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Passwords and Locked Links

A password adds a second key to a link: whoever has the link also needs the password. Send the two by different channels, for example the link by email and the password by phone or text message, so one intercepted message is not enough.

Add a password​

Turn on Protect with a password when you create the link. If your admin requires passwords, the switch is already on and marked Required by your admin.

  • The app suggests a strong password, 12 characters in groups, such as k7mq-x4tn-p9wd. Generate new gives you another one.
  • You can type your own instead. It needs at least 8 characters, not counting spaces and hyphens.
  • Copy password copies it, to send to the outside person.
Screenshot — The password field

Protect with a password turned on, with a generated password and the Generate new and Copy password buttons.

The app keeps the password only in a form it cannot be read back from. So nobody can look it up later, not even a Jira admin. You see it in the dialog and on the new link's card while the panel stays open; once you reload the page or reopen the work item, it is gone.

If the outside person loses the password, revoke the link and create a new one.

What the outside person does​

The link's page asks them to Enter the password before it shows anything else. After the right password, they can send or download files for 12 hours without entering it again, as long as the link works. After 12 hours, the page asks for it again.

After 10 wrong passwords​

The page shows how many attempts are left once three or fewer remain. After 10 wrong passwords the link locks:

  • The outside person sees This link is locked.
  • The link's card in the panel shows Locked.
  • The app adds a comment to the work item that mentions the link's creator.

A locked link stays locked until someone acts on it. In the panel, Unlock link lets the person try again; if you think someone else is guessing, Revoke link ends it for good. Both need permission to create links (see Who Can Create Links).

Every wrong password, lock and unlock is recorded in the Audit Log.