Why a recording link is not a direct file link EN

A Rekorder recording link doesn't point straight at a video file the way a plain .mp4 URL would. Every time the link is opened, Rekorder first checks whether that viewer is allowed to watch, and only then streams the video. That check is what makes Private, Specific people and Anyone with the link mean anything - if the link worked like a normal file URL, anyone who had it could bypass those settings entirely.

What happens when you open a link

1. Rekorder looks up who's asking: signed in or not, and if signed in, which account.
2. It checks that viewer against the recording's access level and, for Specific people, against the invite list. See Private, specific people, or anyone with the link.
3. Only if that check passes does Rekorder stream the video back. Whether the response is played inline or offered as a download depends on the recording's Download setting and on whether the viewer is the owner. See Stop viewers downloading, or hide the transcript.

This check runs on every request, not just when the share page first loads. Rekorder doesn't let the browser cache the video, so if you change the access level or remove someone from the invite list, that takes effect immediately, even for a link someone already has open. See Unshare, or revoke someone's access.

Once a request is authorized, the video streams normally - you can seek and scrub through it like any other online video, it's just gated behind that first check.

Why this breaks hotlinking and embedding

Because access is checked per request instead of being baked into the URL, a Rekorder link doesn't behave like a static file:

• You can't drop it into an <img>, <video> tag or iframe on another site. Those requests don't carry your Rekorder session, so they fail the access check the same way a stranger with no permission would. See Can I embed a recording somewhere else?.
• Download tools and link grabbers that expect a direct file won't work either. The response depends on who's asking and what the owner allowed, not just on the URL.
• A recording that isn't ready yet won't stream, no matter the access level. Rekorder still checks access first, but there's nothing to send until the recording has finished converting. See Why editing, sharing and captions wait for processing.

If you need the file itself

If you need the video on another platform, download your own recording and upload that file there instead of pasting the Rekorder link. See Download your own recording.

Related articles

• Private, specific people, or anyone with the link
• Can I embed a recording somewhere else?
• Stop viewers downloading, or hide the transcript
• Download your own recording
• A viewer says the link does not work
• The video will not play