Understanding OpenAthens URL types can help you maintain your A-Z list and troubleshoot links if they are not working. There are 4 OpenAthens URL types:
A, Standard OpenAthens Redirector:
Over 90% of resources work with the Redirector prefix, so this will be sufficient for most links:
https://go.openathens.net/redirector/ucf.edu?url={Target URL}
As a best practice, the target URL should be encoded if possible to preserve the information in the URL (e.g. article metadata). For further reading on the Redirector, OpenAthens has an FAQ here.
B. OpenAthens Proxy Prefix
https://proxy.openathens.net/login?qurl=
C. IDP Proxy Prefix: example: https://login.openathens.net/auth/ucf.edu/o/71616989?t=
OpenAthens says it’s used for IdP-initiated login, and more info is available here:
https://docs.openathens.net/display/public/MD/IdP+initiated+logins+to+OpenAthens
They also add “Our recommendation would be not to use these and to use WAYFless URL's provided by publishers or our Redirector tool.”
D. SAML/Shibboleth URL: Some resources, like Kanopy for example, have to be set up in an unusual way since it supports SAML authentication but is not directly partnered with OpenAthens (so it wasn’t naturally in the catalog and we had to add it manually as a Custom SAML resource). While working with Kanopy Support, we followed the instructions here under “SAML/Shibboleth set up” and that’s where those entries in your OA catalog came from:
https://help.kanopy.com/hc/en-us/articles/220030407-Configuring-Kanopy-for-access
E. Vendor URL with Customer ID: Some of the resources that don’t use the Redirector will just need your account ID in the link. Those resources have OpenAthens hard-coded into your account, so simply having the identifier in the link will automatically send users through OpenAthens. Gale and EBSCO are examples of vendors that use this type of URL
Too see if the standard redirector works with a resource, OpenAthens provides a tool to check.
F. ASCII Hexcode URL variations: When EBSCO gives you your link test sheet, you will notice all the redirector URLS are in Hexcode. This is only necessary for your A-Z list for a handful of vendors. If it does need the hexcode URL, you must put the redirector prefix in the URL field, not let LibGuides append it (that is, you disable the proxy for that resource and make sure you already have it in the URL. If you don't LibGuides tries to change it back to a standard URL. It is probaby easier to do your A-Z by enabling the proxy to the normal clean URL, and then just changing the ones that need the hexcode style, rather than changing them all to hexcodes, since the former will take care of 90% of them.
Example:
| https://go.openathens.net/redirector/broward.edu?url=https%3A%2F%2Fheinonline.org%2FHOL%2FIndex%3Fcollection%3Dgun |
In this case the setting for this resource would be "no" for "enable proxy" since you already have it in the URL.
The vendors I have seen so far that seem to require the hexcode URL seem to be:
Infobase
Newsbank
Oxford English Dictionary
World Book
Valueline
JSTOR/ArtStor
HeinOnline