Most links are created with a purpose that has a deadline: a discount that ends Sunday, a registration that closes Friday, a document that should stop circulating at the end of the quarter. Yet almost every link on the web outlives its purpose, quietly redirecting people to offers that no longer exist and pages that no longer apply. A link that has outlived its job isn’t neutral — it’s a liability.
Link expiration gives a short link a lifecycle: you pick an exact date and time, and after that moment the link stops redirecting — cleanly, deliberately, and reversibly. This guide covers how expiry works, when to use it (and when a scheduled window or a click limit is the better tool), and how to set it up in under a minute.
What is link expiration?
An expiring short link has an owner-set end date. Once the redirect service observes that deadline, it stops forwarding visitors to the original destination. On 302.sh, the response depends on the hostname: links on 302.sh lead to an expiry page; links on 3go.to or a custom domain return HTTP 410 Gone. Disabled links also return 410.
Expiration controls this entrance, not access to the destination. Someone who already has the destination URL or a downloaded copy may still use it. Enforce access restrictions at the destination when a deadline must protect a file, offer or registration.
Why links should have a deadline
The case for expiry is really a case against zombie links — links that keep forwarding traffic long after the offer, event, or agreement behind them ended:
- Limited-time offers and discount codes. Promo links escape their intended audience fast — they get pasted into deal aggregators, coupon sites and group chats. An expiry date closes that short-link entrance after the deadline. The checkout must separately enforce the promotion end date.
- Event registration deadlines. A signup link that dies when registration closes saves latecomers the frustration of filling out a form that will bounce — and saves you the support email.
- Seasonal campaign hygiene. Holiday landing pages, back-to-school bundles, launch-week specials: set the expiry when you create the link and the campaign cleans up after itself.
- Time-limited document entrances. Expire the shared short link when the project ends. If the document itself must become unavailable, also revoke access at its host.
- One-off shares. Close an entrance you no longer intend to distribute. An expiry date cannot recall copies or prevent someone from sharing the original destination URL.
There’s a trust angle running through all of these. An expired promotion that keeps redirecting to a full-price page burns goodwill with the exact people who were interested enough to click. Make the deadline clear before visitors follow the link.
Expiry vs. scheduled windows vs. click limits
Expiration is one of three ways to bound a link’s life on 302.sh, and picking the right one is worth ten seconds of thought:
| Expiry | Scheduled window | Click limit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bounded by | An end date & time | A start and an end | A number of clicks |
| After the boundary | Expiry page on 302.sh; 410 on link-only or custom domains | Fallback URLs (coming-soon / recap) | Fallback URL or 410 |
| Best for | Campaign entrances with an end date | Launches with a before and an after | First-N promos, capped drops |
| Plan | Every plan, including Free | Creator and up | Business |
The rule of thumb: use a scheduled window (part of smart routing) when you want a soft landing on either side — visitors who arrive early see a coming-soon page, visitors who arrive late see a recap or a “you missed it, here’s what’s next” page. Use expiry when the original destination should stop receiving visits through this short link. And use a click limit when the constraint is volume rather than time.
How to set an expiry date on a short link
Expiry is one checkbox in the create-link form:
- Create a new link in the 302.sh dashboard (or open an existing one to edit).
- Open the Expiry section of the form.
- Tick Set expiry and pick the date and time the link should stop forwarding to its original destination. Account-owned links have no owner-set deadline until you enable it; anonymous guest links have a separate temporary lifetime.
- Create the link. Everything else — analytics, editing, QR codes — works as normal right up to the deadline.
Recorded events remain available within your plan’s retention window. Filtering and the analytics allowance can affect the report; it is not a complete record of every visit or QR scan.
Change the expiry while keeping the short address
If you still own the link, you can extend or remove its expiry date. Keep the hostname and slug unchanged to preserve the shared address. Clearing expiry does not restore a deleted link or override another restriction such as disabling or a click limit. Save, then test the original URL; cached settings can delay what a visitor sees.
The analytics allowance stops additional tracking, not redirects. Deletion, owner-set limits and safety enforcement can still stop a link. For printed material, see why a QR code can stop working and its checks for the image, domain, redirect and destination.
Frequently asked questions
What does a visitor see after a link expires?
An expired link on 302.sh sends the visitor to an expiry page. On 3go.to or a custom domain it returns HTTP 410 Gone. Disabled links return 410. Expiry stops forwarding to the original destination; it does not revoke access to that destination or to copies already downloaded.
Can I un-expire or extend an expired link?
Yes, if you still own the link. Extend the date or remove it while keeping the hostname and slug unchanged. Other restrictions can still stop forwarding, and cached settings can delay the change. Save and check the original URL before distributing it again.
Is link expiration free?
Yes. Link expiration is included on every 302.sh plan, including the free tier. You can set, edit and remove expiry dates without upgrading.
What’s the difference between expiry, a scheduled window, and a click limit?
Expiry stops forwarding to the original destination after a date. A scheduled window (Creator and up) can use before-and-after fallback pages. A click limit (Business) uses a separate per-link redirect counter instead of a date. Analytics report totals do not drive this cutoff. These settings govern the short-link entrance, not access to the destination itself.