Link Lifetime

Link Lifetime

Link lifetime is an optional safety feature for public links.

When it is enabled, GhostlyShare automatically takes the public link offline after the selected time. Your local app is not stopped or closed; only the public sharing session ends.

Use it when you want a demo, test link, webhook endpoint, or review link to stay online only for a limited time.

Desktop App

In the desktop app, use the clock button on a local app card. You can set the lifetime before selecting Go Public, or open the same clock settings while the app is already live.

You can choose:

• Open.
• 15 min.
• 30 min.
• 1 hour.
• 3 hours.
• 1 day.
• Today.
• Custom.

Open means GhostlyShare keeps the link public until you stop sharing manually, close GhostlyShare, or the local app/tunnel stops for another reason.

Today keeps the link online until the end of the current local day on your computer.

Custom lets you enter minutes, hours, and days.

Custom values:

Field	Allowed values
Minutes	0 to 59
Hours	0 to 23
Days	0 to 40

The total custom lifetime must be at least 1 minute and can be at most 40 days, 23 hours, and 59 minutes.

When a lifetime is active, the live app card shows the clock button in its active state. Its tooltip shows when the public link will go offline.

While a link is live:

• Changing the lifetime applies to the current public link immediately.
• Choosing Open and applying removes the timer. The current link stays live until you stop sharing manually or another normal stop condition happens.
• Choosing a duration again starts a new timer for the current live link.

Command Line

Use --expires-after with ghs share:

ghs share 5173 --expires-after 15m
ghs share 5173 --expires-after 30m
ghs share 5173 --expires-after 1h
ghs share 5173 --expires-after 3h
ghs share 5173 --expires-after 1d
ghs share 5173 --expires-after 1d4h15m
ghs share 5173 --expires-after today

Supported units:

Unit	Meaning
m, min, minute, minutes	Minutes
h, hour, hours	Hours
d, day, days	Days
today	Until the end of the current local day

Durations can be combined, such as 1d4h15m.

The CLI accepts lifetimes from 1 minute up to 40 days, 23 hours, and 59 minutes. Values above that limit are rejected.

When The Timer Starts

The lifetime starts when the public link successfully goes online.

For example:

• You choose 15 minutes.
• You select Go Public.
• Once GhostlyShare has a working public link, the 15-minute timer starts.
• After the timer ends, GhostlyShare stops sharing that link.

If you stop sharing manually before the timer ends, the timer is cancelled.

If you start sharing again later, a new timer starts from the full selected lifetime.

If you change the lifetime while a link is already live, GhostlyShare replaces the current timer. Duration presets and custom durations start counting from when you apply the change. Today still means until the end of the current local day on your computer.

What Happens When Time Runs Out

When the lifetime expires, GhostlyShare stops the public sharing session.

The local app keeps running on your computer. Visitors can no longer use the GhostlyShare public link for that session.

For custom domains, GhostlyShare also runs the normal custom-domain cleanup for that sharing session.

Notes

• Link lifetime is not a password or access-control feature.
• Anyone with the public link can still access it until the timer expires, unless password protection is also enabled.
• Your computer and local app must stay online while the public link should work.
• Closing GhostlyShare or stopping the CLI process ends the public link even if the lifetime has not expired yet.