Every sharing link in Paperlink has settings that control who can open the document, what they can do with it, and how the link behaves over time. You configure these settings when creating a link and can change most of them afterward. This page is a complete reference for every available option.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developers.paperlink.online/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Edit an existing link
Open the document
Go to Shared Documents in the left sidebar and open the document that has the link you want to change.
Viewers who are currently viewing the document when you save are not affected until they reload the page.
Quick reference
| Setting | Section | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Link Name | Basic Info | Labels the link in your dashboard and analytics |
| Internal Notes | Basic Info | Private team notes, never visible to viewers |
| Require email to view | Access Control | Viewers enter their email before the document loads |
| Restrict to specific email | Access Control | Blocks everyone except the specified email address |
| Require login to view | Access Control | Only registered Paperlink users can view |
| Password Protection | Access Control | Viewers must enter a password before viewing |
| Allow PDF download | Viewer Permissions | Lets viewers save the original file to their device |
| Require NDA/Agreement | Viewer Permissions | Viewers must accept an agreement before viewing |
| Expiration Date | Link Settings | Link stops working after the selected date |
| Welcome Message | Link Settings | A message viewers see before the document loads |
| Custom URL | Link Settings | Replaces the auto-generated slug with a custom path |
| Custom Domain | Link Settings | Serves the link from your own branded domain |
Basic Info
Link Name
An optional label that identifies the link in your dashboard and analytics. When you share the same document with multiple people, give each link a distinct name - for example, the recipient’s name or company - so you can tell them apart in your analytics. To create a separate link for each recipient in a single step, add multiple names by typing each one and pressing Enter. Paperlink creates one link per name, each with independent analytics tracking.Internal Notes
Free text visible only to your team. Viewers never see it. Use internal notes to record deal context, who requested the link, or follow-up reminders. Maximum 500 characters.Access Control
Access controls determine who can open the link. Multiple controls can be active on the same link simultaneously - viewers complete each one in sequence.| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Require email to view | Viewers enter their email address before the document loads. Their email is captured in your analytics for every session. |
| Restrict to specific email | Appears when “Require email” is enabled. Type one allowed email address. Anyone who enters a different address is blocked. |
| Require login to view | Only registered Paperlink users can view the document. Automatically skips the email step since login already confirms identity. |
| Password Protection | Viewers enter a password before the document loads. Passwords are stored as hashes - Paperlink cannot recover a forgotten password. To change it, open the link settings and type a new password. |
Access controls stack. A link can require a password, email verification, and an agreement all at once. Viewers complete each gate in order: password first, then email, then agreement.
Viewer Permissions
Viewer permissions control what viewers can do after they gain access.| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Allow PDF download | When on, viewers see a download button and can save the original PDF. When off, they can only read the document in the browser. |
| Require NDA/Agreement | Viewers must read and accept a custom agreement before the document loads. See details below. |
Agreement details
When you enable Require NDA/Agreement, two fields appear:- Agreement Title (optional) - the heading shown on the agreement screen. Defaults to “Non-Disclosure Agreement”. Maximum 150 characters.
- Agreement Text (required) - the full text of the agreement. Supports basic formatting: bold, italic, underline, and lists. Maximum 5,000 characters.
- Signer’s name and email
- Whether the identity was verified (logged-in user) or self-reported
- IP address at the time of signing
- Signature timestamp (UTC)
Link Settings
Link settings control timing, presentation, and the link URL itself.| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Expiration Date | The link stops working after this date. Viewers see a “Document Unavailable” page. You can extend or remove the expiration at any time by editing the link. |
| Welcome Message | A short message displayed on the link landing page before the document opens. Up to 500 characters. |
| Custom URL | Replace the auto-generated slug with a memorable path - for example, /q4-proposal. Use only lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens. Changing a slug invalidates the old URL immediately. |
Custom domain
If your team has a custom domain configured, an additional Custom Domain selector appears in Link Settings. Choose your domain from the list and the link will be served fromdocs.yourcompany.com instead of the default Paperlink address.
To set up a custom domain, see Use a Custom Domain for Document Sharing.
Settings you cannot change after creation
Most settings can be changed at any time after a link is created. The two exceptions are:- Link target - a link always points to the document or folder it was created for. To share a different document, create a new link.
- Link type - if you created multiple named links in one step, each is its own independent link. You cannot merge them.
Related pages
Create a sharing link
Step-by-step guide to creating your first link
Custom domains
Serve links from your own branded domain
Viewer analytics
Track who opened your link and how they engaged
Slack notifications
Get notified the moment someone views or downloads your document