Secure Links

Secure links let a user download a generated PDF without logging in, as long as the link is valid and has not expired.

Administrators enable secure links through rule delivery settings. See DeliveryBuilder for email link delivery and Submitter Experience for frontend download link and auto-download options.

How Secure Links Work

The link has this format:

/form_pdf_pro/download/{fileId}/{expiry}/{token}

When someone opens the link, FormPDF PRO checks:

  1. The link signature is valid.
  2. The expiry timestamp has not passed.
  3. The referenced PDF file still exists.
  4. The approved file version is available.

If all checks pass, the browser downloads the PDF as an attachment.

Why a Link May Fail

Result Meaning
Invalid or expired download link. Shown as a flash message if the signature is invalid, the link was changed, or the expiry time has passed.
File not found. Shown as a flash message if the file ID in the URL does not exist or has been deleted.
The file is unavailable. Returned as a direct text response if the file reference exists but ConcreteCMS cannot serve the actual file from disk due to an internal error.

For administrators, the most common causes are expired links, deleted File Manager files, or a generated file that is no longer available on disk.