Expiring Share Links

Every review link you have ever sent without an expiry date is still active. The rough cut your client reviewed eight months ago. The director's cut you shared before picture lock. The version that was superseded three revisions later. None of those links ever closed unless you went back and manually revoked them. PlayPause expiring share links close automatically — at the date, at the hour, exactly when pre-release content should stop being accessible. Hour-level expiry precision · Automatic closure · No manual follow-up · Extendable without resending · Full audit trail Trusted by post-production houses, agencies, broadcasters, and creative teams managing time-sensitive content worldwide.

How Expiring Share Links Work

Set an Expiry Date and Time — Then Stop Thinking About It

Expiry at the hour, not just the day

When you generate a review link in PlayPause, you can set an expiry date and time with hour-level precision. A link sent to a broadcaster for a Tuesday compliance review can be set to expire at 11:59pm on Tuesday night. A screener sent to a festival judge can expire at 5pm on the submission deadline day. You set the window. PlayPause closes it exactly when you specify.

Automatic closure — no manual intervention required

When the expiry time passes, the link stops working automatically. The next time anyone attempts to open it — whether that is seconds after expiry or six months later — they see nothing. The video does not load. The password gate does not appear. No content is accessible. No action is required from your team. The closure is enforced server-side and is immediate.

Expiry does not delete the file

When a link expires, the video file it pointed to remains safely stored in your PlayPause project — untouched, in full resolution, available to your team. Expiry is an access control on the link, not a deletion event on the content. You can generate a new link to the same file at any time, with a new expiry window and updated settings.

Each link has its own independent expiry

Because you can create multiple links for the same video — one for the internal team, one for the director, one for the client, one for the broadcaster — each link carries its own expiry setting. The internal team link can remain active indefinitely. The client link can expire after the feedback deadline. The broadcaster link can expire before the scheduled airdate. All pointing to the same file. Each closing on its own schedule.

The Expiry Experience for the Reviewer

Countdown notice before expiry

Optionally display a countdown notice to a reviewer when they open a link that is close to its expiry time. They see a message indicating that access will close in a specified number of hours, allowing them to complete their review before the window disappears — without your team having to send a separate reminder email.

What the reviewer sees when a link has expired

When a reviewer attempts to open an expired link, they see a clear, professional message indicating that the link is no longer active. There is no error page, no broken redirect, no confusing technical message. The experience is intentional and clean. If they need access again, they contact you — the expired state is communicated clearly.

No way to access content after expiry

Expiry is enforced server-side, not client-side. A cached version of the page does not allow continued access. Refreshing the page does not reload the video. Manipulating the URL does not bypass the expiry check. Once a link has expired, the content it referenced is inaccessible through that link, regardless of any browser or network manipulation.

Managing Link Expiry — Flexibility Without Friction

Extend Expiry Without Resending the Link

Update the expiry date from the PlayPause dashboard

If a client has not completed their review before the link expires, extend the access window directly from the PlayPause link management panel. Change the expiry date and time — the link URL remains identical. The recipient uses the same link they already have; the new expiry takes effect immediately in the background. No need to send a new link. No need to inform the reviewer of a new URL. No need to re-enter any access credentials they were using.

Extend without revoking

Extending a link's expiry is not the same as revoking and recreating it. The access log for the link continues to accumulate across the extended period — giving you a single, uninterrupted record of all viewing activity under that link from the moment it was first opened to the moment it finally expires. The history is not broken by the extension.

Shorten expiry when a situation changes

If a project is cancelled, a relationship ends, or a version is superseded before the planned expiry date, shorten the link's expiry to the current time — effectively closing it immediately without using the separate revoke function. This allows you to manage all link access from a single control, whether you are extending, closing early, or leaving the original window in place.

Expiry change logged with timestamp

Every change to a link's expiry date is recorded in the access audit log: the previous expiry, the new expiry, the timestamp of the change, and the team member who made it. The link's access history is complete — including every administrative change to its settings — giving you a transparent and defensible record of how each link was managed throughout its active period.

Bulk Expiry Management at Project Close

Set all links in a project to expire simultaneously

At the conclusion of a production, close all active links for a project in a single action. Every version link — rough cut, colour review, VFX pass, director's cut, client approval, broadcast submission — expires simultaneously. A single action from the project settings panel ends access across every link, every recipient, and every version in the project. Clean, immediate, and logged.

Why bulk expiry matters at project wrap

Projects generate many review links over their lifecycle. A typical commercial production might accumulate twenty or thirty distinct links across multiple versions and multiple recipient groups. Without bulk expiry management, each of those links remains active after delivery unless someone manually revokes each one. Bulk expiry closes everything at once — removing the risk of a superseded cut remaining accessible long after the project is delivered.

Archive the project after expiry

After bulk link expiry at project close, archive the project in PlayPause. Archiving removes it from your active dashboard while keeping all files, comments, approval records, and link history fully accessible and retrievable. Archived projects are not deleted — they are stored for your configured retention period and can be reopened at any time.

Why Expiring Share Links Matter for Post-Production

Pre-Release Content Has a Lifespan — Its Access Should Too

The problem with permanent review links

A review link without an expiry date is an open door with no key. The rough cut your director reviewed in February is still accessible in October — unless someone went back and closed it. Most post-production teams do not go back. They move to the next project. The old links remain active. The old content remains accessible. The risk accumulates silently with every project, every version, every recipient.

Temporal control matches production reality

Every piece of content in post-production has a natural access window. A rough cut should be accessible during the note session and not after. A client approval link should be active until the deadline and not beyond. A broadcaster submission should be accessible during the compliance window and then closed. Expiring links give you access control that matches the natural rhythm of production — time-bounded by design.

Compliance and contractual obligations

Many post-production contracts include provisions about the security of pre-release materials. Some broadcaster and streaming platform requirements specify that screener access must be time-limited. Expiring share links are the technical mechanism that fulfils those contractual obligations. The link expires at the contractually required time — automatically, without relying on a team member to remember.

Reducing the persistent attack surface

Every active share link is a potential access point for your pre-release content. Minimising the number of active links at any given time minimises the exposure surface. Expiring links close automatically when they should, reducing the volume of active access points without requiring your team to track and revoke them individually.

Expiry as Part of a Complete Security Stack

Expiry combined with password protection

A password-protected link that never expires is still an exposure risk — the password can be shared, stored, or discovered long after the review session ends. A password-protected link that expires at a set time closes both attack vectors simultaneously: the password gate protects access during the active window, and the expiry closes the window entirely. Both controls work together.

Expiry combined with domain restriction

Domain-restricted links ensure that only viewers with an authorised email domain can authenticate — but they remain accessible to anyone in that domain indefinitely unless they expire. Adding an expiry window means that domain access closes along with the link, even for viewers who were previously authorised. The organisation's access ends when the project's natural access window ends.

Expiry combined with dynamic watermarking

Watermarked links identify the individual viewer with their name on every frame — but the deterrent only works while the link is active. An expired watermarked link closes access entirely. The combination means that during the active review window, viewer identity is embedded on every frame; after the window closes, no viewer has access at all.

Expiry is one control in a layered security model

PlayPause's security model is layered: password protection, domain restriction, watermarking, expiry, and instant revocation all work independently and together. Expiry is the temporal layer — the control that says this content is accessible from this moment to that moment, and not beyond. Combined with the other layers, it makes PlayPause's sharing environment appropriate for the most sensitive pre-release content in professional production.

Review · frame-accurate comment

Expiring Share Links for Every Role in Post-Production

Relevant for Every Team Member Who Shares Video

Post producers

Post producers manage the flow of content from production through to delivery. Every version they share is time-sensitive — rough cut notes have a deadline, colour reviews have a session window, client approvals have a sign-off date. Expiring links give producers temporal control over every access point without having to track and manually revoke them. Links close when the work is done.

Client services managers

Client-facing links carry the most risk if they remain open beyond their intended window. A client review link that expires at the feedback deadline protects both the production and the client — the production's pre-release content has a closed access window, and the client's account cannot accidentally forward an active link after the project has moved on. Expiry is a professional courtesy as much as a security measure.

Editors and colourists

Technical review sessions shared with colourists, VFX teams, and sound designers are time-bounded by the session they relate to. A colour review link for a specific grade pass should not remain active after the pass is approved and the session is complete. Expiring the link at session end means the technical file stays in PlayPause storage, but access to the review version closes automatically.

Legal and compliance teams

Legal reviewers assessing pre-clearance content, compliance submissions, or contractual cut requirements work within defined review windows specified in broadcasting agreements. Expiring links that close at the contractually defined end of the review window provide documented evidence that time-limited access was enforced — matching the legal obligation with a technical mechanism.

Broadcasters and distribution partners

When sharing content with a broadcaster or distribution partner for compliance review, technical approval, or pre-clearance, the access window is typically defined in the agreement. Expiring links close at the agreed time without requiring either party to take action. The broadcaster's access is time-bounded from the moment the link is generated.

Expiring Share Links Across Every Type of Production

Commercial and Advertising

Commercial campaigns have a defined pre-launch confidentiality period. A campaign cut shared for client approval before broadcast should be inaccessible after the campaign launches — whether that is because the content is now public or because the agency's obligation to protect the pre-release version ends at launch. Expiring links aligned with launch dates mean that client-side access closes automatically when the campaign goes live.

Episodic Television and Streaming

Episodic review links accumulate rapidly across a full season — rough cut links, VFX review links, showrunner note links, network approval links, all for multiple episodes across multiple rounds. Without expiry management, those links remain open as the season progresses. Expiring links at the conclusion of each episode's review cycle keeps the active link count manageable and ensures that superseded episode cuts are not accidentally accessible during later season reviews.

Long-Form Narrative and Documentary

Feature films and documentaries have extended post-production periods during which the content evolves substantially from assembly cut to final delivery. Each version's review period has a natural end — when the next version is uploaded, the previous version's links should close. Expiring links aligned with version release dates means that recipients are automatically directed to the current version, not kept in access to a superseded one.

Awards Screeners and Film Festivals

Screener programmes distribute pre-release content to large panels of judges, programmers, and industry members within a defined eligibility window. Screeners should be inaccessible after the judging period ends. Expiring links aligned with the festival's eligibility deadline close all screener access simultaneously at the end of the window — without requiring the production team to individually revoke hundreds of viewer links.

Broadcaster and Network Compliance Submissions

Broadcasters and networks require content to be submitted for compliance review within specific windows defined in their broadcast agreements. Expiring links that close at the end of the compliance window provide a technical record that the access was time-bounded as required — useful for both internal compliance reporting and for responses to broadcaster audits.

Expiry and the Access Audit Trail

A Complete Record of Every Link's Lifecycle

Expiry is logged as part of the link record

Every link generated in PlayPause has a complete lifecycle record: when it was created, its original expiry setting, any subsequent changes to the expiry, every access event during its active period, and the timestamp at which it expired. The expiry event itself is logged — so the record shows not just when a link was active, but when and how it was closed.

Access log covers the full active period

Every viewing session that occurred while a link was active is recorded in the access log: the viewer's email, the timestamp, the duration watched, and the IP address. When the link expires, the log closes along with the link. The full access history — from first open to last view before expiry — is preserved and exportable at any time.

Expired links remain in the link management panel

Links do not disappear from the PlayPause dashboard when they expire. They move to an expired state and remain visible in the link management panel with their full history. You can review the access record, see the expiry timestamp, and export the log — all without the link being active. The record persists beyond the access window.

Export expired link records for compliance

The access and expiry record for any link can be exported as a PDF or CSV. Useful for broadcaster compliance documentation — demonstrating that a submission link was active only during the agreed review window. Useful for client delivery reports — showing that access to a pre-release cut closed on the agreed date. Useful for internal audit purposes — confirming that the security controls were applied and functioned as configured.

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Expiring Links Integrated With Your Wider Workflow

Link expiry notifications and management connect to the tools your team already uses, so expiry events are visible in context rather than requiring a separate monitoring workflow. Slack · Email notifications · Calendar integration · Google Drive · Dropbox · Webhooks / API · Zapier

How To Start

• Free trial and demo. Try PlayPause free for 14 days. Book a walkthrough and we will walk through your first expiring link together — setting the window, configuring the countdown notice, and combining expiry with password protection and watermarking.
• Generate your first expiring link. Upload a video, open the link settings, and set an expiry date and time. Combine with a password and watermarking for a complete security configuration. Share the link. PlayPause handles the rest.
• Extend or close early when plans change. If the review window needs adjusting, open the link settings and update the expiry. The recipient uses the same link. No notification required. No resending. No workflow disruption.
• Review the access log after expiry. After a link expires, view the full access record from the PlayPause link management panel. Export it for compliance, include it in a delivery package, or retain it for internal audit purposes.

Expiring Share Links Feature Highlights

Approvals · logged sign-off

EditorProducerClient✓ Approved · locked

PlayPause Expiring Links vs. The Old Way

See how time-bounded access in PlayPause compares to the sharing methods post-production teams typically rely on — and what those methods leave open.

"We audited our sharing history and found forty-three active links to projects that had been delivered months earlier. None of them had been manually revoked. Every one of those links was still working. We moved to PlayPause specifically because expiring links close automatically — that problem no longer exists for us." — Head of Post, independent commercial production company

FAQ — More About PlayPause Expiring Share Links

How precisely can I set a link's expiry time? Expiry in PlayPause is set to the hour. You can specify the exact date and hour at which a link should close — for example, Tuesday 23 September at 6:00pm — giving you precision appropriate for review sessions with specific deadlines, broadcaster windows, and festival submission cut-offs. Can I extend an expiry after I have sent the link? Yes. You can update the expiry date and time of any active link from within the PlayPause link management panel. The link URL does not change. The recipient does not need to be notified. Their existing link works until the new expiry time and then closes automatically. What happens to the file when a link expires? Nothing happens to the file. It remains safely stored in your PlayPause project — in full resolution, with all its comments and approval records — and is accessible to your team. Expiry is an access control on the link, not a deletion event on the content. You can generate a new link to the same file at any time. Can I set different expiry windows for different recipients of the same video? Yes. Create separate links for different recipients and configure each with its own expiry setting. Your internal team link can remain open indefinitely. Your client link can expire at the feedback deadline. Your broadcaster link can expire before the scheduled airdate. All pointing to the same version. Each closing on its own schedule. Can I expire all links for a project at once? Yes. The bulk expiry function in the project settings panel allows you to set all active links in a project to expire simultaneously. Useful at project wrap to clean up all review access in a single action rather than managing each link individually. Is the expiry enforced server-side or client-side? Server-side. Expiry is enforced by PlayPause's delivery infrastructure, not by anything running in the viewer's browser. There is no browser cache, no URL manipulation, no extension or tool that can bypass the expiry check. Once a link has expired, the content it referenced is inaccessible through that link, regardless of the viewer's technical environment. Can a reviewer see that a link is about to expire before it closes? Yes, optionally. You can configure a countdown notice that displays to the reviewer when they open a link that is within a specified number of hours of its expiry. They see how much time remains and can plan their review accordingly. The notice is configurable — you choose whether to show it and at what threshold before expiry it appears. Is there a record of when a link expired? Yes. The expiry event is logged in the link's access record with a precise timestamp. Every change to the expiry setting — original configuration, any extensions, any early closures — is also logged with the timestamp and the team member who made the change. The full lifecycle of the link is documented. Can I export the access record of an expired link for compliance? Yes. The access log for any link — active or expired — can be exported as a PDF or CSV from the PlayPause link management panel. The exported record includes all viewing sessions, the expiry configuration, any setting changes, and the expiry event itself. Ready to include in compliance documentation, client delivery reports, or broadcaster submission packages. Does expiry work alongside other security controls like password protection and watermarking? Yes. Expiry layers with every other security control in PlayPause. A link can simultaneously require a password, restrict access to specific email domains, watermark every viewer with their name and email, and expire at a set date and time. Each control works independently and they reinforce each other — the most secure configuration uses all of them together.

Need More From PlayPause?

Password Protection

Pair expiring links with password protection for a two-layer access control. The password gates access during the active window. The expiry closes the window entirely when the review period ends. Neither control is sufficient alone — together they provide access that is both controlled and time-bounded.

Video Watermarking

Dynamic watermarking embeds the viewer's name and email on every frame during the active review period. Expiry closes access when the period ends. Watermarking and expiry together mean that access is identified during the window and terminated at its close — the full temporal security model in one review session.

Approvals

Expiring links align naturally with PlayPause's approval workflow. A client review link can expire at the approval deadline. If the client does not approve before expiry, the link closes and the workflow records an incomplete approval — a trigger for follow-up rather than an open access point waiting for a response that may never come.

Review · frame-accurate comment

Ready to Stop Leaving Doors Open?

Every review link you have ever sent without an expiry date is still active right now. Try PlayPause free for 14 days and give every piece of pre-release content an access window that closes when it should — automatically, precisely, and with a complete record. No credit card required. Trial ends automatically. Setup in under 10 minutes. Support from day one · All formats accepted · No reviewer account required · GDPR-ready