Which way should you send this file? A 30-second decision guide
September 10, 2026 4 min read
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. 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
Is it a whole website — a ZIP or a dist/ folder?
Is it several files people should get as one thing?
Do you need to know if — and when — they open it?
Should they read it but not download or keep it?
Is it confidential, or should it stop working after a while?
Just need it to open, anywhere?
→ Turn the file into a plain link — that's the default, and it covers most sends.
Why a link is the default
An attachment is a dead end. It bounces over inbox size limits, it can't be updated after you send it, and it tells you nothing about whether anyone opened it. 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.
Turn any file into a link in seconds
Upload a PDF, image, video, or ZIP and get a clean, trackable link with a QR code — free.
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