Share with a link
A share link is an address you send instead of the file itself. Whoever receives it opens the current version of the document — no sign-up, no login. On your side, you see how each link performed.
One document can carry several links for different purposes, and settings and view stats are kept per link. You create and manage them in the Share tab of a document (the tabs are Content · Share · Insights · Viewers, plus a Guide tab pinned to the right end of the tab bar for new users — close it with ✕ and it stays closed). The tab reads “Create the right link for each purpose and track views by link.”
The five link types
Section titled “The five link types”The Share tab groups links by purpose. Two questions decide which one you want: do you need details from the viewer, and do you need to tell viewers apart?
| Link | What the screen says | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| General share link | Anyone can open the document right away, with no information required. | You just need to send it fast (primary link) |
| Info-required link | Only people who submit their name, email, and other details can open the document. | You want contacts along with the read |
| AI-public link | A public link you can post on your site or blog so AI search can surface it. | You want the document cited in search and AI answers |
| Per-recipient link | Create a separate link for each recipient to see who opened it and how they engaged. | You need to tell viewers apart |
| External form integration | Connects information collected on your site or Typeform to document view data. | You already collect details in your own form |
The general share link, info-required link, and AI-public link are issued automatically, one each per document — there is nothing to create. The only links you make yourself are per-recipient links. External form integration is not a link you copy. It sits in the Integrations section below the list, where you connect a form you already run.
What each row contains
Section titled “What each row contains”A row shows an icon, the link name, a status chip, a description with the URL, and actions. The actions read Copy link · Share settings, then a divider, then Analytics · pin as quick link.
| Row | What it offers |
|---|---|
| General share link | Copy link · Share settings · Analytics · pin as quick link |
| Info-required link | After a form is saved: Copy link · Share settings · Analytics · pin, plus “Tip. Edit the form fields in Share Settings.” |
| AI-public link | Copy link · Share settings · Analytics · pin (until the link is issued the first three are greyed out and the pin is not drawn at all; the Share settings tooltip reads “Creating AI-public link…”) |
| Per-recipient links | An expandable row → Create per-recipient links plus the links you made (each with Copy link · Share settings · Analytics · pin) |
| Integrations > External form integration | Not connected / Connected badge · Connect · Analytics |
- Share settings appears only for people who can manage the document.
- Analytics goes to a different place per link type. The general share link and the AI-public link open Insights. The info-required link and the external form integration open the Viewers tab on its Contacts sub-tab. Per-recipient links open the Viewers tab on its Dedicated link visitors sub-tab. Either way the view arrives filtered to that one link.
- A row shows at most one red status chip, and only three exist: Link disabled, Email required · no one allowed, and Expired (date). Any of them means the document will not open on that link right now.
Why is the info-required link grayed out?
Section titled “Why is the info-required link grayed out?”The info-required link switches on only after you save a form. Until then the row is dimmed and reads “Set up the form to activate”. Clicking it opens a “Set up the form first” prompt: “The info-required link turns on once you save a form. Head to the form settings to build it.”
- Field setup lives in Set up a lead form. There is one form per document — you cannot attach a different form to each link.
- Saving the form issues the link automatically. Before it exists, the row’s Share settings button is disabled and shows “Preparing link…”.
- Someone who already submitted the form goes straight to the document when they return through the link in their email. That URL carries a
?lf=token, so the form never appears again.
AI-public link — the one you post on the web
Section titled “AI-public link — the one you post on the web”The AI-public link publishes a document on your site or blog so AI search engines can cite it. One is issued automatically per document; while it is being created the row shows “Creating AI-public link…”.
- The domain is different. Other links open on
featpaper.com; the AI-public link opens onfeat.page/u/{key}. - No form can be attached. The row has no lead form switch, because this link exists for public publishing. To collect details before the read, use the info-required link.
- It appears as its own filter in Insights and as its own channel when you add links to a data room.
- AI citation optimization is included on every plan in the pricing comparison.
Create per-recipient links
Section titled “Create per-recipient links”Expand the per-recipient links row
In the Share tab, click the chevron on the right of the row to open the list.
Click Create per-recipient links
The dialog explains “Enter the recipient names. You can create several at once, and each gets its own link.” and offers three name fields.
Add rows if you need more, then create
Add row adds a field. Create issues one link per name and confirms with “Per-recipient link created”.
- The name you type is an internal note shown in your dashboard only. The URL carries a random key, and the name never appears on the viewer’s screen.
- Even with a form set up, anyone opening a per-recipient link goes straight to the document. You already know who you sent it to, so FeatPaper does not ask again.
- Limits by plan: 3 on Starter, 10 on Pro, unlimited on Business and Enterprise. At the limit the button shows a lock and “Pro allows up to 10 per-recipient links. Business removes the limit.”
- The limit is a shared pool for the document, so links created by teammates invited to the folder count towards it.
What the copied URL looks like
Section titled “What the copied URL looks like”Copy link puts one of these addresses on your clipboard.
| Link | Copied address |
|---|---|
| General share link | https://featpaper.com/u/{key}/{memberKey} (falls back to /n/{docKey}/{memberKey} before the key exists) |
| Info-required link | https://featpaper.com/u/{key}/{memberKey} |
| AI-public link | https://feat.page/u/{key} — no member segment |
| Per-recipient link | https://featpaper.com/u/{key}/{memberKey} |
| With a custom domain applied | https://{yourdomain}/u/{key}/{memberKey} |
| A link placed in a data room | https://featpaper.com/u/{key} — no member segment |
/u/{key}points at one specific link and never raises the document-level form gate./n/{docKey}is the older alias for the document itself, and it is where a document-level form gate used to appear.?lf={token}is a saved-email pass: someone who already submitted the form returns through it and skips the form.- The trailing
{memberKey}records who shared the link. It is left off AI-public links and links opened from a data room — attributing a public read to a teammate would corrupt your engagement data. - A custom domain appears in the URL only once its status is applied.
Per-link share settings
Section titled “Per-link share settings”Click Share settings on a row to open a dialog titled with the link name plus “Share Settings” — for example “General share link Share Settings”. Whatever you save applies to that link only, and the other links on the document are untouched.
Open the Share tab
Open the document from My Documents and switch to the Share tab.
Click Share settings on the row you want
The general share link, info-required link, AI-public link, and each per-recipient link all have their own settings.
Change the options and save
Changes apply only after you click Save. Closing with Cancel discards them.
Every setting in the dialog
Section titled “Every setting in the dialog”The items appear in this order. The last three are hard to undo, so they sit apart from the rest at the bottom.
| Item | What it controls | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Viewer Type | For Presentation (one screen at a time) or For Report (continuous reading) | Per link |
| Lead form settings | Opens the editor for the fields collected before the document opens | One form per document · info-required link only |
| Communication | Which channels appear at the bottom right of the web viewer — chips under “Channel to show for this document” | Per link |
| PDF Download | ”Viewers can download the PDF file.” | Per link · Pro and up |
| Add Viewer QR Code | Embeds a QR code in the downloaded PDF that opens the live version | Per link · needs PDF Download on |
| View Notification | ”Receive email notifications when the document is viewed.” — whether reads on this document reach you | Per link · stored separately for each manager |
| Viewing Period Settings | Expiry — 7 days, 1 month, or a date you pick | Per link · Pro and up |
| Access restriction — Email allow list | ”Only listed emails can open this link.” | This link only — never inherited |
| Access restriction — Password | ”Viewers must enter a password to open this link.” | This link only — never inherited |
| Disable this link now | ”Blocks this link only, right away. Other links and analytics are unaffected.” | This link only |
| Delete link | ”Removes this link for good.” | Per-recipient links only · irreversible |
| Disable this document’s link now | ”Block viewing of every shared link to this document right now, regardless of the expiry date.” | Whole document · bottom |
- Turning on Communication lists your registered channels as chips and highlights the one you select. Go to Settings → takes you to channel setup.
- PDF Download can be switched on Pro and above; on Starter downloads stay allowed.
- View Notification is the first condition for hearing about a read. With it off, no rule in your account settings will produce a notification for that document.
View Notification: why turning it on may not be enough
Section titled “View Notification: why turning it on may not be enough”The toggle reads “Receive email notifications when the document is viewed.” A notification goes out only when both this toggle and the account rules under Settings > Notifications allow it. The two places do different jobs.
| Where | What it decides | Stored per |
|---|---|---|
| A link’s Share settings > View Notification | Whether reads on this document reach you, on or off | Document · each manager separately |
| Settings > Notifications | The rules that apply across every document — audience, minimum interest level, repeat reads, the repeat notification cooldown, and the email and Slack channels | Your account |
- Every manager keeps their own value. Several people can manage the same document, and each one stores this toggle for themselves. A teammate switching it on does not switch it on for you, and the reverse holds too. When a read clears the rules, each person hears about it at their own Notification Email and in the Slack channel they connected.
- Switched it on and heard nothing? An account rule filtered the read. The usual culprit is Unknown viewers, which is cleared by default — so anonymous reads through a general share link never notify you until you tick it. The Minimum interest level also starts at Warm or above, which drops someone who opened the document and closed it again.
- Your own reads never notify you. A read by the document owner produces neither a notification nor a view. Test from a logged-out browser or a private window.
- Documents created before this setting existed carry no stored value and are treated as off. Switch it on once in share settings to start hearing about them.
The full rule set — audience, minimum interest level, always notify on repeat views, the repeat notification cooldown, and the email and Slack channels — is documented with its defaults in Settings tour.
Can I block downloads on a share link?
Section titled “Can I block downloads on a share link?”Yes. Open that link’s Share settings > PDF Download, turn it off, and save. Viewers on that link can view the document but cannot save the PDF.
- Block downloads only where you need to. Settings are per link, so one link can allow downloads while another blocks them.
- Blocking downloads requires Pro or above. On Starter, downloads stay allowed.
- To block downloads across the whole document, turn PDF Download off on each of its links.
- A PDF someone already saved cannot be recalled. A change applies to reads and downloads from that point on.
Checking Add Viewer QR Code embeds a QR code in the downloaded PDF, so whoever holds the static copy can jump to the live online version. The option sits directly under the PDF Download toggle. Its description reads “Embeds a scannable QR code in the downloaded PDF so readers can open the live digital version from the static PDF copy.” With PDF Download on, a View Sample Document → link appears below it. With PDF Download off, you get the hint “Adds a scannable QR to the downloaded PDF so readers can open the live version — turn on PDF download to enable.” instead.
Access restriction — password or an email allow list
Section titled “Access restriction — password or an email allow list”Scroll down in Share settings to reach Access restriction. You can turn on both controls together.
- Email allow list — the Add email or @domain field (placeholder
name@example.com, @example.com) accepts single addresses or whole domains like@example.com. Separate several entries with commas, spaces, or line breaks; malformed entries are flagged “Invalid email or domain”. If you turn the toggle on and leave the list empty, nobody can open the link, and the row shows “Email required · no one allowed”. - Password — once saved, the field keeps ”●●●●●● (set)”. Turning the toggle off removes the stored password.
What the viewer sees. A restricted link shows a Protected document screen before the file, with “This link is protected. Please verify to continue.” A blocked address gets “This email is not allowed to access the document.”; a wrong password gets “The password is incorrect.”
Quick links — the link every Copy action follows
Section titled “Quick links — the link every Copy action follows”Pin a row with Set as quick link and it becomes the document’s quick link, marked with a blue Quick link badge. The tooltip reads “Set as quick link — the Copy Link button up top will copy this link”, and Remove quick link unpins it.
- With a quick link pinned, the copy button at the top of the document detail copies that link. The URL is rebuilt at copy time, so even if the link is reissued later you still copy the current address.
- A quick link is a personal convenience, stored in your browser, per document — not on the server. It does not follow you to another device or browser, and teammates do not see it.
- With nothing pinned, the top button keeps its default behavior. Newly signed-up accounts start with the general share link already pinned; unpin it and it stays unpinned.
Two disable scopes — one link or the whole document
Section titled “Two disable scopes — one link or the whole document”There are two kill switches for a leaked link. Both are reversible, and neither deletes your analytics.
Block just the leaked link
On that link, open Share settings > Disable this link now > Disable this link. After the “Disable this link?” confirmation only that link is blocked; the other links on the document keep working. A red Link disabled badge appears on the row (inside the share settings dialog the same state reads Disabled), and Reactivate this link brings it back with no confirmation.
Block every link on the document
Scroll to the bottom of the same dialog and use Disable this document’s link now > Disable now. After confirming (“All shared links to this document will be blocked immediately. You can reactivate it anytime.”) the general, info-required, AI-public, and per-recipient links all stop working.
While the document is disabled, the settings screen reads “This document is currently disabled and cannot be viewed via any link.” Reactivating restores the addresses you already sent, so there is nothing to resend.
Deleting a link
Section titled “Deleting a link”Delete link now sits at the bottom of that link’s share settings, not in the row’s ⋮ menu. It cannot be undone, so it is kept away from the other controls.
- Only per-recipient links can be deleted. The general share link, info-required link, AI-public link, and external form integration are issued automatically and have no delete control.
- The dialog explains: “Removes this link for good. Its address stops working and cannot be restored — the document and its other links stay.”
- Confirming shows “Link deleted.” and the address stops working immediately. There is no way to restore it.
- If you only need to close a link temporarily, use Disable this link now instead. It is reversible and keeps the data.
Ways to use this
Section titled “Ways to use this”One link per document is rarely the best setup. Links pay off when you split them by purpose and pair them with other features. Three combinations people reach for most.
Attach a PDF to an email and you never learn whether it was opened, and the file travels onward on its own. Share a link instead and you keep a record of who read it and how long they spent on each page — and the moment you switch the link off, access stops.
What viewers see when a link expires
Section titled “What viewers see when a link expires”| Situation | What the viewer sees |
|---|---|
| Viewing period passed · deleted link · disabled link · unknown address | ”This link is unavailable or has expired.” |
| The whole document was disabled | ”Oops. This link is no longer active.” plus a request form (email, company, name) and a Request Access button |
- Once the period passes, the link closes and the document will not open. To reopen it, extend Viewing Period Settings on that link, reactivate the document, or send a new link.
- Sending an access request notifies the document owner, and the viewer sees “Request Sent”.
- Links from 1.0 (
/l/,/v/,/z/) land on the same screen when they are no longer valid.
Are view stats reported per link?
Section titled “Are view stats reported per link?”Yes — every link is counted separately. Analytics on a row opens that link’s own numbers. The general share link and the AI-public link go to Insights. The info-required link and the external form integration go to Viewers > Contacts, and a per-recipient link goes to Viewers > Dedicated link visitors. Wherever it lands, you see that link’s views and its viewers on their own.
- Because stats are per link, sending the same deck to three firms is best done with three per-recipient links you can compare side by side.
- The share link filter in Insights also splits by type: general share link, info-required link, AI-public link, per-recipient link.
- Disabling or deleting a link does not erase the stats it already collected.
- Before the first read, the Share tab also shows “Share your link and see how people engage”.
Communication channels and external form integration
Section titled “Communication channels and external form integration”Communication puts channels such as your homepage or contact details at the bottom right of the web viewer. You can choose different channels per link; channels themselves are registered in Communication settings.
External form integration lets you keep collecting details in a form you already run (your site form, Typeform, Tally) while view analytics still land in FeatPaper. Scroll past the link list to the Integrations section at the bottom, then click the External form integration row — or the Connect button on its right — to open a dialog that walks through three steps.
The dialog runs top to bottom as How it works (the three steps, read-only) → API key (the Generate key button) → Create a viewing link from your form (the request sample you copy). The only button you actually press is Generate key, in the middle API key section.
Someone fills in your form
Your site form, Typeform, Tally — anything works.
On submit, the details are sent to FeatPaper
In the dialog’s API key section (“Generate an API key first.”), click Generate key to issue an API key for this document, then copy the request sample under Create a viewing link from your form and send it on submit. Zapier or Make can do it without code, and FeatPaper returns a viewing link.
Send the viewer to that link
It opens without the built-in form, and the details they entered stay in your analytics.
- The API key is shown only once (“This key is shown only once. Store it in a safe place.”). You can Regenerate or Revoke it; revoking stops any integration using that key immediately.
- The key belongs to this document, so submissions land here automatically. Your form must collect an email so viewers can be identified, and you can pass up to 10 extra fields.
- External form integration is available on Business and above.
Which link for which situation
Section titled “Which link for which situation”I sent a deck to three investors and want to know who read it
Use per-recipient links. Create one link per firm, send them out, and Insights and Viewers will show you which firm read how much. Anyone opening a per-recipient link goes straight to the document, with no form.
I want reading online but no downloads
Turn off Share settings > PDF Download on that link and save. Settings are per link, so downloads stay available elsewhere. This control requires Pro or above.
I want the fastest possible share, with no form
Copy the general share link and send it as is. The recipient opens the document with no sign-up, no login, and no details to fill in.
I want the document on our website and blog
Use the AI-public link. It opens on feat.page as a public page AI search can cite. No form can be attached to it, so pair it with an info-required link if you also need contacts.
Only people at one company — or only people with a password — should open it
Use Share settings > Access restriction on that link. Add @theircompany.com to the email allow list to limit it to that company, or turn on the password so only people who know it can read. Both together make the lock stronger.
I want to keep collecting details in my own website form
Use External form integration. Open Connect > Generate key, send the request on form submit, and give the returned link to the viewer — the document opens with no built-in form and the details stay in your analytics. Business and above.
Button and shortcut reference
Section titled “Button and shortcut reference”| Control | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Copy link | Each row (the whole row works too) | Copies the URL plus a thumbnail card to the clipboard. |
| Share settings | Each row | Opens the link’s own settings dialog, and appears only for people who can manage the document. |
| Analytics | Each row | Opens that link filtered — Insights for the general share link and the AI-public link, Viewers > Contacts for the info-required link and the external form integration, Viewers > Dedicated link visitors for a per-recipient link. |
| Set as quick link / Remove quick link | Each row | Pins or unpins the link the top copy button follows (stored per document in your browser). |
| Create per-recipient links | Inside the per-recipient row | Creates one link per recipient name. |
| Add row | Create per-recipient links dialog | Adds another name field. |
| Open (Lead form settings) | Share settings · info-required link | Edits the fields collected before the document opens. |
| Go to Settings → | Share settings · Communication | Opens channel setup. |
| Disable this link / Reactivate this link | Share settings, lower section | Blocks or restores that one link while keeping its analytics. |
| Delete link | Bottom of share settings (per-recipient links) | Deletes the link for good, and cannot be undone. |
| Disable now | Bottom of share settings | Blocks every shared link on the document (reversible). |
| Connect / Generate key | Integrations · external form | Opens the integration dialog and issues an API key for this document (Business and above). |
Shortcut: Open My Documents
Frequently asked questions
Section titled “Frequently asked questions”What is the difference between sharing a document and sharing a link?
FeatPaper never sends the file. It hands over a link that points at the document, so replacing the file with a new version updates what everyone on that link sees. Settings such as download permission and forms — and all view stats — belong to the link, not the document.
Can I block downloads on a share link?
Yes — open that link’s Share settings > PDF Download and turn it off. Settings are stored per link, so downloads stay available on your other links. This requires Pro or above.
How is the AI-public link different from the others?
Its domain and its purpose. Only the AI-public link opens on feat.page/u/{key}, and it exists so you can publish the document for AI search to cite. No form can be attached to it, and it carries no member segment. One is issued automatically per document.
Does the recipient need an account?
No. The general share link, AI-public link, and per-recipient links open with no sign-up or login. Only the info-required link asks for details first — and a per-recipient link skips the form even when one is set up.
How many links can one document have?
The general share link, info-required link, and AI-public link come as one each per document. Per-recipient links run to 3 on Starter and 10 on Pro, and are unlimited on Business and Enterprise. That limit is a shared pool for the document, so links created by teammates count too.
Where do I delete a share link?
Open that link’s Share settings and scroll to Delete link at the bottom. It used to live in the row’s ⋮ menu. Deletion applies to per-recipient links only and cannot be undone; the automatically issued links have no delete control.
A link leaked. How do I shut it down right now?
To close only that link, use Share settings > Disable this link now. To close every link on the document, use Disable this document’s link now at the bottom of the same dialog. Both take effect immediately, both can be reversed, and your view analytics are preserved either way.
I turned View Notification on but no notification arrives.
The link’s View Notification is only the first condition. The account rules under Settings > Notifications have to pass as well. The most common block is Unknown viewers, which is cleared by default — anonymous reads through a general share link notify you only once you tick it. Next comes the Minimum interest level, which starts at Warm or above, and after that a repeat notification cooldown or a notification channel that is switched off. Finally, your own reads never notify you, so test in a private window.
Can I get notifications for one link but not another?
The View Notification toggle sits in each link’s Share settings, and the value is stored per manager. Several people can manage the same document without inheriting each other’s setting, and when a read qualifies, each person is notified at their own Notification Email and in the Slack channel they connected. If you switched it off on one link and notifications keep arriving, open the general share link’s share settings and check View Notification there — delivery is decided on the document’s stored value.
The same person keeps reopening the document and I get a notification every time.
Turn on the repeat notification cooldown under Settings > Notifications and pick 30 minutes, 6 hours, or 24 hours. Reopens by the same person on the same document inside that window are skipped. The default is Off — notify every time.
Does a password on one link apply to the others?
No. The email allow list and the password belong to that link alone and are never inherited by another link or by the document. Every new link starts unrestricted, so set the restriction on each link you want locked.
What does an expired link show the recipient?
“This link is unavailable or has expired.” Deleted links, disabled links, and unknown addresses show the same screen. If you disabled the whole document, they instead see that the link is no longer active and can send a Request Access message with their email, company, and name.
Can I limit a link to one company's employees?
Open that link’s Share settings > Access restriction > Email allow list and add @theircompany.com. Only people using that domain can open the link; anyone else sees “This email is not allowed to access the document.” Turn on the password at the same time for a stronger lock.
Do link settings apply to a downloaded PDF?
Per-link settings govern the viewer that link opens. With PDF Download off, that link cannot produce a file; with Add Viewer QR Code on, the downloaded PDF carries a QR code back to the live document. Changes apply to reads and downloads from that point on — a file someone already saved cannot be recalled.
Does someone who filled the form once have to fill it again?
No. When they return through the link in their email (its URL carries a ?lf= token), the saved-email pass applies and the document opens without the form.
What is the difference between /n/ and /u/ links?
/n/{docKey} is the older alias for the document itself, and a document-level form gate used to appear there. /u/{key} points at one specific link and raises no document-level gate. Links from 1.0 (/l/, /v/) still work.
Where do I turn on communication channels?
In the link’s Share settings > Communication, switch it on and pick the chips under “Channel to show for this document”. Those channels then appear at the bottom right of the web viewer. To add or edit channels themselves, use “Go to Settings →” or Communication settings.
How do I connect my website form or Typeform?
Below the link list, in the Integrations section, click the External form integration row and use Generate key in the dialog to issue an API key for this document. Send the documented request when your form is submitted, then pass the returned link on — it opens with no built-in form. Zapier or Make can wire this up without code. Business and above.
I pinned a quick link but it is missing on my other computer
Quick links are a personal convenience stored in your browser, per document, so they do not travel between devices or browsers and teammates never see them. Pin it again with Set as quick link in the new environment.
Can I send links from several documents together?
Use a data room. Pick links from any documents, gather them into one public page, and share that single link. Each link keeps its own settings, including forms and tracking.
Key points
Section titled “Key points”- A share link sends an address, not a file. The recipient always gets the current version, with no login.
- Five link types: general share link, info-required link, AI-public link, per-recipient link, external form integration. The first three are issued automatically; only per-recipient links are created by you.
- Only the AI-public link uses
feat.page/u/{key}, and no form can be attached to it. - Settings and view stats are per link. The email allow list and password are never inherited, so set them on each link.
- Two kill switches: Disable this link now and Disable this document’s link now. Both reversible; analytics are kept.
- Delete link lives at the bottom of share settings, works on per-recipient links only, and cannot be undone.
- Expired, deleted, and disabled links show “This link is unavailable or has expired.”
Learn more
Section titled “Learn more”Set up a lead form
Choose which details viewers submit before the document opens.
Data rooms
Gather links from several documents and share them as one page.
See who read your document
See views, viewers, and page-level engagement per link.
Understand access permissions
Check who can create links and change share settings.