Most ways of sharing a document ask you to create an account, upload a file to someone else’s server, and trust that server to keep it private. Link Doc skips all of that: the document is encoded into the link itself. The text you write lives in the part of the URL after the # sign, and browsers never send that part to any server — so there is literally nowhere for your document to leak to.
Using it is deliberately simple. Write Markdown on the left and watch it render on the right, or switch to edit-only or preview-only with one click. Every edit is written into the address bar automatically, so “saving” just means copying the link. Paste that link into any chat or email and the other person opens the exact same document — no account, no app to install, no file to download first.
The trade-off is stated plainly on the tool itself, because it matters: the link is the only copy. If you lose it, the document is gone, and there is no password reset or support desk that can bring it back. Sharing the link sends a copy, not a live document — if the other person edits their copy, your version does not change. And because a link can only hold text, there are no images or videos, and no URL shortener: the link stays long because it is the document.
How to share a document as a link
- Write your document in Markdown on the left — headings, bold, lists, links and code blocks all render live on the right.
- Switch between edit, split and preview views with the buttons above the editor whenever you want a cleaner look.
- Watch the character count: past 1,800 characters you get a nudge, and past 2,000 a stronger one, because long links can wrap or get cut off in chat apps.
- When you are done, press “Copy link” — that is the save step. The link in your clipboard is the document.
- Paste the link anywhere: a chat, an email, a comment. Whoever opens it sees your document immediately, with no sign-up.
- To keep an offline copy, press “Download .md” for a plain Markdown file you can store anywhere.
How it works, honestly
The mechanism is small enough to explain in full. Knowing it also tells you exactly what the tool can and cannot do.
| Aspect | What happens | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | Your text is encoded into the URL fragment (after #) | Fragments are never sent to servers — not even to BeadCalc |
| Saving | Every edit updates the address bar automatically | Copying the link is the only save step there is |
| Sharing | The recipient opens the same text from the link | They get a copy: their edits never sync back to you |
| Recovery | There is no account and no backup copy | If the link is lost, the document cannot be recovered |
| Media | Text and Markdown formatting only | Images and videos cannot be attached to a link |
| Length | Browsers accept very long URLs | Past 2,000 characters, chat apps may wrap or truncate the link |
If you need images, live collaboration or version history, this is the wrong tool — and it says so on purpose. Link Doc is for the large number of documents that just need to be written once and handed to someone.
Frequently asked questions
Where is my document saved?
Nowhere except the link itself. Your text is encoded into the URL fragment — the part after the # sign — and browsers never send that part to any server. There is no account, no database and no file upload involved at any point.
What happens if I lose the link?
The document is gone, and there is no way to recover it. Because there is no account and no server copy, nobody — including BeadCalc — can retrieve a document from a lost link. If a document matters, keep the link somewhere safe and consider also downloading the .md file.
If I share the link and the other person edits it, do I see their changes?
No. Sharing sends a copy, not a live document. The other person’s edits change only their own copy of the link; your version stays exactly as you shared it. For a document you want to co-edit, use a collaborative editor instead.
Can I add images or videos to a document?
No. A link can only carry text, so Link Doc is a text-only tool. You can include links to images hosted elsewhere, but the images themselves cannot be embedded in the document.
Why is the link so long? Is there a short version?
There is no short version, deliberately. The link is long because it contains the whole document — a shortener would need a server to remember the mapping, which would defeat the no-storage design. The character counter warns past 1,800 and 2,000 characters because chat apps may wrap or truncate very long links when you share them.
Is my document private?
It is private in the sense that it is never uploaded or stored anywhere. But anyone who has the link can read the document, exactly like anyone with a key can open a lock — so treat the link itself as the secret and only share it with people you intend to read it.
Related tools
This tool in other languages: English · 简体中文 · 繁體中文 · 日本語 · 한국어 · हिन्दी · Español · Português · Deutsch · Français · Русский