---
id: KB-PR-013
url: https://app.codecontract.io/help/troubleshooting/they-tell-me-the-link-does-not-work
idioma: en
categoria: problemas
audiencia: usuario
nivel: basico
actualizado: 2026-08-13
tambienEn: [es]
relacionados: [KB-PR-003, KB-CO-006, KB-PR-015]
citadoPor: [KB-CD-016, KB-PR-020, KB-PR-027]
---

# They tell me the link does not work

_Five causes, and the commonest has nothing to do with the link._

**Responde a:** the signing link does not work · the supplier says they cannot open the link · expired link what do i do · they cannot access the document i sent

"The link doesn't work" is one of the biggest time sinks, because it covers five different situations and only one is fixed by sending another link.

## The five causes, by frequency

| Cause | How to recognise it | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| They opened an old link | They got two emails and clicked the first | Tell them to use the latest email |
| The link expired | The send's window passed | Resend: a new one is generated |
| They already used it | It shows as signed or supplied | Check: it may already be done |
| Their mail client broke the link | It arrives split across two lines | Send it by another channel |
| They are not the right person | Forwarded by a colleague | Send it to whoever must act |

> [!IMPORTANT]
> The first is by far the commonest and the most invisible: if you sent a reminder, they have two emails and no reason to open the right one. Telling them "use the latest" resolves half the cases in one message.

## Before resending, check this

1. **Whether it is already done** — It happens more than you would think: they did it and report out of habit.
2. **Who opened what** — If it shows opened by someone else, the link works and the problem is the recipient.
3. **And whether the send is still live** — An expired send is not fixed by insisting: it must be sent again.

> [!WARNING]
> The fifth causes the most confusion. If a colleague forwards the email to someone else, the link still belongs to the first person: they may open it and see something that is not theirs, or be unable to do anything. The answer is not more forwarding: it is sending to the person who must act.

## How to stop it happening

**En corto**

- Send to the named person, not a shared mailbox.
- Say in the message what must be done, so it is not forwarded blindly.
- And do not send the same document twice: a reminder yes, a new send no.

> [!NOTE]
> Every resend consumes like the first. Checking the status before resending is not only efficiency: these are paid actions that often were not needed.

**How long does a link last?**

It depends on the send; reminders keep it reachable within the window.

**Can someone else sign with that link?**

The link belongs to whoever it was sent to; if another person must sign, send it to them.

**What if they say nothing arrived?**

That is a different problem, checked through the send status.

## Ejemplos

**A supplier insists the link does not work after two reminders.**

- They are told to open the most recent email

→ They sign immediately: they had been opening the first send's link.

**The recipient opens the link from a forwarded email.**

- Sends them the link directly

→ Access works because it is issued in their name.

**The link was opened weeks ago and has expired.**

- Resends the request from the same file

→ The new link arrives without rebuilding anything.

**The supplier's mail client truncates the link.**

- Sends it another way or as plain text

→ The link arrives whole and works.

**The supplier already completed the request and tries again.**

- Confirms it is already delivered

→ The doubt closes without issuing a new link.

**The link is tried from a network that blocks external domains.**

- Tries from another connection

→ The block is located before it is reported.