Which way should you send this file? A 30-second decision guide

Most “how do I send this file” questions have the same answer, turn it into a link, but a few situations call for one extra switch. The fastest way to share files online is the same no matter what you are sending. Instead of a 2,000-word explainer, here's the whole decision in one chart. Read top to bottom; the first row that matches wins.

The 30-second decision

Why a link is the default

An attachment is a dead end. It bounces over inbox size limits, which is why a big file is better to send as a link in email; an attachment also can't be updated after you send it, and it tells you nothing about whether anyone opened it. A heavy video is the classic case: instead of a file that will not attach, you turn the video into a link that plays anywhere. A link fixes all three: it never bounces (you're sending a URL, not a file), you can swap the file behind it without changing the address, and, when you want it, it can report every open. The four switches above are just the moments when you want a little more than the default.

The switches, in one line each

Whole website: a ZIP from a builder goes live on its own address, not a download. Many files: they bundle into one album link instead of a zip nobody unzips. Need to know they read it: a tracked link shows every open. View-only hides the download button. Confidential or time-limited: a password or expiry does the rest.

Whichever branch you land on, the start is the same: drop the file and get the link, then flip the one switch you need.