A short link is public by design: anyone who has it can use it. Most of the time that is the point. Sometimes it is not, and Lnki has two settings for those cases. They solve different problems, and it helps to be clear about which one you have.
Expiry: for things that end
An expiry date switches a link off at a set time. After that moment the link stops redirecting. Nothing else about it changes: it stays in your workspace with its history, and you can extend or remove the expiry later.
Use it when the destination has a natural end:
- A limited offer, so nobody arrives at a discount that no longer applies.
- An event sign-up form that closes on a date.
- A document shared for review, where the review has a deadline.
- Printed material with a short life, such as a weekly menu.
My Links has a status filter, so you can list expired links and decide whether to renew, redirect or archive them.
Passwords: for a known audience
A password-protected link asks the visitor for a password before it redirects. The password must be at least eight characters, and it is available on paid plans. Lnki stores it in hashed form, so nobody, including us, can read it back; if it is forgotten you set a new one.
Use it when the link may travel further than the people it is for: a price list for partners, a draft for a client, a recording for attendees.
Using both
The two settings combine well. A link for a client review can require a password and expire a week after the deadline. A QR code can carry the same settings, because it points at a short link: the designer has Password and Expiry fields next to the name.
Practical advice
- Send the password separately from the link, ideally through a different channel.
- Use one password per audience, not one for everything, so that changing it for one group does not lock out another.
- Decide what happens after expiry. If people will still look for the content, point the link somewhere useful before it lapses rather than letting it go dark.
- Review before long campaigns. An expiry you set three months ago is easy to forget on launch day.
The passwords and expiry tutorial shows where both settings are when you create or edit a link.
