View a Document Only Once, Without Downloads
OneTimeView was created from a simple idea: allow you to send a PDF document or a video without necessarily allowing the recipient to download or to keep it permanently.
Today, most documents shared online are delivered as downloadable files. Once a file has been downloaded, the sender loses virtually all control over how it is stored, copied, or redistributed.
We wanted to offer a different approach: allowing someone to view a document without necessarily becoming its owner.
That's how OneTimeView was born.
OWL Transfer, August 2026
How Does OneTimeView Work?
When you activate the OneTimeView option, your document is not delivered directly to the recipient as a downloadable file. Instead, it is converted into a protected stream and displayed in a secure player, directly in the browser.
For PDF files, we use a conversion process that transforms the document into a video format. This allows the document to be displayed page by page, in a format that is inherently more difficult to extract than a raw PDF.
Once the viewer closes the page or the session ends, access to the document is automatically revoked. The recipient cannot reopen the link - it has expired.
This approach does not replace legal protection, but it significantly raises the technical barrier for unauthorized reproduction.
The browser-based player includes several layers of protection: download blocking, print disabling, screenshot detection, and screen recording interference.
Optionally, a personalized watermark can be overlaid on the document during viewing, making any unauthorized capture traceable.
A Realistic Approach to Confidentiality
We don't claim that OneTimeView makes a document perfectly impossible to copy. A determined person with the right technical skills could always find a way around any protection.
What OneTimeView offers is a significant friction layer - one that stops most casual attempts to capture or redistribute a document, and that makes any leak traceable through watermarking.
In practice, this is sufficient for the vast majority of professional use cases: sharing a business proposal, sending a confidential report, presenting a creative portfolio without risking piracy.
If you also want the content to be encrypted during transfer, you can combine OneTimeView with end-to-end encryption. However, note that these two options are currently not compatible simultaneously.
Dynamic Watermarking
One of the most powerful features of OneTimeView is its dynamic watermarking system. When enabled, a personalized watermark is overlaid directly onto the document during viewing.
This watermark can include the recipient's email address, the viewing date and time, or a custom message. It is generated dynamically at the time of viewing, not embedded in the original file.
The practical consequence: even if someone photographs their screen to capture the document, the watermark identifies who viewed it and when. This makes any leak immediately traceable.
This feature is particularly valued in legal, financial, and creative environments, where proving who had access to a document can be decisive.
Active Protections
- One-time viewing: the link expires after the first viewing session
- Auto-expiration: the document becomes inaccessible after the defined period
- Browser-only display: no app download required
- Download blocking: the file cannot be saved to the recipient's device
- Screenshot blocking: screen capture is interfered with or detected
- Screen recording blocking: recording tools are detected and interfered with
- Dev tools protection: browser inspection tools are blocked during viewing
- Customizable watermark: overlaid with the recipient's identity and timestamp
- Mandatory NDA: the recipient must accept terms before accessing the document
Who Is OneTimeView For?
OneTimeView is designed for anyone who needs to share sensitive content while maintaining control over how it is accessed.
- Business presentations shared with prospects or partners before signing
- Confidential internal files sent to external collaborators
- Creative portfolios sent to clients without risking unauthorized use
- Legal or contractual documents shared for review without permanent copy
- Sensitive PDFs: medical reports, financial analyses, personal data
- Private or unreleased videos shared with a restricted audience
- Documents requiring NDA acceptance before viewing
In all these cases, OneTimeView gives you a tool that matches the confidentiality of your content - without requiring your recipient to install anything.
How to Send a OneTimeView File
How to Receive a OneTimeView File
3 Steps to Get Started
Upload your file
Select your PDF or video and enable the OneTimeView option before sending.
Send the link
Your recipient receives a unique link valid for one viewing session only.
The link expires
Once viewed, the link becomes inactive. No download, no reuse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the recipient download the file with OneTimeView?
No. The file is displayed in a protected browser player that blocks standard download actions. The original file is never directly transmitted to the recipient's device.
What happens if the recipient closes the page before finishing?
The link expires after the first viewing session is initiated, regardless of whether the document was viewed in full. We recommend informing recipients to view the document in one sitting.
Is OneTimeView compatible with end-to-end encryption?
Not currently. These two options cannot be activated simultaneously on the same transfer. If you need both, prioritize based on your use case: access control (OneTimeView) or data encryption in transit (E2E).
Can a screenshot be taken of the document?
Our player includes screenshot detection and interference mechanisms. While no technical solution is 100% foolproof, we make unauthorized capture significantly harder. The watermark also allows any leak to be traced.
Does the watermark appear on the original file?
No. The watermark is dynamically overlaid during viewing only and is not embedded in the original document. Your file remains unmodified.
Which file formats are supported by OneTimeView?
OneTimeView currently supports PDF files and common video formats. PDF documents are converted to a protected video stream for display. Support for additional formats may be added in the future.
Is OneTimeView available on the free plan?
OneTimeView is a premium feature available on paid plans. Check our pricing page to find the plan that best fits your needs.