How do I password-protect a shared link?

You can add a password to any document link from its settings page, and you can change or remove it at any time without re-uploading the file.

How to add a password

1. Upload your PDF (or other document). You'll land on the document's settings page.
2. Check Require a password.
3. Enter a password and save.
4. Share the link as usual. Visitors will now see a password gate before the document loads.

How to change or remove a password

1. Go to the document's settings page.
2. Update the password field, or untick Require a password to remove it entirely.
3. Save your changes.

Once saved, the change applies straight away to everyone with the link, including people who already had the old password.

What happens when a password is set

• Visitors see a password gate and must enter the correct password before the document loads.
• The file itself is never exposed at a public URL. Visitors authenticate at the gate page first.
• View tracking keeps working even with a password turned on, so you can still see how many times the document was opened.
• Repeated wrong password attempts will lock that viewer out of the gate for ten minutes.
• Access is tied to a short-lived, signed cookie (24 hours), so it can't be forged or shared between devices.

A tip on sending the password

Don't send the password in the same email or message as the link. Send the link by email and the password through a different channel, like a text message or a phone call.