"Delete after first download" is a one-time, burn-after-reading option. When you turn it on, your files disappear the moment your recipient downloads them once. The link stops working right away, and nothing stays on our servers. It's the tightest way to send something you only want opened a single time by a single person.

When you enable this option before uploading, your share behaves differently from a normal one. Instead of staying live until it expires, it self-destructs after the first successful download.

Here's the sequence:

  1. You upload files and switch on "delete after first download."
  2. You send the link to one person.
  3. They open the link and download the files.
  4. The files are permanently deleted, and the link goes dead.

After that, anyone who clicks the link, including you, sees that it's no longer available. There's no archive, no backup copy, and no way to reopen it.

Feature Normal share Delete after first download
How many downloads Many, until expiry One, then gone
Link lifespan Until you set expiry Until first download
Best for Sharing with a group Sending to one person
Leftover copies None after expiry None after download

When to use it

This option shines for sensitive, single-recipient transfers. Reach for it when:

  • You're sending an ID scan, contract, or tax form to one person.
  • You want proof the file was pulled down only once.
  • You'd rather the file vanish than linger even for a day.
  • You're sharing a password reset, key, or private note.

It's less useful when several people need the same file, since the first download closes the door for everyone else. In that case, use a normal share with a short expiry instead. See what happens to your files after they expire to understand that path.

A few things to plan for

Because the link burns on first use, timing matters. Keep these in mind:

  • Send to one person only. If two people share the link, whoever clicks first gets the file and the second person is locked out.
  • Watch out for link previews. Some chat apps or email scanners auto-open links to build a preview, which could count as the first download. When possible, send the link where you know it won't be auto-fetched.
  • Confirm receipt. Ask your recipient to tell you once they've downloaded, so you know the transfer worked.

Pair this with a password for even tighter control, so the person must both have the link and know the password before the single download happens. Learn the steps in how password protection works.

Honest limits

Delete-after-first-download is a strong privacy tool, and it means no copy sits waiting on our servers after the file is pulled. Files also travel over encrypted HTTPS the whole way. Still, ShareIt.onl is not zero-knowledge end-to-end encrypted, so the service does handle the file to deliver that one download.

This feature reduces how long your data exists and how many times it can be grabbed; it isn't a replacement for full end-to-end encryption on top-secret material. That's the straight story so you can pick the right approach.

Warning: A burn link works for exactly one download, so send it to a single person. If two people have the link, whoever clicks first gets the file and everyone else is locked out.

For a broader look at staying safe, read our secure file sharing guide and our overview of why expiring links are safer.

Curious how deletion works across all shares, not just burn links? See what happens to your files after they expire, or start a one-time transfer now from the home page. When you want something seen once and then gone, this is the option to choose.