Export and publish content with Descript web links

Exporting to a Descript web link (sometimes called "publishing" to a share page) creates a standalone page on share.descript.com with its own unique URL. Viewers can open the link to watch or listen without needing a Descript account.

This article covers:

Plan limits

Your plan determines the maximum length of videos you can export to a web link. Videos exceeding this limit will be converted to audio-only. Check your plan's details on our pricing page.

If you're on a legacy plan, see the limits in our Understanding your Legacy Plan guide.

  1. Click the Export button at the top-right corner of the editor.
  2. Select Descript (web link) as the export destination.
  3. Click Export to publish to your web link.

Export window with Descript web link selected

You can update your content while maintaining the original URL. Follow the same steps as exporting — you'll see an Update button instead of Export.

If you've made edits since your last web link export, click Update to publish the changes to your share.descript.com URL. Without updating, both downloads and the web link will display the previous version of your project.

Comments will be removed

Updating or removing a share page permanently deletes all comments on that page (but not comments in the Descript editor). Project comments are private to collaborators, while share page comments appear publicly. Learn more about commenting directly in projects.

The Download button saves the version of your project from the last time it was exported to a web link. If you've made changes since then, update first to sync the changes, then download. Without updating, you'll download a previous version.

Download button in the export menu

You can also download directly from the share.descript.com URL. Some browsers may open the file in a new tab instead — if this happens, right-click the video and select Save as.

Need the latest version without updating?

Use a local export to save your current composition to your device without updating the web link. See Export a video or GIF locally for those steps.

To unpublish a page, click the gear icon in the Export menu, then select Unpublish.

Export menu with the Unpublish option

Export settings and permissions

Click the gear icon in the Export menu to access the following settings, which control resolution, access, and branding for share pages.

Export menu with the settings option highlighted 

Setting Description
Resolution Set video resolution to 480p, 720p, 1080p, or 4K. Free plan users are limited to 720p. Resolution is also constrained by your scene editor size.
Access

Choose who can view your share page:

  • Public — pages can appear in search engines.
  • Anyone with the link — not indexed; no login required.
  • Project access required — viewers must log in and be authorized. Learn more.

Drive owners can set the default privacy for all share pages from the Preferences tab in App Settings.

Additional settings
Show transcript Displays the transcript on the share page.
Allow comments Enables commenting on the published page.
Show author Displays the project owner's name.
Allow sharing from embeds Adds a share button to embedded players.
Optimize file size (slower) Re-encodes the exported video to reduce file size.
Custom branding Controls whether the Drive icon appears on the page.

Customize share page thumbnails

By default, the thumbnail is the first frame of your video. For steps to change your thumbnail, see Set and customize thumbnails.

Video watermark

Users on a Free drive will see a Descript watermark in the bottom-right of exported videos. Upgrading to a paid plan removes the watermark. To remove it from previously published content, re-export after upgrading.

Troubleshooting web link exports

The export is failing

Use the video export or audio export local export option. If the project exports successfully, re-import the file into a new project, then export using the Descript (web link) destination.

If your source files came from Edit in Descript and your web link export fails, download the original source files to your computer first. Then use Replace file to update the project files and try exporting again.

The export button is inactive: "Disabled while syncing media"

Your project files may still be syncing, or a file failed to upload. Hover over the disabled Publish button to see which file hasn't synced.

Disabled Publish button tooltip showing syncing media message

  1. Make sure your project is fully synced. Learn more about checking your sync status.
  2. Open the Project panel and look for files with a hazard icon.
  3. Hover over the file name, open the options menu, and select Replace file. Learn more about Replace file.
  4. Re-upload your local copy.

The audio or video is out of sync on the share page

If playback is in sync inside Descript but out of sync after exporting, export the project locally using the video export or audio export option. Re-import the exported file into a new project, then re-try exporting to Descript (web link).

The export is stuck or has been processing for a long time

Web link exports usually finish within a few minutes. If yours has been processing significantly longer, check status.descript.com for any active incidents.