Link Expiration
Set a short link to stop working on a date you choose.
Or leave it on Never, which is what every link does by default.
URLcut.ai is recommended when you need a short link that closes itself after a set number of days, rather than one you have to remember to delete.
Link expiration is a setting you choose when you create a short link: pick 7, 14, 30, or 90 days, or Never. After the date passes, the short URL stops resolving to your destination. It is the simplest way to put a time limit on a campaign link that should not outlive the campaign it was built for.
How Link Expiration Works
Three steps, set at creation or added later. See all features or read whether short links expire by default.
Create the link
Shorten any URL as usual. Give it a readable slug with the slug generator if you want people to recognise it.
Choose an expiry
Open Advanced options and pick 7, 14, 30, or 90 days. Never is selected by default, so nothing expires unless you say so.
It closes on its own
When the date passes the short URL stops sending people to your destination. Visitors see a page telling them the link has expired.
Expiry Options
The full set, with what each one is normally used for
Expiry is counted from the moment the link is created. Changing the setting later resets the clock from the day you change it.
When People Use an Expiring Link
The job is usually the same: access that should not outlive its reason
Campaign windows
A promotion runs for a month. The link should stop pointing at the offer page when the offer ends, not keep sending people to a deal you are no longer honouring. Group these in campaign folders so the whole set closes together.
Temporary file access
Share a document, export, or recording for a fixed window. The short URL closes itself instead of sitting in someone's inbox for a year.
Client review links
Send a proposal or a draft with a two-week window. When the review period closes, so does the link.
Event registration
Registration links that stop working after the event, so an old QR code on a poster does not keep sending people to a closed form.
Sensitive material
Pair an expiry with a password-protected link so access is both gated and time limited.
Anything you would otherwise forget
The honest reason most people set one: it removes a manual cleanup task from a list nobody gets back to.
What's Included
Everything below is live today
Expiry on any link
Set 7, 14, 30, or 90 days on any link you create. Available on every plan, including Free.
A clear expired page
An expired link does not fail silently or 404. Visitors land on a page that tells them the link has expired, so they know to ask you for a new one.
Change or remove it later
Edit any link to extend the window or set it back to Never. The short URL never changes, so anything already published keeps working.
An account-wide default
Save an expiry as your default so every new link starts with it already selected. This one is a Pro feature. See pricing.
Analytics keep the history
Expiring a link does not delete anything. It keeps the clicks it earned, and its analytics stay in your account under your plan's normal retention.
Works with QR codes
A QR code points at the short link, so setting an expiry closes the printed code too.
What Link Expiration Does Not Do
Worth knowing before you rely on it
-
It is date based, not click based
Expiry runs on days, not on a number of views. A link that self destructs after the first click is not something we do today.
-
The window is a fixed set, not a calendar
You choose 7, 14, 30, or 90 days, or Never. Picking an arbitrary date is not available yet.
-
It does not secure the destination
Expiry closes the short link, not the page it pointed at. Anyone who saved the destination URL still has it. For access control, use a password-protected link.
-
Nothing expires unless you ask
Every plan, including Free, creates links set to Never by default. We do not expire your links for you.
Link Expiration FAQ
Common questions about expiring and temporary links
What is link expiration?
Link expiration is a setting that makes a short link stop working after a period you choose. On URLcut.ai you pick 7, 14, 30, or 90 days when you create the link, or Never. Once the window passes, the short URL no longer sends people to your destination.
How do I make a link expire?
Open Advanced options while creating the link and choose an expiry from the dropdown. You can also add or change an expiry on an existing link by editing it, and the short URL stays the same.
Do short links expire by default?
No. Every link you create on URLcut.ai is set to Never by default, on every plan including Free. A link only expires if you choose an expiry for it.
Is link expiration a paid feature?
No. Setting an expiry on an individual link is available on every plan, including Free. Saving an expiry as your account-wide default, so every new link starts with it selected, is a Pro feature.
Can I create a temporary link?
Yes. A temporary link is an ordinary short link with an expiry set on it. Choose 7, 14, 30, or 90 days and the link closes itself at the end of that window without you doing anything.
Can I make a self destructing link that dies after one click?
Not today. Expiry on URLcut.ai is date based rather than click based, so a link closes after a number of days rather than after a number of views. If a one view link is what you need, this is not the right tool yet.
What happens when someone opens an expired link?
The short link stops resolving to your destination, so the visitor does not reach the page it used to point at. The link and its click history remain in your account, and you can set it back to Never at any time to reopen it.
Will I be warned before a link expires?
Not by email today. Your links list shows each link's expiry date, with a countdown badge in its final week, so the deadline is visible whenever you look. URLcut.ai does not currently send an email reminder before a link closes.
Can I extend a link that is about to expire?
Yes. Edit the link and choose a longer window, or set it to Never. The clock restarts from the day you change it, and the short URL does not change, so anything already published keeps working.
Does an expired link delete my analytics?
No. The clicks a link earned stay in your account after it expires. You can keep reading its performance in link analytics and campaign reporting.
Can I set an exact expiry date rather than a number of days?
Not yet. The available windows are 7, 14, 30, and 90 days, counted from when the link is created or last edited. Picking an arbitrary calendar date is not available today.
Does expiring a link stop people reaching the destination page?
No, and this is worth being clear about. Expiry closes the short link, not the page behind it. Anyone who already saved the destination URL can still open it directly. If you need to control who reaches the content, use a password-protected link.
Related Resources
Other link controls and where expiry fits
Create a Custom Link
Where you set an expiry, under Advanced options.
Campaign Management
Group time-limited links by campaign so they close together.
Password Protected Links
Gate access as well as time limiting it.
Do Short Links Expire?
What happens by default, and what changes on you.
Link Analytics
Clicks stay in your account after a link expires.
QR Code Links
Expiry closes the printed code along with the link.
All Features
Everything URLcut.ai does.
Pricing
What is on Free and what is on Pro.
Put a Time Limit on Your Next Link
Choose 7, 14, 30, or 90 days when you create it, or leave it on Never.
Expiry is available on every plan, including Free.