatives. A manifest preserves context that a filename cannot reliably carry. Mark unknown facts as unknown, and omit passwords or temporary access tokens rather than turning archive notes into a credential store.
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Give every retained item an unambiguous identity
Assign a local identifier and record the actual filename and relative archive location. Include a short description useful to someone who did not perform the download. A source title alone can collide with other items or change later.
Record the stable source-page identifier where appropriate, plus the retention date. Distinguish that date from the original recording date; if the latter is unknown, do not infer it from download time.
The Library of Congress's preservation guidance emphasizes useful descriptive and technical context. A personal manifest can be simple while still making the relationship between a file and its source understandable.
Record evidence rather than inferred specifications
Include actual inspected container, codecs, duration and selected audio identity when known. If a language label or original/default designation came from the source, identify that basis instead of claiming you established the production history.
Add an algorithm-labeled checksum when exact-byte verification matters. Keep the checksum associated with the exact representation; an edited or remuxed derivative needs its own record.
Use explicit unknown values for absent data. A blank field can be mistaken for accidental omission, while invented resolution, filesize or camera-origin claims make the manifest less trustworthy.
Keep permission context private and specific
Record where the relevant permission or license evidence can be found, with its known scope and any conditions. Technical accessibility is not itself a permission statement. Avoid implying that a manifest replaces an actual agreement.
Restrict sensitive correspondence and personal identifiers to an appropriate private record. The public-facing filename need not reveal contact details, legal names or confidential project context.
Do not retain signed CDN URLs, cookies or account passwords in the manifest. Stable item identifiers and sanitized provenance usually serve the retention task better than expired access material.
Connect derivatives and future checks
For an edit or delivery version, record its parent source identifier and what changed: trim, caption addition, conversion or other permitted processing. Preserve the source record rather than silently relabeling the derivative as original.
Add verification dates and observations when testing restored copies. A manifest should support recovery and interpretation, not only enumerate filenames.
SocialVidDownloader does not automatically certify or create this complete permission manifest. Build it alongside the authorized retained files using actual evidence from the source and your workflow.
Worked example
Example manifest entry: local ID interview-01; file sources/interview-01.mp4; retained date known; original recording date unknown; stable source item recorded; permission evidence stored privately; SHA-256 digest linked to this exact file. A captioned edit receives a new ID pointing back to interview-01 with its changes documented.
Related guidance
Sources and verification
Reviewed 2026-10-08. Product behavior is limited to available source formats and provider access; it is not a promise that every public link works.