Secure links
Share a secret with someone who doesn't have a PulsVault account using an encrypted link, with expiry and view limits — and learn why the link key never reaches the server.
A secure link lets you share a single secret with anyone — even people without a PulsVault
account — by sending them a URL. The decryption key lives in the link's #fragment, which
browsers never send to the server, so the share stays zero-knowledge.
Create a secure link#
If you try to share an item with an address that has no PulsVault account, the share dialog offers Send as a Secure Link instead. It carries the address over and pre-restricts the link to it, so you land on step 2 below with the recipient already set.
- Open the item and choose Share → Create secure link.
- Set an expiry (e.g. 1 hour or 30 days) and an optional view limit.
- Generate the link and copy it.
- Send it to the recipient over a channel you trust.
The recipient opens the link, and their browser decrypts the secret locally using the key in the URL fragment.
A URL fragment (everything after #) is never transmitted in HTTP requests. PulsVault
stores only the encrypted snapshot and metadata; the symmetric key that opens it exists only
in the link you share.
Manage and revoke#
Your live links are on the Secure Links tab of Manage in the Sharing Center. Each link shows:
- The item's name and a status badge when something is wrong with it: Expired, Views exhausted, Locked or Revoked. A healthy link has no badge.
- A line such as "2 / ∞ views • Expires" followed by the date — views used out of the limit (∞ when you set none).
- "Restricted to" and an email address, when you limited the link to one recipient.
- Revoke, which kills the link immediately.
A link restricted to an email asks the recipient to verify that address. After too many wrong attempts it becomes Locked and the row says "Too many verification attempts — revoke it and share again." You cannot reset a locked link; Revoke it and create a new one.
Use them safely#
Anyone with the full link can open the secret until it expires or you revoke it. Prefer short expiries and view limits, send links over secure channels, and revoke once the recipient has what they need.
Limits by plan#
| Plan | Live links at once | Longest expiry |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 3 | 24 hours |
| Premium, Solo Professional, Family, Team, Business, Enterprise | Unlimited | 30 days |
See also Plan comparison & limits.