Self-destructing links
Share a PDF that disappears after reading
Give a link a view budget or a deadline and it deletes itself on cue. The document disappears; your record of who read it survives.
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Free to try · self-destructing links start on the Basic plan · expiry settings come on the next step
Expire by views
Set a view budget - one view, five, fifty. When it is spent, the link stops resolving and the encrypted file is deleted from disk. Available from the Basic plan.
Expire by time
Prefer a deadline? Every plan can set a lifetime from an hour to a year, and Pro can keep a link forever. The link dies on schedule whether or not anyone opened it.
The record survives the burn
Most burn-after-reading tools take the evidence with them. When a FileDroppr link self-destructs, your readership record - who read it, how far, for how long - stays in your dashboard.
Change your mind after sending
Tighten the view budget, shorten the timer, or expire the link on the spot - even after it is out in the world. Nothing to recall, nothing to apologise for.
What is a self-destructing link?
A self-destructing link is a document link that removes itself once it has done its job - after a set number of views, or at a set time. Instead of a file that lives on indefinitely in inboxes and download folders, you share a link with a built-in ending: the recipient opens the document, reads it in the browser, and when the budget is spent or the clock runs out, the link returns "Gone" and the encrypted file is swept from disk within the minute.
That matters for anything you want read but not kept in circulation: a quote that should not resurface after the deal closes, a board paper that was for one meeting, a salary letter meant for exactly one pair of eyes. An email attachment can never be un-sent; a self-destructing link can.
Two ways to expire - views and time
- Expire by views (Basic). Choose how many views the link is good for. One view makes it a true one-time link for one-time delivery; a larger budget suits a small, known audience. When the count is reached, the document deletes itself.
- Expire by time (every plan). Set a lifetime - an hour, a day, a year - and the link dies on schedule. On Pro you can also keep a link indefinitely, because documents are not inherently short-lived: expiry is a control, not a default.
- Combine both. Set a view budget and a deadline together and the link expires at whichever comes first - five views or five days, whichever the document hits.
- Expire on demand. Any link can be expired manually at any moment, so "please disregard that document" becomes a button rather than a request.
The link burns - the ledger doesn't
Here is the part most self-destructing tools get wrong: they destroy your proof along with the document. FileDroppr deliberately separates the two. When a link burns, the file is gone for good - but your readership record survives: every session, the page-by-page reading time, the read-through funnel, and any captured emails stay in your dashboard.
So you can send a confidential quote on a one-view link and still answer the questions that matter afterwards - did they open it, did they reach the number, did they come back before it burned? It is the same PDF read tracking as any FileDroppr link; the only thing that disappears is the document.
When to use a self-destructing link
- Quotes & pricing - a quote that should not float around - or be forwarded to a competitor - after the decision is made.
- Confidential one-offs - board papers, legal drafts, HR and salary letters - read by the people they were meant for, then gone.
- One-time delivery - a deliverable handed over exactly once, with the readership record as your receipt.
Self-destructing link questions.
How do I make a PDF link that expires after one view?
Upload the PDF to FileDroppr and set "delete after views" to 1 in the document settings. The first completed view spends the budget: the link stops resolving, the encrypted file is deleted from disk, and your readership record of that one read is kept. Self-destructing links are available from the Basic plan.
What happens when the view limit is reached?
The link immediately returns "Gone" and the encrypted file is swept from disk within the minute. Nobody - including you - can retrieve the document afterwards, which is the point. Your readership record of every view before the burn stays in your dashboard.
Do I lose my analytics when the document self-destructs?
No - this is the difference from most burn-after-reading tools. The document is destroyed; the readership record is not. Who opened it, how far they read, how long they spent per page, and any captured emails all remain in your report after the link is gone.
Can I expire a link by time instead of views?
Yes - timed expiry is built into every plan, from an hour to a year, and Pro links can also be kept indefinitely. You can set a view budget and a deadline on the same link, and it expires at whichever arrives first.
Can I change or remove the self-destruct after sharing the link?
Yes, right up until it triggers. Raise or lower the view budget, change the expiry date, or expire the link immediately - the settings live on the link, not in the file, so nothing needs to be re-sent.
Which plans include self-destructing links?
Expire-by-views starts on the Basic plan ($9/month). Timed expiry is on every plan, including Free; keeping a link indefinitely is Pro.
Send it, then let it vanish.
Upload a PDF, give the link a view budget or a deadline, and share a document with a built-in ending - and a readership record that outlives it.
See plansRelated: secure PDF sharing · per-viewer watermarking · PDF read tracking