Pro and above

Expiring links
this one stops working on Friday.

Give a tracked link a start date, an end date, or both. The offer closes on time even if the screenshot is still circulating, and late arrivals go somewhere useful instead of a dead end.

Quick answer

An expiring link is a short link with an end date. Before it, the link forwards normally; after it, the redirect stops and visitors either go to a fallback URL you choose or see a 410 Gone notice. A start date works the same way in reverse, so a link can be built today and go live on launch day. Turned-away visitors are never recorded and never count against your plan.

A link's three lives

One link, one destination, three answers depending on when someone opens it.

Before the start date

Nobody gets through. A link you set up on Tuesday for a Friday launch is dark until Friday.

410 Gone

Between the dates

The link works exactly as it always did — same redirect, same analytics, same speed.

302 Found

After the end date

Late arrivals go to your fallback URL if you set one, or see a notice that the link has closed.

302 or 410

How to set it up

  1. 1Create the tracked link as usual, or open one you already have.
  2. 2Open the Rules tab and set a start date, an end date, or both. Times are in your own timezone.
  3. 3Optionally give it a fallback URL — where people go once it's over. Without one they see a plain 410 Gone notice.

The end date is exclusive — a link set to end at 23:00 serves its last visitor at 22:59. Pair it with device targeting or a password on the same link; the schedule is checked first.

What people use it for

A launch that shouldn't leak

Build the link, print it, queue the email — and set it live for the exact hour you announce. Anyone who guesses the URL early gets nothing, which is not true of an unpublished page.

An offer that really ends

Set the end date to midnight and the discount stops being redeemable, whatever the screenshot says. Point the fallback at your regular pricing page so the traffic still lands somewhere.

A document you shared once

Send a tracked link to a contract or a deck with a two-week window. The file stays where it is; the route to it closes on its own.

Seasonal QR codes

A printed code can't be unprinted. Give the link behind it an end date and the poster retires itself instead of pointing at a 404 next year.

Expiring links FAQ

What is an expiring link?

A short link with an end date. Until that moment it forwards to your destination as normal; after it, the redirect stops happening. The link itself and its click history stay in your account — only the forwarding stops.

What does a visitor see after the link expires?

If you set a fallback URL they are forwarded there, with no notice and no delay. If you didn't, they get a short page saying the link is no longer available, served with HTTP 410 Gone so search engines drop it.

Do expired clicks count against my plan?

No. Someone who arrives after the end date is turned away before anything is recorded, so it costs you no clicks and never appears in your analytics. The number you see is arrivals, not attempts.

Can I schedule a link to start working later?

Yes — a start date and an end date are independent. Set only a start date to schedule a launch, only an end date to close something down, or both for a fixed window.

Can I change or remove the dates afterwards?

Yes, at any time, and removing a schedule works on every plan — including after a downgrade. Only switching one on needs a paid plan.

Is this the same as a self-destructing link?

Close, but time-based rather than click-based. The link closes at a moment you pick, not after a number of opens. If you need it to close after being read once, use a short window — minutes are fine.

Which plans include expiring links?

Pro ($9.99/mo) and above. It is not part of Starter. Free and Starter links work indefinitely, which for most links is what you want.

More ways to control a link

Device targeting links

iPhones to the App Store, Android to Play, desktop to your site.

Password-protected links

A password before the link opens, on any destination.

Link retargeting

Fire your own ad pixel on a click to a page you don't own.

Link click tracking

Measure clicks, devices and locations on every link.

Tracking pixel generator

A 1×1 pixel that logs opens and views in email and on pages.

Put an end date on it

Start free with 10 tracked links and full analytics. Scheduling comes with Pro at $9.99/mo, and removing a schedule never costs anything.

Create a tracked link