Recover an expired file transfer in telecoms
When a WeTransfer download link stops working, the transfer has expired but the files behind it may not have gone anywhere. WeTransfer separates link expiry from permanent deletion, and WeTransfer Ultimate gives both the original sender and someone still holding that expired link a genuine path to recovering the files.
Get your expired files back
Telecom teams move a lot of material that is hard to recreate: network diagrams, infrastructure proposals, signal-testing reports, recorded call samples, and technical specifications shared with vendors or field engineers across tight project timelines. When a transfer link goes dark, the instinct is to assume the files are lost, but that is not necessarily the case. By default, WeTransfer marks transfers as recoverable, which means the underlying files can remain on WeTransfer's servers for an extended period after the download link has stopped working. WeTransfer Ultimate subscribers can restore expired transfers directly from their Transfers panel, and that includes transfers originally sent from a Free or Starter account, as long as the retention window is still open. On the recipient side, someone who still has the original expired link may also be able to restore access from the expired download page when signed in with an eligible plan, without requiring the sender to start the upload again.
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Our features are designed to minimize how much of your data we — or anyone else — can access, so you can keep what's yours, yours.
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Everything you need
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Share content with a unique link, give anyone a free pass to send you 200 GB files, and stay in control of transfers — even after you hit send.
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From password protection to file encryption, WeTransfer has all the built-in security features you need to safeguard your work.
FAQs
All your questions answered.
Not necessarily. An expired link means the download window has closed, but it does not automatically mean the files have been permanently deleted. When a transfer is marked recoverable, the files stay on WeTransfer's servers for an extended period after expiry: up to one year for files under 256 MB and up to 90 days for files over 256 MB. Free and Starter users cannot self-restore, but upgrading to WeTransfer Ultimate while that retention window is still open may make those files recoverable.
Go to your Transfers panel, find the expired transfer, and if recovery is available you will see a restore option next to it. This works for transfers originally sent from any plan, including Free or Starter, as long as you are now on WeTransfer Ultimate or above and the retention window has not closed. Once restored, the download link becomes active again without any need to re-upload the files.
Yes, in some cases. If the vendor opens the expired download link while signed in to a WeTransfer account with an eligible plan, they may see an option to restore access directly from that expired download page, extending the download window again without the original sender having to re-upload. This makes it worth checking before asking anyone to start the transfer process from scratch.
WeTransfer supports any file type without compression, so network topology diagrams, CAD files for infrastructure builds, large PDF specifications, recorded audio samples, video walkthroughs, ZIP archives of configuration exports, and Office documents all transfer in their original quality. File type does not affect recoverability, but file size does influence the retention window: files under 256 MB stay recoverable for up to a year after expiry, while files over 256 MB have a 90-day window.
WeTransfer Ultimate allows custom expiry settings, including transfers that stay active indefinitely until you choose to delete them, so links to long-running project assets do not go dark mid-deployment. You can also add password protection and restrict access to specific email addresses, which suits the security expectations of telecoms procurement and vendor workflows. For teams, the Teams plan adds shared storage and centralised transfer management across up to 50 members.