An expired company verification link should lead to a controlled retrieval check, not an assumption that the document is false or that a substitute screenshot is sufficient. Identify the issuer, document reference and requested verification purpose. Link availability and the content of the underlying company record are separate questions.

Hands signing a document at an office desk
Illustrative photograph by Pavel Danilyuk.

Preserve what was received

Keep the document, original covering message and the link as received in restricted storage. Record the date, document reference and the error encountered. Avoid forwarding a token-bearing link into a public chat or an unrestricted company folder.

Do not change the verification URL, create a replacement code or paste an old verification result into a new document.

Return through an established issuer route

Use the issuer’s known website or verified contact details to ask how to retrieve or verify the record. Explain whether the recipient needs the original issued document, a fresh extract or confirmation of a particular historical fact.

Ask about the actual retrieval process rather than assuming every provider uses the same expiry period or charges. Do not promise that an expired link can always be reactivated.

Example: a lender cannot open the link

The company holds a genuine PDF, but the lender’s verification link no longer opens. Preserve the PDF and ask the issuer or authorised custodian for the appropriate verification route. A screenshot of yesterday’s page may not meet the lender’s requirements.

If a fresh record is obtained, retain its issue date and keep it separate from the earlier document. A newer extract should not be represented as contemporaneous evidence of a past event.

Record the outcome

Save the issuer’s response, retrieved record and any remaining recipient requirement. Limit access to personal or company identifiers. Escalate unexplained inconsistencies to the secretary instead of treating a working download as proof that every statement in the document is current.

Related practical guidance

For the surrounding records and responsibilities, see maintaining statutory records, the company secretary role, company recordkeeping.

Official guidance: ACRA company guidance.

Help with your company records

For corporate secretarial and company administration support, contact Raffles Corporate Services at [email protected] or WhatsApp +65 8501 7133. Tell us which records or process need attention so we can discuss the relevant next steps.