Temporary links for AI-generated files

What is a temporary download link?

It is a private URL that grants access to a specific delivered file for a limited time. With Golden Drop, the recipient does not create an account; the active URL itself is the access capability.

The canonical Golden path currently uses a fixed lifetime of 1 hour. After expiry, the service stops serving the file and cleanup removes the temporary stored copy.

Delivery and storage are different jobs

Permanent storage solves organization, retention, access control and history. Temporary delivery solves a narrower problem: “I have the artifact now; how does the intended recipient get it without setting up another account or shared folder?”

Anyone with the active URL can download

There is no recipient sign-in step. That makes delivery simple, but it also means the URL should be treated as a private bearer-style capability during its active lifetime.

• Send the link only to the intended recipient or private channel.
• Do not put it in a public issue, public chat or indexed document unless public access is intentional.
• Do not assume noindex is an access-control mechanism.
• Do not deliver raw credentials just because the link expires.

Expiration is enforced on every download

Golden Drop stores the expiry timestamp durably. A file request checks that timestamp before returning bytes. This means expiry blocks access immediately even if the periodic cleaner has not yet deleted the object from disk.

The cleaner then removes expired object bytes and metadata. Cleanup also runs at service startup, so expiry does not depend on an in-memory timer surviving a restart.

Download and management credentials are separate

The Drop backend creates a separate management credential that can revoke a file before normal expiry. It is not embedded in the ordinary recipient page and is distinct from the access URL.

Only hashes of both access and management secrets are stored in SQLite.

Temporary pages are deliberately non-indexable

Recipient pages and direct file responses use X-Robots-Tag: noindex, nofollow, noarchive, plus no-store caching and a no-referrer policy. Golden Drop also does not provide a public file-listing endpoint.

These controls reduce accidental discovery and retention. The private URL remains the actual access boundary.

Expiry is useful, but it is not recipient identity

A short lifetime reduces the window of exposure. It does not prove who opened the link, add a password prompt, create a user-specific ACL or scan the file for malicious content.

When the use case requires named-user authorization, durable audit history, legal retention or controlled collaboration over time, choose a system designed for those requirements rather than relying on a short-lived Bearer [REDACTED]

When temporary links are a good fit

• AI-generated reports sent for immediate review.
• Build or test artifacts handed to a teammate.
• Images or exports that only need a short review window.
• A group of generated files delivered as one ZIP.
• Artifacts moving between authorized workflow environments where permanent storage would add unnecessary setup.

Learn the security model before using temporary links for sensitive work

Golden Drop Security →