To use Bitwarden Send, open Send in a Bitwarden app, create a text or file Send, set its deletion and access options, save it, then copy and share its link. Recipients do not need a Bitwarden account, though you can require a password or email verification before they can view it.
What to check before creating a Send
- Text: Text Sends are available to all Bitwarden users. Bitwarden lists a 1,000-character encrypted limit and warns that encryption can add about 30–50% to the input length, so a message close to 1,000 characters may not fit. See Bitwarden’s Create & Edit a Send and About Send pages.
- Files: File Sends require Premium or membership in a paid organization, and the account email must be verified. Bitwarden’s creation guide lists a limit of 500 MB per file Send, reduced to 100 MB on mobile. These are product limits, not independent test results. Check the current app if your account or client differs.
- Expiry: A seven-day deletion date is the default. Bitwarden’s creation guide says the maximum is 30 days, while its lifespan guide says 31 days. Because those official pages disagree, use the date choices shown in your current client rather than assuming one maximum. See Send Lifespan.
Create and share a Send in the web app
- Open the Bitwarden app and select Send, then select New.
- Choose Text or File, then enter a name. The name is visible to anyone who opens the Send.
- For text, enter the message. You can choose to hide it by default. For a file, select the file and confirm that your account meets the file-Send requirements.
- Choose a deletion date. The default is seven days; the maximum presented in documentation is inconsistent, so follow the current date picker.
- Set any access controls you need: who may open the Send, a password, a maximum access count, email visibility, or a private note.
- Select Save. Open the Send’s options, copy its link, and share the link with the recipient.
Bitwarden documents Send creation in its browser extension, desktop, and mobile apps as well, but the available settings can differ by client. Its current steps are in Create & Edit a Send.
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Choose how recipients can access it
| Option | What the recipient does | Exposure and trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Anyone with the link | Opens the link; no Bitwarden account is required. | Lowest friction, but anyone who obtains the link can try to open the Send. |
| Specific people | Uses an allowed email address and completes email verification. | Narrows access to intended email recipients but adds a verification step. |
| Password | Enters the password you set. | Adds a separate secret. Send the password through a different channel when appropriate, rather than alongside the link. |
These access options are described in Bitwarden’s creation guide and Receive a Send page. You can also hide text by default, so a recipient must choose to reveal it. You may hide your email address from viewers; if the Send requires a password or email verification, Bitwarden says the address remains hidden until the recipient passes that step.
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Control when access ends
Deletion, expiration, and access count do different jobs:
- Deletion date: Sets when the Send is removed. Bitwarden says that after a short pending-deletion period it is purged and no longer available to the sender or recipients.
- Expiration date: Can end recipient access earlier than deletion while leaving the Send available to you until its deletion date.
- Maximum access count: Can stop recipient access after a limit. Bitwarden says the Send remains available to its sender until deletion. The access ticker counts link accesses for text Sends and downloads for file Sends.
Expiration and access-count controls are available only in some clients, according to Bitwarden’s Send Lifespan documentation. You can also manually deactivate or delete a Send. Use the controls shown in your client, and do not treat the default deletion date as a substitute for an earlier access limit when one is needed.
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What recipients need—and what Bitwarden says about encryption
A recipient can open a Send without a Bitwarden account. Depending on your settings, they may need to pass email verification or enter the password you set; Bitwarden explains the recipient flow in Receive a Send.
Bitwarden’s About Send page says: “Data is encrypted on creation and only decrypted when a recipient opens the link.” It also says the generated link does not contain data related to the Send contents. These are Bitwarden’s descriptions of its product design, not independent security-test findings or guarantees about what a recipient does after viewing the content.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Create a Send from the command line
Bitwarden documents the bw send command for text and file Sends. Its CLI examples cover deletion duration, hidden text, and maximum access count; the advanced creation flow supports password and email restrictions. A recipient can use bw receive with the Send link and, if required, the password. Consult Bitwarden’s Send from CLI documentation for current syntax and compatibility with your installed client version.
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