Burn-after-reading links: view limits and automatic expiry

Every GlaCat link can carry both a view limit and an expiry time. Set the limit to one view and it becomes burn-after-reading: the first visitor sees it, and the link is permanently dead from that moment. Lifetimes can be as short as one minute.

Two independent conditions

• View limit: anything from 1 to 10,000. There are shortcuts for 1 view (burn after reading), 5, 10 and 100, plus a free-text field. The link dies the instant the limit is reached.
• Lifetime: URL links can be set to never expire, with no account required. Anonymous image uploads last up to 30 days and videos up to 7 days; signing in extends this or unlocks unlimited retention. All of them accept a custom number of minutes, with a floor of one minute.

When both are set, whichever condition is met first takes effect.

What happens after it dies

Once a link is spent, the server answers HTTP 410 Gone for that short URL. That status tells browsers and search engines plainly that the resource is permanently removed, rather than vaguely bouncing the visitor back to a home page. Images and videos then enter the deletion process and the underlying objects are removed from storage.

If the link belongs to a signed-in account, the link row and its daily click totals are kept indefinitely so you can still review how it performed. The file itself is deleted either way.

When to use it

Handing over a one-time password or credential, a time-boxed sign-up link, a file meant for one specific person, or any share where you want evidence that it was opened. Combined with an access password, a forwarded link is still useless to anyone who does not have the password.