Permanent Share Links for Generated Documents

Last updated March 23, 2026

Every successfully generated document on a Pro+ or Premium plan includes a public_share_link field: a permanent public URL that never expires and requires no authentication. Use it to share generated files in emails, embed them in web pages, or distribute them to external recipients.

{
  "document": {
    "id": "a5e86d72-f5b7-43d4-a04e-8b7e08e6741c",
    "status": "success",
    "download_url": "https://pdfmonkey-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/...",
    "public_share_link": "https://files.pdfmonkey.io/share/72BE2293-D130-4C19-9E11-C82B5CEA8C37/invoice-2050-03.pdf"
  }
}

Pro+ and Premium plans only

The share links feature is only available on Pro+ and Premium plans. On other plans, public_share_link returns null. See Our Plans for a feature comparison.

The public_share_link is populated when both conditions are met:

  1. The document status is success.
  2. The account is on a Pro+ or Premium plan.

For any other status (draft, pending, generating, failure) or on lower-tier plans, the field returns null.

URL format

Share links follow this pattern:

https://files.pdfmonkey.io/share/{share_token}/{filename}
  • share_token is a UUID assigned to each document at creation. It does not change.
  • filename is the document’s filename, including the extension (.pdf, .png, .webp, or .jpg). If you set a custom filename, it appears here.

Inline display vs. download

By default, opening a share link triggers a file download. To display the file inline in the browser instead, append a disposition query parameter:

https://files.pdfmonkey.io/share/{share_token}/{filename}?disposition=inline
ValueBehavior
attachment (default)Browser downloads the file
inlineBrowser displays the file (PDFs render in the built-in viewer; images display directly)
Use ?disposition=inline when embedding share links in web pages where you want the user to view the document before downloading.
public_share_linkdownload_url
ExpirationNever expiresExpires after 1 hour
AuthenticationNone requiredNone required
AvailabilityPro+ and Premium plans onlyAll plans
Inline displaySupported via ?disposition=inlineNo (always downloads)
When populatedsuccess status on qualifying plansuccess status

If you need a URL that stays valid indefinitely, use public_share_link. If you only need a short-lived download link (for example, to save the file to your own storage immediately after generation), download_url is sufficient. See The Download URL for more details.

Share links are tied to your account plan, not to individual documents:

  • Upgrading to Pro+ or Premium: All past documents that were generated successfully gain a working share link retroactively. You do not need to regenerate them.
  • Downgrading from Pro+ or Premium: Existing share links stop working immediately. The public_share_link field returns null in API responses. Additionally, documents that fall outside the retention window of your new plan are permanently deleted.
  • Re-upgrading later: Share links reactivate automatically for documents that still exist. However, any documents deleted during the downgrade due to shorter retention are gone permanently and cannot be recovered.

See Changing My Plan for more details on how plan changes affect features.

Works with images too

Share links work for all output formats, not just PDFs. If your template produces a WebP, PNG, or JPG image, the share link points to the image file with the correct extension.

Frequently asked questions

Why is public_share_link null even though my document is successful?

Your account is likely on a plan that does not include share links (Free, Starter, or Pro). Upgrade to Pro+ or Premium to enable the feature. See Our Plans.

Can I revoke a share link for a specific document?

Deleting the document removes the share link permanently. There is no way to disable a share link without deleting the document itself.

Do share links survive document deletion?

No. Once a document is deleted (manually or via TTL), the share link returns a 404 error.

Is the share link included in webhook payloads?

Yes. The public_share_link field is part of the document payload sent to your webhook endpoint when generation succeeds.

Frequently asked questions

What is a PDFMonkey share link?
A share link is a permanent public URL for a generated document. It never expires, requires no authentication, and can be embedded in emails, web pages, or shared directly with recipients. Available on Pro+ and Premium plans.
How is a share link different from a download URL?
Download URLs are temporary signed links that expire after 1 hour and always trigger a file download. Share links are permanent public URLs that never expire. By default, share links trigger a download, but you can append ?disposition=inline to display the file in the browser instead.
Do share links still work if I downgrade my plan?
No. Share links stop working when you downgrade from a Pro+ or Premium plan. Documents outside the retention window of your new plan are permanently deleted. If you upgrade back, share links reactivate for the documents that still exist.
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