Share links, embeds and revoking access
A share link opens one SOP, read only, to anyone who has it. Links can expire after 7 or 30 days or never, and can be revoked at any time. Embeds show the same SOP and stop working with their link.
How a share link works
An editor creates a share link from an SOP. Anyone who has the link can read that one SOP, read only, without signing in.
- The link carries a long random token.
- The anonymous reader never touches the content tables. One database function takes the token and returns only that SOP. A bad, expired or revoked token returns nothing at all, never a partial page.
- The shared page shows the SOP and the owner’s email address. It doesn’t show comments, assignments, other SOPs or anything about the workspace.
- Each link has its own label, QR code and open counter.
Expiry and revoking
| Setting | What happens |
|---|---|
| Never expires (default) | The link works until someone revokes it |
| Expires in 7 days | The link stops working after 7 days |
| Expires in 30 days | The link stops working after 30 days |
Expiry is enforced by the database, not the browser. Any owner, admin or editor can revoke a link from the SOP’s share panel, and it stops working immediately.
Embeds
An SOP can be embedded in another site at /embed/<token>. An embed:
- uses the same database function as its share link, so it shows at most what the link does (less: no owner email),
- stops working when its link is revoked or expires, and
- counts as an open of that link.
Only /embed/* pages may be placed in another site’s frame. Every other SOPCompass page refuses to be framed.
Limits you should know about
Important: Images and videos in an SOP are served from public file addresses that contain long random names. Revoking a share link doesn’t change or remove those files. If someone saved a file’s address while the link was active, they can still open that file. Removing an image from an SOP doesn’t delete the stored file either. Don’t put sensitive images or videos in an SOP you plan to share, and email support@ironbridgeaiadvisory.com if a file needs to be removed from storage.
- Anyone who has a link can forward it. Treat a share link like the document itself.
- Every member of the workspace, including viewers, can read the workspace’s share links, so a viewer could pass one on.
- A link is a snapshot of access, not of content: readers see the SOP’s current version, including later edits.
See Files and storage access for how files are stored.
Common questions
Does revoking a share link also hide the images in that SOP?
Not by itself. Revoking stops the link and its embeds from showing the SOP. Images and videos are stored at long, random web addresses, so anyone who already copied one of those file addresses could still open that file.
Who can create share links?
Owners, admins and editors of the workspace.
Do share links expire by default?
No. The default is Never expires. Choose 7 or 30 days when you create the link if you want it to end on its own.