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kdave's avatar
kdave
New member | Level 2
6 years ago
Solved

Expiration and time limits

Hello, I would like to share particular files by putting a link on a website. The files need to be available for public download for a particular length of time (in this case about 15 days).

When links are posted for a shared file or folder, can anyone advise how long that link is available for?

I am currently using the free version of dropbox but can consider upgrading as it is for a business purpose if that enables the link to be available for a time period that suits my requirements.

Thank you.

  • Hi kdave, thanks for messaging today!

     

    Shared links don't have an expiration date by default. However, if you're on a Dropbox Professional or Business plan, then you can set an expiration date so that after a certain date, the link will no longer be accessible.

     

    Hope this helps to clarify matters!

9 Replies

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  • Jay's avatar
    Jay
    Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
    6 years ago

    Hi kdave, thanks for messaging today!

     

    Shared links don't have an expiration date by default. However, if you're on a Dropbox Professional or Business plan, then you can set an expiration date so that after a certain date, the link will no longer be accessible.

     

    Hope this helps to clarify matters!

  • priyanka biswas's avatar
    priyanka biswas
    New member | Level 2
    4 years ago

    So, does that mean we will not get to know how long the link can be opened by others if we don't have Dropbox Professional or Business plan? will they be able to see it forever?

  • Walter's avatar
    Walter
    Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
    4 years ago

    Hey priyanka biswas, thanks for joining the discussion here.

     

    I just wanted to mention that shared links don't have an expiration date by default exactly like Jay mentioned, only Dropbox Professional and Dropbox Business users can set an expiry date, password protection and/or disable downloads if needed. 

     

    If you're not on those plans, your shared links will work for as long as you don't delete the shared links themselves or the files they point to.

     

    I hope this helps!

  • Bzintel's avatar
    Bzintel
    New member | Level 2
    3 years ago

    I already have the Professional version.

     

    Can you set different links with different expiry times for the same folder? 

     

    For Example:

    Folder A with Link 123 shared with person A expires on January 15th, 2023

    Folder A with Link 456 shared with person B expires on January 30th, 2023

     

     

  • Nancy's avatar
    Nancy
    Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
    3 years ago

    Hi Bzintel, I hope you’re doing well. 

     

    At the moment, that’s not possible; you can only create one shared link for the same folder to which you can set an expiration date. 

     

    However, it’s possible to create different shared links for different folders/files within this folder and set a different expiration date for each one of them.

  • will123's avatar
    will123
    New member | Level 2
    2 years ago

    Is this still the case today on the free plan - shared links will work for as long as you don't delete the shared links themselves or the files they point to?

  • Rich's avatar
    Rich
    Icon for Super User II rankSuper User II
    2 years ago

    will123 wrote:

    Is this still the case today on the free plan - shared links will work for as long as you don't delete the shared links themselves or the files they point to?


    Yes.

  • old o.'s avatar
    old o.
    Explorer | Level 4
    2 years ago

    Hello,

    with the Plus version, is this limitation still there (about not being able to create two shared links at the same folder but with different expiration dates)?

    Thank you

  • Hannah's avatar
    Hannah
    Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
    2 years ago

    Hey old o., thanks for reaching out to us.

     

    That's the case for all our plans, yes.

     

    I hope this clarifies things, but let me know if you have any questions.

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