Concepts
Timelocks

Timelocks

Timelocks let you pin content for a fixed period. After the expiration time, the pin can be removed automatically.

How it works

  1. You set an expiration time as timelock (ISO 8601 date-time, e.g. 2026-12-31T23:59:59Z).
  2. Pinarkive stores the content and returns expiresAt in the response.
  3. After the expiration, the pin may be dropped according to your account policy.

Timelocks are available on premium plans only. Sending timelock on a free plan returns 403.

Example response

{
  "cid": "bafybeigdyrzt5sfp7udm7hu76uh7y26nf3efuylqabf3oclgtqy55fbzdi",
  "clusterId": "cl0-global",
  "expiresAt": "2026-12-31T23:59:59.000Z"
}
  • expiresAt — ISO 8601 timestamp when the timelock expires. Omitted or null if no expiration.

Use cases

  • Temporary sharing — Share a file for a limited time.
  • Demos and trials — Pin sample data that should not stay forever.
  • Retention policies — Align pins with data retention requirements.

See POST /files and POST /pin to set timelocks.

ClustersInstallation