Best Practices for Sharing Secrets

Last updated: Apr 26, 2026

Best Practices for Sharing Secrets

Follow these guidelines to maximize security when using PassLink.

Do's ✅

Use short expiration times

  • Set the shortest expiration that makes sense for your situation
  • 1 hour is ideal for real-time sharing with someone online
  • Never use 7-day expiration for highly sensitive data

Communicate through separate channels

  • Send the PassLink URL via one channel (e.g., email)
  • If using password protection, send the passphrase via a different channel (e.g., SMS)
  • This ensures that compromising one channel doesn't reveal everything

Verify recipient identity

  • Before sharing, confirm you're sending to the right person
  • For critical secrets, consider using password protection as an extra layer

Use password protection for sensitive data

  • API keys, production credentials, and financial data should always use a passphrase
  • Choose a passphrase the recipient knows or can verify through a separate channel

Don'ts ❌

Never share the passphrase in the same message as the link

  • This defeats the purpose of password protection
  • Always use a separate channel for the passphrase

Don't post PassLink URLs publicly

  • Even though secrets self-destruct, a public URL could be accessed by anyone
  • If you need to share with a group, create individual links

Don't screenshot the secret

  • The whole point is ephemeral sharing
  • If you need persistent access, store the secret in a password manager

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