# How to Turn Off a Short Link or Make It Expire (and What Visitors See)

Source: https://lots.link/blog/turn-off-short-link-or-make-it-expire
Published: 2026-11-06T00:30:30.357153+00:00

To turn off a LotsLink short link, set it to inactive: from then on the short URL stops redirecting and answers every visitor with `410 Gone` and the message "This link has been disabled by its owner." To make a link expire on its own, give it an expiry date (`expires_at`): after that time the link no longer redirects to the original URL. A switched-off link isn't deleted, so you can switch it back on whenever you like.

I'm the founder of LotsLink, and this is the page I wanted when people asked me how to stop a link without breaking everything around it. Everything below comes from the LotsLink API docs, the tool list and the help page, all read on 5 November 2026. Links, clicks and QR codes are free and unlimited on lots.link, and switching a link off or setting an expiry doesn't cost anything extra.

## Switch off, expire or delete: which one do you want?

| | Switch it off | Set an expiry | Delete |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it does | Stops the redirect now | Stops the redirect at a date and time you choose | Removes the link for good |
| Visitors | `410 Gone`, "This link has been disabled by its owner." | The link no longer redirects to the original URL | Shared URLs and printed QR codes that use it break |
| Undo it? | Yes, switch it back on | Yes, move the date later or remove it | No |
| Click history | Stays | Stays | Deleted with the link |
| Good for | A campaign that ended early, a wrong destination, a pause | Promotions, event pages, anything with a known end date | Test links and links you are sure nobody uses |

My rule is to switch off rather than delete. Deleting a link permanently breaks every shared URL and printed QR code that points at it, and "no recent clicks" doesn't prove a printed code is unused.

## What visitors see when a link is off or expired

**Switched off.** The docs say a deactivated link answers visitors with `410 Gone` and the text "This link has been disabled by its owner." The help page says the same: visitors to a disabled link see "This link has been disabled by its owner". I also fetched an old switched-off lots.link link on 5 November 2026 and got exactly that: HTTP status 410, a plain-text response, and the one-line message above. There is no redirect, no landing page and nothing from your destination.

**Expired.** The API docs say that after the expiry time the link will no longer redirect to the original URL. Visitors aren't sent on to your destination.

**Two related cases.**
- If you switch off a custom domain, links on that domain stop redirecting too. That is a bigger switch than one link, so use it on purpose.
- If your custom domain's funding runs out, existing links keep redirecting and your analytics stay readable. Only new links on that domain pause.

The change reaches visitors at once, according to the docs for updating a link.

## Turn a link off in the dashboard

Open your links in the LotsLink dashboard. The help page says you can change a link's destination or slug, set an expiry date, or disable it. Disable it and the link answers with the 410 message above. Set a date and the link stops redirecting after it.

## Turn a link off with an agent

LotsLink has an MCP server at `https://api.lots.link/mcp`, so Claude, ChatGPT and other agents can do this for you. Three tools matter:

- `lotslink_update_link` with `is_active: false` switches one link off, and `is_active: true` brings it back. It also sets or changes `expires_at`.
- `lotslink_bulk_deactivate_links` switches off up to 100 links in one call, and `lotslink_bulk_activate_links` switches up to 100 back on.
- `lotslink_list_links` finds them first, with filters for project and for status: active, inactive or expired. It's the quick way to see what you've switched off and what has run out.

Prompts that work as written:

> List the links in my Spring Sale project and switch them all off. Don't delete them.

> Make the link `spring-sale` expire on 30 November 2026 at 23:59 UTC.

> Show me my expired links, then move the expiry of `launch-event` to 15 December 2026.

**The permission to know about.** When you connect an agent you choose what it may do. Switching a link off, or setting it to expire within 5 minutes, needs the Delete permission, and Delete starts unticked on the connect screen. Switching a link back on is covered by Create and edit. Your role still applies: owners and admins can change any link in the workspace, members only the links they created, and viewers none. If your agent says it can't switch a link off, connect it again with Delete ticked.

## Turn a link off with the REST API

The same switches exist over REST at `https://api.lots.link`, with an API key from your LotsTech account. Switch off up to 100 links at once:

```bash
curl -X POST \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"link_ids":["LINK_ID_1","LINK_ID_2"],"workspace_id":"YOUR_WORKSPACE_ID"}' \
  https://api.lots.link/api/v1/lotslink/links/bulk/deactivate
```

Links you may not change are left alone and listed under `failed`, so you can see what was skipped. To switch one link off or set an expiry, send a `PUT` to `/api/v1/lotslink/link/:link_id` with `workspace_id` and either `is_active` or `expires_at`.

## How to set an expiry

An expiry is a date and time in ISO 8601 format, for example `2026-11-30T23:59:59Z`. The trailing `Z` means UTC, so write the time in UTC to avoid guessing a time zone.

- **When you create the link:** pass `expires_at` to `lotslink_create_link`, or ask your agent to "create a link to my sale page that expires on 30 November".
- **Later:** update the link with a new `expires_at`.
- **To remove it:** set `expires_at` to `null` and the link becomes permanent again.

Keep the 5 minute rule in mind: an expiry at or before 5 minutes from now counts as switching a link off, so an agent needs the Delete permission for it.

## Can I switch a link back on?

Yes. Set `is_active: true` with `lotslink_update_link`, or use `lotslink_bulk_activate_links` for up to 100 links. The short URL, QR code and click history are still there, because switching off never deleted them. For an expired link, move `expires_at` to a later date or set it to `null`.

## When to use which

- **A campaign ended, or you spotted a wrong destination:** switch the link off. If you want it back for next year, switch it on then.
- **A promotion, event or limited offer with a fixed end:** set the expiry when you create the link and forget about it.
- **Cleaning up after a test:** switch the test links off. Delete only links you made and are sure about.
- **Printed QR codes:** don't delete them. If the destination changed, [update the destination](https://lots.link/blog/change-qr-code-link-after-printing) and keep the same code.

## Related guides

- [How to create and track short links from Claude or ChatGPT](https://lots.link/blog/create-track-short-links-claude-chatgpt)
- [How to change a QR code's link after printing](https://lots.link/blog/change-qr-code-link-after-printing)
- [How to track QR code scans](https://lots.link/blog/track-qr-code-scans)
- [URL shortener API: create and track short links from your own code](https://lots.link/blog/url-shortener-api)
- [LotsLink pricing explained](https://lots.link/blog/lotslink-pricing-explained)

## What it costs

Short links, clicks and QR codes on lots.link are free and unlimited, up to 1,000 new links per person in any 24 hours. You pay only for your own custom domains: plans start at $9 a month for 3 custom domains (Pro is $24 for 10, Business $59 for 30), or pay as you go at $4 per custom domain a month, charged daily. Switching links off and setting expiries are part of the free product, and the MCP server and REST API are on every account. Prices checked on the [LotsLink pricing page](https://lots.link/pricing) on 5 November 2026.

## FAQ

### How do I turn off a short link without deleting it?

Set the link to inactive, either in the dashboard or by asking your agent to switch it off (`is_active: false`). The link stops redirecting and answers with `410 Gone`, but it isn't deleted, so its click history stays and you can switch it back on.

### What do visitors see when a LotsLink link is switched off?

They see "This link has been disabled by its owner." with HTTP status `410 Gone`. They are not redirected to your destination.

### What happens when a LotsLink link expires?

After its expiry date and time, the link no longer redirects to the original URL. You can find expired links with the expired status filter and give them a new date or remove the expiry.

### Can I switch a link back on?

Yes. Set `is_active: true` on one link, or use bulk activate for up to 100 links at once. For an expired link, change `expires_at` to a later date or set it to `null`.

### Why won't my AI agent switch a link off?

Switching a link off, or setting an expiry within 5 minutes, needs the Delete permission, which starts unticked when you connect an agent. Connect it again with Delete ticked. Your role also applies: members can only change their own links.

### Can I switch off many links at once?

Yes. `lotslink_bulk_deactivate_links` switches off up to 100 links in one call, and links you aren't allowed to change are skipped and listed as failed.