Create an expiring PDF link
Open the PDF’s settings, pick the date and time the link should stop working, and save. After that moment the link shows a clear expired message instead of the PDF. The file is not deleted, so you can extend or remove the expiry and the same link works again.
The PDF link opens before the end date and stops after it passes.
Available until Friday The PDF link opens before the end date and stops after it passes.
How to make a PDF link expire
Each page is built around one practical job, so the steps stay clear.
Open PDF settings
Choose the document that should stop opening later.
Pick an expiry date
Set the date when the PDF link should no longer work.
Share with a clear deadline
Send the link knowing access is time-limited.
Expiring links: SharePDF vs Drive, Dropbox, WeTransfer and DocSend
Most file tools can make something stop being available. They differ in whether you choose the date, whether it works on a shareable link, and whether the file survives.
Swipe sideways to compare
Checked November 2026 against each provider’s help pages. WeTransfer’s free transfers expire after 3 days on a fixed schedule.
What happens when an expiry date passes.
The details below keep the feature practical, with no heavy setup or technical wording.
Useful for time-sensitive files
Use expiring links for offers, schedules, drafts, event documents, and proposal deadlines.
Clear behavior after expiry
After the date passes, viewers no longer see the PDF from that link.
Works with other controls
Use expiry with password protection or download control when a PDF needs more care.
Easy to update
Change or remove the expiry date if the document should stay available longer.
Documents that should not stay open forever.
These examples make the page useful for real searches and real visitors.
Plan availability
Create standard PDF links without expiry dates.
Add expiry dates to selected PDFs.
Use expiring links across more documents and larger files.
Manage expiring links across an unlimited library.
Letting a link close itself.
Some documents should not stay open indefinitely. An expiry date turns that intention into something the link enforces without you remembering.
Access you forget to revoke is access that persists
Most documents are shared with a window in mind — a quote valid for thirty days, a candidate pack for the length of a process, an event programme until the event ends. In practice nobody goes back to close those links, so they stay open for years.
Setting the date at the moment of sharing, while the window is clear in your mind, is far more reliable than intending to revisit it later.
Choosing a sensible date
Match the date to the document’s real shelf life rather than picking a round number. A quote should expire when the pricing does. A document tied to a process should outlast the process by a small margin, so a late reader is not locked out mid-conversation.
Err slightly long rather than slightly short: an expired link that surprises a legitimate reader costs you a conversation, while a link that stays open a week too long usually costs nothing.
What the reader sees
After the date passes, the link stops opening the document and the reader gets a clear message rather than an error that looks like a broken site. That distinction matters: a confusing failure reflects on you, a clear expiry notice does not.
The link is not deleted. You can extend or remove the expiry later, and the same URL starts working again — useful when a deal reopens or a deadline moves.
Combining expiry with other controls
Expiry answers when, not who. For documents where both matter, pair it with a password so the link is both time-bound and gated, or turn off downloads so the document cannot be trivially kept past the window.
Be realistic about the last point: anyone who opened the document before it expired may still hold a copy. Expiry limits future access, not what has already been read.
Expiring PDF links: common questions.
Short answers for visitors who want to know if this fits their PDF sharing workflow.
Can I make a PDF link expire?
Yes, on paid plans. Set a date and time in the PDF’s settings and the link stops opening at that moment.
Does the PDF file itself expire?
No. SharePDF expires the link, not the file. The PDF stays in your account, and nothing inside the file changes.
Can a downloaded PDF expire?
No. Once someone saves a copy, no link setting can reach it. Leave downloads off, which is the default, so readers view the PDF in the browser instead.
Can public PDFs expire?
No. Expiry works on unlisted and private PDFs, because public PDFs are served as plain files from a CDN.
Can I change the expiry date later?
Yes. You can update or remove the date from the PDF settings.
Can I set hours as well as a date?
Yes. You pick a date and a time, so a link can stop at 5 pm on the day an offer ends rather than at midnight. Expiry is on paid plans and works on unlisted PDFs.
Is link expiry available on the Free plan?
No. Expiring PDF links require a paid plan.
What does a reader see after the link expires?
A clear message that the link has expired, rather than an error that looks like a broken site.
Can I reopen a link after it expires?
Yes. Extend or remove the expiry and the same URL starts working again, which is useful when a deadline moves.
Does expiry remove copies people already downloaded?
No. Expiry controls future access to the link. Anyone who opened it beforehand may still hold a copy.
Keep exploring SharePDF features.
These links connect nearby search intent without repeating the same page.
Create your first PDF link today.
Start free, upload a PDF, and use the right SharePDF feature when your PDF needs more than an attachment.