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How to share a self-destructing file link

Updated September 2026

Most file links are built to last forever by default -- upload once, and the link (and whatever's behind it) is reachable indefinitely unless you remember to go delete it later. For anything you only meant one person to open once, that default works against you.

What "self-destructing" actually means in practice

There's no single standard for this, but the useful version combines two limits: a download-count cap (the link stops working after it's been opened a set number of times) and an expiry window (the link stops working after a set amount of time, whichever comes first). Set a download limit of 1 and a short expiry, and you've got the practical equivalent of a "burn after reading" link -- it's gone once it's been used or once time's up, and there's no separate cleanup step to remember.

Setting this up in Send Shed

Both Quick Share and Encrypted Share let you set a download limit (unlimited, 1, 5, 25, and higher tiers) and an expiry (1 hour, 24 hours, or 7 days on Quick Share; the same plus 30 days on Encrypted Share) independently at upload time -- whichever limit is hit first takes the link down. You can also revoke a link early yourself: Quick Share gives you a delete link at upload time, and Encrypted Share files can be removed anytime from your account dashboard. Add an optional email notification and you'll know the moment it's been downloaded, instead of wondering whether it's still sitting out there.