One-Time Secret Links
When you protect a form with a password and choose to deliver it as a secure link, the recipient gets a one-time secret link instead of the plain password. This page describes what the recipient sees.
The page is titled One-Time Secret.
What the recipient can do
- Open the secure link and check whether it can still be used.
- Reveal the password exactly once.
- Copy the password to the clipboard.
Checking the link
Opening the link does not use up the secret -- it only shows the current status. The recipient can come back to the same link and still reveal it later, as long as it has not been revealed or expired yet.
Depending on the status, the page shows one of these messages:
| Status | What the recipient sees |
|---|---|
| Ready | "This secret can be revealed exactly once. Click the button below to continue." with a reveal button. |
| Already viewed | "This secret has already been viewed and is no longer available." |
| Expired | "This secret has expired and is no longer available." |
| Not found | "Secret not found. Please check the link and try again." |
When the link can no longer be used, the page also adds: "Please contact the sender for a new link."
Revealing the secret
- The recipient clicks Reveal secret.
- The password is shown together with the note "This secret can only be viewed once. Please copy it now -- it will not be available again."
- The recipient clicks Copy to put the password on the clipboard. The button confirms with "Copied to clipboard".
After the secret has been revealed once, it is permanently gone. Returning to the link afterwards shows the "already viewed" message. There is no way to reveal it a second time -- if the recipient loses it, you need to generate a new password and send a new link.
Good to know
- A secure link expires after 14 days. After that, opening it shows the expired message.
- If the recipient tries too often in a short time, the page asks them to wait a moment and try again.