Windsurf
storage
Signed URLs Expiring Too Fast in Windsurf App
Images, documents, and file download links in your Windsurf-generated app break after a short time. Users see broken images, get access denied errors when clicking download links, or see files that loaded fine moments ago now showing 403 Forbidden errors.
This happens because your app uses signed URLs to serve files from private cloud storage (Supabase Storage, S3, or GCS), and the URLs expire too quickly. Cascade may have set a very short expiration time, or the URLs are being generated once and cached while the expiration passes.
The issue is especially frustrating for users because everything appears to work initially, then breaks silently. Pages that worked fine a few minutes ago suddenly show broken images everywhere.
Error Messages You Might See
403 Forbidden: Request has expired
AccessDenied: Request has expired
The provided token has expired
SignatureDoesNotMatch
Error: URL signature expired
Common Causes
- Default short expiration — Cascade used the default signed URL expiration (often 60 seconds) without increasing it for the use case
- URLs cached but not refreshed — Signed URLs are generated once at page load and stored in state, but not regenerated when they expire
- Server-side rendering with stale URLs — URLs generated during SSR are already partially expired by the time the client receives them
- Email or notification links — Signed URLs sent in emails expire before the recipient opens the message
- CDN caching conflicts — A CDN caches the page with signed URLs, but the URLs expire before the CDN cache does
How to Fix It
- Increase signed URL expiration — Set expiration to match your use case: 1 hour for page views, 24 hours for download links, 7 days for email links
- Implement URL refresh logic — Create a client-side mechanism that regenerates signed URLs before they expire, or on 403 errors
- Use public buckets for non-sensitive files — If the files aren't private (like product images), make the bucket public and skip signed URLs entirely
- Add a redirect endpoint — For email links, create a permanent URL (/files/:id/download) that generates a fresh signed URL and redirects
- Set CDN cache to match URL expiration — Ensure CDN cache-control headers expire before the signed URLs they contain
Real developers can help you.
zipking
I am a technologist and product builder dedicated to creating high-impact solutions at the intersection of AI and specialized markets. Currently, I am focused on PropScan (EstateGuard), an AI-driven SaaS platform tailored for the Japanese real estate industry, and exploring the potential of Archify.
As an INFJ-T, I approach development with a "systems-thinking" mindset—balancing technical precision with a deep understanding of user needs. I particularly enjoy the challenge of architecting Vertical AI SaaS and optimizing Small Language Models (SLMs) to solve specific, real-world business problems. Whether I'm in a CTO-level leadership role or hands-on with the code, I thrive on building tools that turn complex data into actionable value.
BurnHavoc
Been around fixing other peoples code for 20 years.
Jacek Rozanski
Senior PHP/Symfony developer and DevOps engineer with 20+ years of professional experience, running opcode.pl (web development agency, est. 2004).
Day job: I'm the sole backend developer at merketing company where I own and maintain 11 PHP/Symfony microservices on AWS (ECS Fargate, RDS, S3, CloudFront), handle the full CI/CD pipeline (Bitbucket Pipelines, Docker), and manage monitoring with Sentry and CloudWatch. These services handle high request volumes in production every month.
What I bring to AI-built apps:
- I audit and fix security issues (OWASP methodology), performance bottlenecks, and architectural problems in codebases generated by Cursor, Claude Code, Lovable, Bolt, and v0
- I refactor AI-generated prototypes into production-grade applications with proper error handling, testing, and clean architecture (SOLID, DDD, hexagonal architecture)
- I set up the infrastructure AI tools don't touch: AWS hosting, CI/CD pipelines, automated deployments, database optimization, monitoring, and alerting
- I integrate external services: payment providers, email systems, partner APIs, SSO/auth
Tech stack: PHP 8.x, Symfony, React, Next.js, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Docker, AWS (ECS, RDS, S3, SQS/SNS, CloudFront), Terraform, Supabase. I also use AI tools daily (Claude Code, Cursor) in my own workflow, so I understand both the strengths and the gaps in AI-generated code.
Based in Poland (CET timezone). Available for async work and calls during EU/US business hours.
Meïr Ankri
Full-stack developer specializing in React / Next.js / Node.js with 6+ years of experience. I've worked across various sectors including automotive (Reezocar/Société Générale), healthcare (Medical Link SaaS), and e-commerce (Glasman). I build web apps end-to-end, from architecture to production, with a focus on scalability, performance, and code quality. I also mentor junior developers and contribute to technical decisions and code reviews.
Jaime Orts-Caroff
I'm a Senior Android developer, open to work in various fields
Franck Plazanet
I am a Strategic Engineering Leader with over 8 years of experience building high-availability enterprise systems and scaling high-performing technical teams. My focus is on bridging the gap between complex technology and business growth.
Core Expertise:
🚀 Leadership: Managing and coaching teams of 15+ engineers, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
🏗️ Architecture: Enterprise Core Systems, Multi-system Integration (ERP/API/ETL), and Core Database Structure.
☁️ Cloud & Scale: AWS Expert; architected systems handling 10B+ monthly requests and managing 100k+ SKUs.
📈 Business Impact: Aligning tech strategy with P&L goals to drive $70k+ in monthly recurring revenue.
I thrive on "out-of-the-box" thinking to solve complex technical bottlenecks and am always looking for ways to use automation to improve business productivity.
legrab
I'll fill this later
Stanislav Prigodich
15+ years building iOS and web apps at startups and enterprise companies. I want to use that experience to help builders ship real products - when something breaks, I'm here to fix it.
Vlad Temian
15+ years shipping production infrastructure for startups. Former CTO at qed.builders (acquired by The Sandbox).
Cursor ambassador and agentic tooling builder.
I've scaled systems, automated deployments, and built observability tools for AI coding workflows. I specialize in taking vibe-coded apps from broken prototype to production-ready: fixing Supabase auth/RLS, Stripe integrations, deployment pipelines, and cleaning up AI-generated spaghetti.
I build tools in this space (agentprobe, claudebin, micode) and understand both sides: how AI generates code and why it breaks.
https://blog.vtemian.com/
Victor Denisov
Developer
You don't need to be technical. Just describe what's wrong and a verified developer will handle the rest.
Get HelpFrequently Asked Questions
How long should I set signed URL expiration?
It depends on the use case. For images displayed on pages: 1-4 hours. For download links: 24 hours. For links in emails: 7 days. For public content that doesn't need access control, skip signed URLs and use public buckets.
Can signed URLs be extended after they are created?
No. Once a signed URL is generated, its expiration is fixed. You must generate a new signed URL. Design your app to either refresh URLs before expiry or use a redirect endpoint that generates fresh URLs on demand.