--- title: "Self-Destructing PDF Links - Set a View Budget" description: "Share a PDF on a link that deletes itself after a set number of views - or on a schedule you pick - with your readership record kept." canonical: "https://everypage.co/self-destructing-links" last-updated: "2026-08-29" --- # Self-Destructing PDF Links - Set a View Budget Self-destructing links # Share a PDF that disappears after reading Upload free, no account needed, and give the link a view budget or a deadline so it deletes itself on cue. Timed expiry is on every plan; expire-by-views starts on Basic. The document disappears; your record of who read it survives. Drop your PDF here or click anywhere in the tray to browse PDF only · max 20MB Free to try · self-destructing links start on the Basic plan · expiry settings come on the next step ## Expire by views Set a view budget - one view, five, fifty. When it is spent, the link stops resolving and the encrypted file is deleted from disk. Available from the Basic plan. ## Expire by time Prefer a deadline? Every plan can set a lifetime - an hour, a day, a year, any date - or keep a link forever. The link dies on schedule whether or not anyone opened it. ## The record survives the burn Most burn-after-reading tools take the evidence with them. When an EveryPage link self-destructs, your readership record - who read it, how far, for how long - stays in your dashboard. ## Change your mind after sending Tighten the view budget, shorten the timer, or expire the link on the spot - even after it is out in the world. Nothing to recall, nothing to apologise for. ## What is a self-destructing link? A self-destructing link is a document link that removes itself once it has done its job - after a set number of views, or at a set time. Instead of a file that lives on indefinitely in inboxes and download folders, you share a link with a built-in ending: the recipient opens the document, reads it in the browser, and when the budget is spent or the clock runs out, the link returns "Gone" and the encrypted file is swept from disk within the minute. That matters for anything you want read but not kept in circulation: a quote that should not resurface after the deal closes, a board paper that was for one meeting, a salary letter meant for exactly one pair of eyes. An email attachment can never be un-sent; a self-destructing link can. ## Two ways to expire - views and time - Expire by views (Basic). Choose how many views the link is good for. One view makes it a true one-time link for one-time delivery; a larger budget suits a small, known audience. When the count is reached, the document deletes itself. - Expire by time (every plan). Set a lifetime - an hour, a day, a year - and the link dies on schedule. Set none and the link stays up indefinitely on every plan, because documents are not inherently short-lived: expiry is a control, not a default. - Combine both. Set a view budget and a deadline together and the link expires at whichever comes first - five views or five days, whichever the document hits. - Expire on demand. Any link can be expired manually at any moment, so "please disregard that document" becomes a button rather than a request. ## The link burns - the ledger doesn't Here is the part most self-destructing tools get wrong: they destroy your proof along with the document. EveryPage deliberately separates the two. When a link burns, the file is gone for good - but your readership record survives: every session, the page-by-page reading time, the read-through funnel, and any captured emails stay in your dashboard. So you can send a confidential quote on a one-view link and still answer the questions that matter afterwards - did they open it, did they reach the number, did they come back before it burned? It is the same PDF read tracking as any EveryPage link; the only thing that disappears is the document. ## Is it free? Uploading and sharing is free: upload a PDF without creating an account, set a lifetime on the next step and share the link - anonymous uploads are shareable immediately and kept for 7 days, and the free plan covers up to 3 PDFs with core readership. Timed expiry - or no expiry at all - is on every plan, including Free. Self-destruct by views (delete after 1, 5 or 50 reads) starts on the Basic plan ($9/month). ## When to use a self-destructing link - Quotes & pricing - a quote that should not float around - or be forwarded to a competitor - after the decision is made. - Confidential one-offs - board papers, legal drafts, HR and salary letters - read by the people they were meant for, then gone. - One-time delivery - a deliverable handed over exactly once, with the readership record as your receipt. ## Self-destructing link questions. ### How do I make a PDF link that expires after one view? Upload the PDF to EveryPage and set "delete after views" to 1 in the document settings. The first completed view spends the budget: the link stops resolving, the encrypted file is deleted from disk, and your readership record of that one read is kept. Self-destructing links are available from the Basic plan. ### What happens when the view limit is reached? The link immediately returns "Gone" and the encrypted file is swept from disk within the minute. Nobody - including you - can retrieve the document afterwards, which is the point. Your readership record of every view before the burn stays in your dashboard. ### Do I lose my analytics when the document self-destructs? No - this is the difference from most burn-after-reading tools. The document is destroyed; the readership record is not. Who opened it, how far they read, how long they spent per page, and any captured emails all remain in your report after the link is gone. ### Can I expire a link by time instead of views? Yes - timed expiry is built into every plan - an hour, a day, a year, any date you choose - and a link with no expiry stays up indefinitely. You can set a view budget and a deadline on the same link, and it expires at whichever arrives first. ### Can I change or remove the self-destruct after sharing the link? Yes, right up until it triggers. Raise or lower the view budget, change the expiry date, or expire the link immediately - the settings live on the link, not in the file, so nothing needs to be re-sent. ### Which plans include self-destructing links? Expire-by-views starts on the Basic plan ($9/month). Timed expiry - or no expiry at all - is on every plan, including Free. ### Is it free? Uploading and sharing is free and needs no account - anonymous uploads are kept for 7 days, and the free plan covers up to 3 PDFs with core readership. Timed expiry is included on every plan. Self-destruct by views starts on the Basic plan ($9/month). ### Does the recipient need an account? No. The recipient opens the link and reads the document in the browser - no sign-up, no download, no app. Each completed view counts against the budget you set, and their read is recorded in your dashboard. ## Send it, then let it vanish. Upload a PDF, give the link a view budget or a deadline, and share a document with a built-in ending - and a readership record that outlives it. Related: secure PDF sharing · per-viewer watermarking · PDF read tracking