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Free Expiring Link Generator

Build a link that works until a deadline you choose, then stops and shows your message. Generated as a self-hosted HTML file, no sign-up required.

Enter a URL and an expiry, then generate your self-expiring link.

Need expiry you can trust?

Flyn hosts a managed expiring link with server-enforced expiry, click-limit expiry, password protection, and analytics, the destination is never exposed in page source.

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How to Create an Expiring Link in 3 Steps

Step 1: Enter your destination URL, Expiring Link Generator screenshot
1

Enter your destination URL

Paste the URL the link should open while it is still valid, your landing page, offer, or document.

Step 2: Choose when it expires, Expiring Link Generator screenshot
2

Choose when it expires

Pick a preset duration or a custom date and time. The tool shows the exact deadline and lets you set the message visitors see after expiry.

Step 3: Copy or download the HTML, Expiring Link Generator screenshot
3

Copy or download the HTML

Generate the expiring link, then copy the HTML or download the ready-to-host file. Upload it anywhere and share its URL.

What Is an Expiring Link?

An expiring link is a URL with a built-in end date. Before its deadline it behaves like any normal link and redirects visitors to your destination. After the deadline it stops redirecting and shows a message instead, the link is, in effect, switched off. It is the cleanest way to make sure a promotion, an event page, or a shared document does not stay reachable long after it should.

This tool builds the expiring link as a small, self-contained HTML file. An expiry timestamp is baked into the file, and a short script compares it to the current time the instant the page loads. You host the file anywhere static pages are served and share its URL. There is no server to run and nothing to install, which keeps it simple, but also sets the limits described below.

This tool expires links on a date. If you instead want a link that stops after a set number of clicks (a "first 50 people" drop, a one-per-lead coupon), read our guide on links that expire after a number of clicks, which Flyn enforces on the short link itself.

How Client-Side Expiry Works, And Its Limits

The generated file is honest about what it is: a soft expiring link. The deadline lives in the HTML, and the visitor's browser enforces it. That works well for the common case, retiring an old offer, closing an event page, or sharing something with a sensible shelf life.

But it is worth knowing two things. First, the destination URL sits in the page source, so anyone who opens View Source can read it even after expiry. Second, the deadline is checked against the visitor's own clock, so a determined person could change their device time to bypass it. For low-stakes links that is fine. For anything sensitive, a private document, a paid resource, a confidential proposal, you want server-enforced expiry, where the destination is never sent to the browser until the server confirms the link is still valid. That is what Flyn's managed expiring links provide.

What People Use Expiring Links For

Any link with a clear end date is a candidate, here are the most common ones.

Limited-time offers

Flash sales and discount links that retire themselves the moment the promotion ends, no stale deals left live.

Event & RSVP links

Registration or RSVP pages that close automatically once the event date has passed.

Proposals & quotes

Share a proposal or price quote that is only valid for a set window, then expires on schedule.

Beta & early access

Early-access or invite links that stop working once the sign-up window closes.

Temporary file shares

Share a document or download link that is not meant to stay reachable forever.

Time-boxed campaigns

Campaign URLs that should not be reachable once the campaign is over, tidy by default.

Client-Side vs. Managed Expiry

This free tool covers everyday expiring links. A managed Flyn link adds the security and control a static file cannot.

Capability

This free tool

Flyn managed

Expire on a set date or time

Preset and custom expiry windows

Destination hidden from page source

Tamper-proof (clock-change resistant)

Expire after a number of clicks

Password + expiry combined

Click analytics

Hosting included

You host the file
Flyn hosts it

Extend or remove expiry later

Expiry You Can Actually Rely On

Generate a free expiring link here, or let Flyn host one with server-enforced expiry that cannot be tampered with.

Tamper-proof expiry

Server-enforced, the destination never appears in page source and the deadline cannot be gamed.

Click-limit expiry

Expire a link after a set number of opens, not just a date, perfect for one-time shares.

Password + expiry

Combine an expiry deadline with a password gate for links that carry sensitive content.

Click analytics

See how many people opened the link, and from where, before it expired.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an expiring link?
An expiring link is a link that works for a limited time and then stops. Before its deadline it redirects visitors to your destination URL like any normal link; after the deadline it shows a message instead. Expiring links are useful for time-limited offers, event pages, proposals, and any URL that should not live forever. This tool generates the expiring link as a self-contained HTML file.
How does an expiring link work?
This tool builds an HTML file with an embedded expiry timestamp and a small script. When someone opens the file, the script compares the current time to that timestamp. If the deadline has not passed, it redirects to your destination URL; if it has, it shows your expired message and does not redirect. The check happens instantly in the visitor's browser.
When does the timer start, at generation or first visit?
The expiry is a fixed moment in time, locked in when you generate the link. A "7 days" preset means seven days from when you click Generate, not seven days from when each person first opens it. The tool shows you the exact expiry date and time before and after you generate, so there is no ambiguity. A window that starts on first click would require server-side tracking.
What expiry options does this tool support?
You can pick a preset duration, 1 hour, 6 hours, 24 hours, 7 days, or 30 days, or choose a custom date and time down to the minute. Presets are measured from the moment you generate the link. Custom mode lets you set an exact calendar deadline, which is ideal for sales that end on a specific date or events with a fixed start time.
Can someone still see the destination after the link expires?
Yes, and this is important to understand. Because the redirect logic runs in the browser, the destination URL is present in the page's HTML source. Anyone who chooses View Source can read it, even after expiry. This makes the free tool a good fit for tidying up time-limited links, but not for hiding genuinely sensitive destinations. For a tamper-proof expiring link where the destination is never exposed, use Flyn's server-enforced expiry.
Can I expire a link after a number of clicks instead of a time?
Not with this tool. Counting clicks requires a server to keep a running total, and the generated HTML file has no server behind it, it can only compare the current time to a fixed deadline. Click-limit expiry, such as "this link works for the first 50 opens", is a managed feature. Flyn supports both time-based and click-based expiry on its short links.
Do I need to host the HTML file myself?
Yes. The tool generates the expiring link as an HTML file but does not host it. Copy or download the file and upload it to any static host, your website, GitHub Pages, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, or object storage. The link you share is that file's URL. Flyn can instead host a managed expiring link with no file to upload and a branded short URL.
Is an expiring link secure enough for sensitive content?
For genuinely sensitive content, no. A client-side expiring link is "soft" expiry: the destination is visible in the page source, the deadline can be bypassed by anyone who changes their device clock, and there is no password. It is fine for low-stakes uses like retiring an old promo link. For sensitive material, use server-enforced expiry combined with a password, the destination is never revealed and the deadline cannot be tampered with.
What happens when someone opens an expired link?
They see the expired message you set, by default a polite note saying the link is no longer available, and they are not redirected anywhere. You can customise this message to point people to a current link, your homepage, or a contact address. The destination URL is never loaded once the deadline has passed.
Can I change or extend the expiry after generating?
Not in the file itself, the deadline is baked into the HTML when you generate it. To change it you regenerate the link with a new expiry and re-upload the file, which means anyone holding the old file keeps the old deadline. A managed expiring link on Flyn lets you extend, shorten, or remove the expiry from a dashboard while keeping the same URL.
What are expiring links good for?
Common uses include limited-time discount and flash-sale links, event and RSVP pages that should close after the event, proposals and quotes that are only valid for a set period, beta or early-access invites, and temporary file or document shares. Any link that should have a clear end date is a candidate. They also keep your shared links tidy by retiring URLs automatically instead of leaving dead promos live.
Is this expiring link generator free? Do I need an account?
Yes, it is completely free with no sign-up required. Generate unlimited expiring links, choose any expiry, customise the expired message, and copy or download the HTML, all without an account. If you want server-enforced expiry and basic click analytics, you can create a free Flyn account; click-limit expiry and password protection are on Pro.

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Ready for links that expire properly?

Generate a free expiring link above, or create a Flyn account for server-enforced expiry and basic click analytics; click limits and password protection are on Pro.

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