[All articles](https://linkinseconds.com/blog) # WeTransfer link expired? Can you get the files back, and how to stop it happening [Sunny](https://linkinseconds.com/about#who-runs-this)·October 23, 2026· 5 min read [#send](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/topic/send-large-files)#troubleshooting#wetransfer#link#expired Your WeTransfer expired. Now what? project-files.zip Live lisview.com/wetransfer-expired Usually no. On WeTransfer's Free and Starter plans an expired transfer's files are permanently removed, so the only way to get them back is for the sender to upload them again. The exception is WeTransfer Ultimate, which can restore expired transfers for a set window. To stop it happening next time, send a link that has no timer, such as a Link in Seconds link, which stays live until you delete it. At a glance Free and Starter expiry Up to 3 days from sending After expiry (Free, Starter) Files removed, no recovery Ultimate Restore: 1 year under 256 MB, 90 days if larger Free re-send limit 10 transfers or 3 GB per rolling 30 days Fix for next time A link with no expiry by default ## Can you get the files back from an expired WeTransfer? It depends on who you are and which plan the sender was on. WeTransfer's own pages (checked October 2026) put it like this: | Situation | Can the files come back? | What to do | | You are the recipient | Not from your side | Check your Downloads folder in case you saved it, then ask the sender to send it again | | Sender is on Free or Starter | No, WeTransfer removed them | Upload the files again from the sender's own copy | | Sender is on Ultimate | Yes, for a while | Restore it from the Transfers panel: up to 1 year if under 256 MB, 90 days if larger | Expired WeTransfer recovery, checked October 2026 against WeTransfer's file-sharing-with-expiration and recover-expired-transfer pages. WeTransfer's recovery page also says the Ultimate window covers transfers that expired before the upgrade. That is worth knowing if the sender no longer has the original files and the transfer is still inside the window. If they do still have the files, a fresh upload is quicker and free. ### If you are the recipient Waiting won't help: an expired link does not come back on its own. Reply to the sender, tell them the link had expired by the time you opened it, and ask for either a new transfer you will open the same day or a link without a countdown. Asking for the second saves you both from doing this again. ### If you are the sender Start a new transfer with the same files. Before you do, check your free allowance: WeTransfer Free allows **up to 10 transfers, or 3 GB in total, in any rolling 30-day window**, whichever comes first. The 3 GB is the whole allowance for that window, not a size per transfer, so a re-send can be refused for reasons that have nothing to do with expiry. We break down which limit you hit in [WeTransfer limit reached](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/wetransfer-limit-reached). ## Why did the link expire so fast? Try it while you are reading Upload a file and get a clean, trackable link with a QR code. Free, and no account for whoever opens it. [Create a link](https://linkinseconds.com/) Two reasons catch most people. The 3-day clock starts when you _send_, so a transfer sent on Friday evening can be gone before someone opens it on Monday. And downloading doesn't matter: a transfer that was never opened expires on exactly the same schedule as one that was downloaded ten times. On Free you can also shorten the expiry before sending, so check you didn't pick 1 day. The full plan-by-plan breakdown is in [how long WeTransfer links last](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/how-long-do-wetransfer-links-last). ## How do you stop it happening again? - **Tell the recipient the deadline.** If you stay on WeTransfer Free, say "this link dies on Monday" in the message. It is the cheapest fix. - **Pay for longer expiry.** WeTransfer Ultimate lets you set any duration, change it after sending, or choose never expire. Starter does not: it has the same 3-day cap as Free. - **Use a link that doesn't expire.** For anything people open at their own pace (a client deliverable, a portfolio, a contract, a price list), a permanent link removes the problem rather than managing it. ## Share it with a link that never expires - 1 Upload the file once Sign in to Link in Seconds with a free account (Google or an email code, no card) and drop the file in. Free files can be up to 250 MB each. - 2 Copy the link You get a short lisview.com link and a QR code. There is no timer on it. It stays live until you delete it. - 3 Send it where the conversation already is Paste it into the email, chat or message you would have sent the WeTransfer link in. The recipient opens it in any browser with no account. - 4 Add an end date only if you want one In Link settings you can set an expiry date, a password or a view limit. All of them are optional and free on every plan. - 5 Update without re-sending Replace the file and the same link shows the new version, so nobody has to ask you for a fresh link again. **Where WeTransfer is still better:** size. A free Link in Seconds file can be up to 250 MB, with 500 MB of storage in total. For a one-off hand-over of several gigabytes of raw footage, WeTransfer is the right tool; just tell the recipient to download it within 3 days. | | WeTransfer Free | Link in Seconds Free | | How long the link lasts | Up to 3 days | Until you delete it | | After it ends | Files removed | Only if you set an expiry date | | Send limit | 10 transfers or 3 GB per 30 days | 50 live links, 500 MB total | | Biggest single file | Bounded by the 3 GB allowance | 250 MB | | Recipient needs an account | No | No | | What you can track | Downloads of email transfers | Views, time spent and downloads | | Update the file later | Send a new transfer | Replace it, same link | Free plans compared, checked October 2026. More on why links die and what it costs you in [share links that never expire](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/share-links-that-never-expire), and a wider look at the options in [WeTransfer alternatives compared](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/wetransfer-alternatives-compared). ## Quick answers ### Can I get files back from an expired WeTransfer link? Not from WeTransfer on the Free or Starter plans, which permanently remove the files when the transfer expires. The practical fix is to ask the sender to upload them again. On WeTransfer Ultimate, expired transfers can be restored from the Transfers panel for up to a year if they were under 256 MB, or 90 days if larger. ### How long does a WeTransfer link last before it expires? Up to 3 days on Free and Starter, counted from when the transfer was sent, not from when it was opened. Ultimate can set any duration, including never. ### Can the recipient extend a WeTransfer link? No. Only the sender controls expiry, and on Free and Starter the cap is 3 days. A recipient who missed the window has to ask the sender for a new transfer. ### Why can't I re-send an expired WeTransfer? Probably the free allowance, not the expiry. WeTransfer Free allows up to 10 transfers, or 3 GB in total, in any rolling 30-day window, so a re-send can be refused if you have used either up. ### How do I send a file with a link that never expires? Use a link host whose links are permanent by default. Link in Seconds links have no expiry on any plan unless you add one. A free account holds 50 live links and 500 MB in total, with files up to 250 MB each. ## Go deeper - [How long do WeTransfer links last?](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/how-long-do-wetransfer-links-last) - [WeTransfer limit reached? Which limit you actually hit](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/wetransfer-limit-reached) - [WeTransfer alternative with permanent links](https://linkinseconds.com/wetransfer-alternative) ## Keep reading - [Slack's 1 GB limit, and the catch build.zip Live lisview.com/handoff Max file size for Slack: the 1 GB limit, the 90-day catch and what to do when an upload fails 6 min read](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/max-file-size-for-slack) - [25 MB, 20 MB, 20 MB Gmail · Outlook · iCloud attachment.pdf Live lisview.com/attach Is your file too big to email? Attachment size limits and the hidden 33% 7 min read](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/email-attachment-size-limits) - [WeTransfer alternatives, compared delivery.zip Live lisview.com/transfer 8 WeTransfer alternatives compared (2026): limits, expiry and the catch in each 9 min read](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/wetransfer-alternatives-compared) ## Turn any file into a link in seconds Upload a PDF, image, video, or ZIP and get a clean, trackable link with a QR code, free. [Try Link in Seconds →](https://linkinseconds.com/) Source: https://linkinseconds.com/blog/wetransfer-link-expired