Password, Expiry, and Revoking a Shared Link
A public link is convenient and permanent, and those two things pull against each other. You send a draft to one person, and six months later the address still opens for anyone who ever had it.
Link settings fix that. A public Scholarly link can require a password, expire on its own, be made view-only, or be revoked outright.
Where to Find Them
- Open the item and press Share.
- Set visibility to public — link settings apply to the public link, so they appear once there is one.
- The Link settings panel is at the top of the share list.
They work the same way on every shareable thing: pages, PDFs, flashcard decks, quizzes, podcasts, video lectures, meeting notes, research reports, files, folders, projects, and AI chats. No plan requirement.
One thing to be clear about. These controls govern anyone using the public link. People you invited by email, and your team on a shared workspace item, keep opening it the way they already do — a password on the link does not suddenly lock out the colleague you invited directly.
Password
Type a password and press Set. From then on, anyone opening the link sees "This link needs a password" and has to enter it before the content loads.
- Use 4 to 72 characters.
- Update replaces it — people with the old one will need the new one.
- Remove password takes the gate off and leaves the link working.
The panel shows Password on once one is set, so you can tell at a glance.
Send the password separately from the link. Pasting both into the same message is the same as having no password at all.
Link Expiry
Choose how long the address stays good:
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Does not expire | The default. The link works until you change something. |
| 24 hours | Good for a one-off review. |
| 7 days | Good for a round of feedback. |
| Custom date | Pick any future date, up to a year out, then Save date. |
Once set, the panel reads Expires {date}. After that moment the link shows "This link has expired" instead of the content. The item itself is untouched — it is still in your library, and you can extend or clear the expiry whenever you like.
Saving and Export
By default, viewers can save a copy and export. Someone who opens your deck can save it to their own account and take it with them.
Press View only and that stops: no saving a copy, no exporting. The panel then reads "View only. Saving and export are off." Press Allow saving to turn it back on.
Use view-only for material you want read but not redistributed — a policy document, a client deliverable, draft training content. It is a deterrent, not encryption: anyone who can see a page can still read it, screenshot it, or retype it.
Revoking a Link
Revoke link kills the address. Anyone who opens it afterwards — including someone who bookmarked it — sees "This link has been revoked."
This is the control to reach for when a link has gone somewhere you didn't intend, rather than changing the password and hoping.
Revoking is not reversible for that address. The panel then reads "This link is revoked. Create a new one to share again." Press Create new link to issue a fresh address and share that instead; the old one stays dead.
Revoking One Person Instead
If the problem is one individual rather than the link, you don't need any of the above. In the share window's invite list, revoke that person's access. The next time they open the link they get the Request access page. See Sharing and Collaboration.
Choosing the Right Control
| Situation | Use |
|---|---|
| Sending a draft for review this week | 7 days expiry |
| Material that shouldn't be forwarded on | Password + View only |
| A link that leaked | Revoke link, then Create new link |
| One person should no longer have access | Revoke their invite, not the link |
| Something genuinely public — a portfolio piece, a showcase | Leave everything open |
What Viewers See
| State | The page says |
|---|---|
| Password set | This link needs a password — with a password box |
| Expired | This link has expired |
| Revoked | This link has been revoked |
| Private, never invited | The Request access page |
None of these reveal the content, the title, or who else has access.
Related
- Sharing and Collaboration — visibility, email invites, QR codes, and who opened it.
- Privacy, Cookies, and Your Data — what is public by default and what is not.
- Sharing With Your Team — shared workspace items, where your team opens things without a link.
- Team Data and Security — workspace-level privacy and model controls.
- Exporting Your Work — what export produces, and what view-only turns off.