FAQ
Everything you need to know about BurnerLink.
Why use BurnerLink instead of just sharing my staging IP address?
Raw IP addresses look unprofessional and often trigger security warnings in modern browsers. BurnerLink gives you a real, branded URL with valid SSL, making your work look polished and trustworthy when sharing with clients or stakeholders.
Do I still need to edit my 'hosts' file to test my staging site?
No more 'hosts' file hacking. BurnerLink handles the DNS routing at the edge, meaning anyone with the link can view the staging site immediately on any device—mobile, tablet, or desktop—without any local configuration.
How does BurnerLink help during a large site migration?
Migration is stressful enough. Use BurnerLink to perform a final 'warm-up' test of your new server environment using a real domain. This allows you to verify that absolute paths, SSL configurations, and database connections are working perfectly before you update your production DNS.
Can I share these links with non-technical clients?
Absolutely. In fact, that's one of our core use cases. Instead of explaining how to bypass browser 'Not Secure' warnings or edit system files, you simply send a professional link that 'just works' exactly like a real website.
How long does it take for a BurnerLink to become active?
Link provisioning is near-instant. Because we use Cloudflare's global edge network with Proxy Mode enabled, your staging link is typically live and reachable within seconds of creation.
Do I need to configure SSL on my staging server?
No. BurnerLink provides instant Wildcard SSL via Cloudflare Proxy. You can point your link to a standard HTTP staging IP, and our system will handle the HTTPS encryption for the end-user automatically.
Can I use these links for a final production migration test?
Yes, that is exactly what BurnerLink is for. You can use our premium domains (.com/.io) to provide a professional branded experience for client sign-offs before you flip the DNS on the final production domain.
What happens when a link expires?
Upon expiry, the DNS record is updated to point to a standard 'Link Expired' landing page (Soft-Kill). This ensures that traffic is no longer directed to your staging IP. 7 days later, the record is deleted entirely from DNS (Hard-Kill).
Will my staging IP be exposed to the public internet?
We use Cloudflare's Proxy (Orange Cloud) by default. This masks your origin server's IP address, providing an extra layer of security against direct attacks during your staging phase.
Can I point a BurnerLink to a local development machine?
The target IP must be a publicly reachable IPv4 address. If your local machine is behind a NAT, you would need to use a tool like Ngrok or configure port forwarding, though we recommend using a standard cloud-based staging environment.
Are these links scanned for malware?
Yes. Every link creation triggers a pre-flight check via the Google Safe Browsing API. We do not allow provisioning links to IPs that have been flagged for malware, phishing, or other malicious activities.
Can I renew a link before it expires?
Currently, links are designed to be temporary 'burners.' For long-term staging needs, we recommend our Pro Subscription which provides multiple slots that can be easily managed and updated from your dashboard.