Download links that expire on your terms
Last updated: 18 July 2026
A file you share shouldn't be downloadable forever. On uploadtol.ink every share link is disposable: it carries its own expiry time and, if you want, a maximum number of downloads — and when either limit is hit, the link is dead while your file stays put.
How expiry works
- Per-link expiry. When you generate a link you choose how long it lives (1 to 720 hours). A link can never outlive its file — it's clamped to the file's own retention, which you pick per upload: 1 hour, 24 hours, 7 days, or 30 days.
- Optional download cap. Set a maximum download count and the limit is enforced atomically — even simultaneous downloads can't sneak past it. Leave it empty for unlimited downloads until expiry.
- Spent ≠ deleted. When a link expires or hits its cap, the underlying file is untouched. Mint a fresh link any time until the file itself expires.
- Need a kill switch? Deleting the file immediately stops all of its links.
Private by default
- Files are never listable or browsable — the only way in is a link you created.
- Links are long, unguessable random tokens (43 characters) and are kept out of search results by design. How search-engine exclusion works →
- Recipients need no account and are never charged; downloads are billed to you, the owner, by file size.
What it costs
Generating links is free — credits are spent on uploads and downloads only. The free tier covers 3 uploads up to 50 MB every month (each with 3 free downloads); beyond that, prepaid credit packs start at $5.00 — no subscription, nothing to cancel. See the full size-based price table in the large-files guide or on the pricing section.
Works for files up to 100 GB, streamed end-to-end. Payment is handled by Stripe.
A worked example
Say you share a 2 GB video cut for review and set the link to expire in 24 hours with a 3-download cap. The first three people who open it get the file; the fourth gets nothing, and so does anyone who finds the link the next morning. You never had to remember to revoke it — the link retired itself the moment either limit was reached. Your original file stays in your account, untouched, until its own retention runs out, so you can mint a fresh link if the review runs long.
Frequently asked questions
How long can a download link stay active?
From 1 hour to 720 hours (30 days), set per link when you generate it. A link can never outlive its file, so it's clamped to the file's own retention — which you pick per upload: 1 hour, 24 hours, 7 days, or 30 days.
Can I limit how many times a link is downloaded?
Yes. Set a maximum download count and it's enforced atomically — even simultaneous downloads can't slip past the cap. Leave it empty and the link allows unlimited downloads until it expires.
What happens when a link expires?
It stops working, but the file is untouched — you can mint a fresh link any time until the file itself expires. Deleting the file is the kill switch: it stops every link to it immediately.
Will an expiring link show up in Google?
No — shared links are kept out of search results, and the links themselves are long, unguessable 43-character tokens. See how search-engine exclusion works.