How do I make a short link expire or ask for a password?
Set a short link to stop working after a date or a number of clicks, or put a password in front of it. Here's when each control helps and how they behave.
Shortlen Editorial · · 3 min read
The short answer
A link control decides when a short link stops working. An expiry date switches it off after a chosen day; a click limit switches it off after a set number of visits; and password protection asks everyone for a password before it forwards them. On Shortlen these are part of the paid plans, and they work on the short link itself, so the destination page doesn't need to change at all.
Key points
- An expiry date turns a link off after a chosen day — good for time-limited offers, event sign-ups and temporary access.
- A click limit turns a link off after a set number of visits — handy for a fixed number of invitations or downloads.
- Password protection asks for a password before forwarding, so only people you share it with can reach the destination.
- These controls act on the short link, not the destination page, so you don't have to touch the page you're pointing at.
- On Shortlen, expiring and password-protected links are part of the paid plans — see the pricing page for which plan includes them.
On this page
A link control is a rule that decides when your short link should stop working or who gets through it. The short answer: use an expiry date for anything time-limited, a click limit for anything with a fixed number of slots, and a password when only certain people should reach the destination. All three act on the short link itself, so the page you’re pointing at never has to change.
<rect x="298" y="82" width="120" height="66" rx="10" fill="#fff" stroke="#0c1420" stroke-width="1.5"/>
<text x="358" y="106" text-anchor="middle" fill="#0c1420" font-weight="600">Click limit</text>
<text x="358" y="124" text-anchor="middle" fill="#5a6475" font-size="10.5">under 100 visits?</text>
<text x="358" y="139" text-anchor="middle" fill="#5a6475" font-size="10.5">(illustrative)</text>
<rect x="446" y="82" width="120" height="66" rx="10" fill="#fff" stroke="#0c1420" stroke-width="1.5"/>
<text x="506" y="106" text-anchor="middle" fill="#0c1420" font-weight="600">Password</text>
<text x="506" y="124" text-anchor="middle" fill="#5a6475" font-size="10.5">correct?</text>
</g>
<!-- arrows through gates -->
<g fill="none" stroke="#1e54ff" stroke-width="1.8" stroke-linecap="round" marker-end="url(#ar-exp)">
<path d="M114 115 L146 115"/>
<path d="M270 115 L294 115"/>
<path d="M418 115 L442 115"/>
<path d="M566 115 L598 115"/>
</g>
<!-- destination -->
<rect x="602" y="90" width="148" height="50" rx="12" fill="#fff" stroke="#0fb5a0" stroke-width="1.6"/>
<text x="676" y="112" text-anchor="middle" fill="#5a6475" font-size="10.5">forwarded to</text>
<text x="676" y="129" text-anchor="middle" fill="#0fb5a0" font-weight="600">destination</text>
<text x="380" y="40" text-anchor="middle" fill="#0c1420" font-size="13" font-weight="600">Each control gates whether the visitor is forwarded</text>
</g>Expiry dates: for anything time-limited
An expiry date switches a link off after a day you choose. It’s the right tool for a flash sale that ends Sunday, an event registration that closes once the event starts, or temporary access you don’t want working forever. After the date passes, anyone who follows the link reaches a short “this link is no longer active” page instead of the destination, so an old link in an email or a printed flyer can’t quietly keep sending traffic somewhere you’ve moved on from.
Click limits: for a fixed number of visits
A click limit switches a link off after a set number of visits rather than a date — useful when the thing behind the link is finite. A run of 50 invitations, a download you want capped, or a “first 100 people” offer all map neatly onto a click limit. Once the count is reached, the link stops forwarding, the same way an expired one does.
Password protection: for a chosen audience
Password protection puts a short prompt in front of the link: visitors enter the password before they’re forwarded to the destination. It’s a light, practical way to keep a link to people you’ve shared the password with — a draft, an internal document, a members-only page — without setting up accounts. One thing to be clear about, which the FAQ below covers too: a password on the short link controls who gets forwarded, not who can open the destination’s own web address if they already have it. For genuinely sensitive material, protect the destination page as well.
Where these live on Shortlen
On Shortlen, expiring and password-protected links are part of the paid plans, alongside click analytics and branded links. The pricing page shows which plan includes them. Because each control is a setting on the link, you can add, change or remove it later without minting a new short link — see how to pick a good custom back-half if you’re setting up a shareable link from scratch, or start free to try one.
Questions people ask
What does someone see when a link has expired?
They reach a page telling them the link is no longer active, rather than the destination. The original page itself is untouched — only the short link stops forwarding.
Is a password on a short link the same as securing the page itself?
No. A password on the short link controls who gets forwarded through it, but anyone who already has the destination's own address can still open it directly. For truly private content, protect the destination page as well.
Can I change or remove an expiry or password later?
Yes. These are settings on the link, so you can adjust the date, the click limit or the password, or remove them, without creating a new short link.