HubSpot File Links Expired After 7 Days New

Problem: File links embedded in your generated PDFs work for the first 7 days, then return a 404 error or "Access denied" page. This affects files attached to HubSpot records via form uploads — for example, documents uploaded by visitors through a HubSpot form.

Why this happens

HubSpot stores files uploaded through forms as private by default. Private files in HubSpot are only accessible via signed URLs that expire after 7 days — this is a hard limit set by HubSpot's platform, not by PDF CreateMate.

When PDF CreateMate generates a PDF that includes a HubSpot file as a clickable link, it uses the URL HubSpot provides at that moment. Because that URL has a built-in 7-day expiration, the link in the PDF stops working once the URL expires.

The good news: this can be permanently fixed by changing the file's visibility setting in HubSpot. Once a file is set to public, HubSpot serves it via a permanent URL that never expires, and any PDF generated for that file afterwards will have a permanent working link.

The fix — change file visibility in HubSpot

This is a one-time action per file, done inside HubSpot:

1. In HubSpot, navigate to Content → Files.
2. Find the file (or files) referenced in your template. You can use the search box at the top to find them by name or ID.
3. Tick the checkbox next to each file you want to update. You can select multiple files at once.
4. At the bottom of the page, click Change file visibility.
5. In the side panel that appears, select Public - noindex.
6. Click Save.

The file now has a permanent URL. You can confirm this by:

• Opening the file in HubSpot — under Access and URLs, the visibility should show Public - noindex.
• Pasting the file URL into a private/incognito browser window — it should load the file directly, without redirecting to a HubSpot login.

Regenerating affected PDFs

To get permanent links into existing PDFs, you need to regenerate them after changing the file visibility:

1. Change visibility on the affected files in HubSpot (steps above).
2. Regenerate the PDF — either by:
   • Re-triggering the document generation workflow in HubSpot, or
   • Manually generating the document again from PDF CreateMate.
3. The newly generated PDF will embed the permanent URL instead of the expiring one.

If you have many PDFs to regenerate and need help, contact support — we can assist with bulk regeneration.

Preventing this in the future

To avoid this issue with files uploaded going forward:

1. Set form-upload files to public-noindex as part of your routine. After each form submission that uploads a file, change the visibility before generating PDFs that reference it.
2. Or upload files outside the form workflow. Files uploaded directly through HubSpot's file manager (rather than via a form) can be created with public visibility from the start.
3. Check file visibility before generating high-value documents. If a PDF will be sent to external recipients who need long-term access, verify the linked files are set to public-noindex first.

Why this isn't fixable via PDF CreateMate alone

You may be wondering why PDF CreateMate doesn't simply use a different URL or work around HubSpot's expiration. Two reasons:

• HubSpot's API does not allow third parties (including PDF CreateMate) to change file visibility on form-uploaded files. Only the HubSpot account owner can change this, and only through HubSpot's web UI.
• Private files in HubSpot have no permanent URL. The 7-day signed URL is the longest-lived URL HubSpot offers for private files. Any permanent fix requires the file to be made public on the HubSpot side.

Related

• Common Issues
• Generating Documents