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EnglishCan I password-protect or set an expiration for Kutt short links?
Updated
Yes. Kutt's link creation form includes advanced options for both. Opening the advanced options reveals a Password field, an Expire in field, and a Description field, alongside the Domain selector. Entering a password makes the short link require that password before it redirects; setting an expiration makes the link stop working after the chosen period. Both are optional, so a plain short link needs neither.
How the advanced options work
The main form asks only for the destination URL. The advanced options sit behind a toggle on that same form, which keeps the default flow to one field while still exposing control when you need it.
| Field | What you enter | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | The domain to build the short link on (the form shows kutt.to as the default) |
Which hostname the short link uses |
| Password | A password of your choice | Visitors must supply it before being redirected |
| Expire in | A time period | The link stops resolving after that period |
| Description | A label or note | Identifies the link's purpose in your link list |
Password protection
Use this when the destination should not be reachable by anyone who happens to find the short link — for example, sharing a draft document or a private download with a small group. The recipient needs both the short link and the password, so send them through separate channels. A password on the short link does not change anything about the destination page itself; it only gates the redirect.
Expiration
Use Expire in for links that should be temporary: a time-limited signup page, a one-off file drop, or an event page that goes stale. Set the period when you create the link rather than cleaning up afterwards. If a link needs to live longer than planned, the reliable approach is to create a new short link with a longer expiry rather than assume the original can be extended — the form presents expiration as a creation-time setting.
Description
The description does not affect how the link behaves. It is a label for you, useful once you manage more than a handful of links and need to tell them apart in your stats view.
A practical example
Suppose you are sending a client a preview build that should only be live for the review week and should not circulate further. You would paste the build URL, open the advanced options, set Expire in to cover the review period, add a Description such as "Client preview – week 12", and optionally set a Password that you send to the client separately. After the expiry period the link no longer redirects, so there is nothing to remember to switch off.
Things to check before relying on these options
- Confirm the link works as intended. After creating a protected or expiring link, open it yourself: you should be prompted for the password, and the redirect should succeed with the correct one.
- Plan for expiry, not extension. Treat the expiry period as final when you set it.
- Keep the password out of the same message as the link if the link itself might be forwarded.
- Custom domains are a separate setting. The Domain selector changes the hostname of the short link; it does not interact with password or expiry.
Kutt is described as a free and open-source URL shortener with custom domains and stats, and its site also links to a Premium page. The available page details cover the creation options above; they do not specify plan-level limits on password-protected or expiring links, so check the Premium page if you need to know whether any of these features differ by plan.