tiaki is launching soon. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming.
How to Send Large Files – with a Link That Brings Joy
The easiest way to send large files is as a link instead of an email attachment: you upload the file once and send just the link – your recipient opens a download page, sees a preview and downloads whenever it suits her. Bundle several files into a ZIP first, and an expiration date makes sure the link lives only as long as it needs to. Here you’ll find which route fits which job – and how to make your delivery look truly professional.
Why a link is the nicer way
Email inboxes have a size limit for attachments. For Gmail, according to Google’s help pages, it’s 25 MB, for example; Gmail automatically attaches larger files as a Google Drive link. Other providers set their own limits – so an image film, a photo series from a shoot or a presentation packed with pictures often fits better in a link.
A link has even more going for it: your email stays light and arrives fast, you can share the same link by email, WhatsApp, chat or in a post, and the file lives in one place. If you change something, you simply send a new link.
The main options at a glance
Different occasions call for different routes. These options cover almost everything:
- Link to a download page: ideal for customers and the press – beautifully presented, no account needed for the recipient.
- Cloud folder: handy for teams working on the same files together over a longer stretch of time.
- ZIP archive: bundles lots of individual files or entire folders into one package that downloads with a single click.
- Several parts: split very large collections into several ZIP packages, for example by day or by topic.
- USB stick or hard drive: for huge raw files that you hand over in person anyway.
How to send a large file as a link
The process is the same with almost every service and done in a few minutes:
- Gather all your files in one folder and give them clear names, for example “Wedding-Sommer-2026-Selection”.
- Bundle lots of individual files into a ZIP – Windows and Mac both offer compressing to ZIP right in the right-click menu.
- Upload the file or the ZIP and decide how long the link should stay valid.
- Copy the link and send it with a sentence or two of your own: what’s inside and until when the link works.
- Check back later to see whether the file has been downloaded.
ZIP or individual files?
A ZIP is perfect when someone needs everything at once: the complete photo folder, all the print files, the whole press kit. With photos and videos, zipping barely saves any space because these formats are already compressed – it’s mostly about order and one single download.
Individual files are nicer when your recipient should look at something, for example an image film or a menu as a PDF. Then she can take a look right on the download page without unpacking an archive first.
Preview and expiration date: the professional finish
A download page with a preview feels like a little gift: the video plays right away, the PDF opens up, the photos appear instantly. Anyone who receives something like that is delighted – and notices the care you put in.
An expiration date keeps your links tidy. Quotes, drafts and early versions are only current for a while; when the link expires on its own afterwards, no old version stays in circulation. Best to mention the date right in your message.
Ideas from everyday life
Wherever pictures, films or extensive documents come to life, sending by link is a joy:
- Photo studio: the photo selection after the shoot as a download page with preview.
- Trades: photo documentation and plans for the client in one ZIP.
- Restaurants: the new menu as a PDF for delivery services and the press.
- Agency: a draft with an expiration date for the client, then the final version with a new link.
- Clubs and event organizers: the video from the summer party for everyone who took part.
How tiaki helps you
With tiaki you share files up to 500 MB per file – videos, photo series, PDFs, presentations or entire folders as a ZIP. Every file is scanned for viruses before it’s shared and gets its own download page with preview and player, with an expiration date if you like. You see how often it was downloaded, and you’ll find all your shared files together with your short links under “Shared links”.
What you want to know.
How do I send a file that’s too large for an email?
Upload the file to a file-sharing service and send just the link. Your recipient downloads it from a download page – no attachment in the inbox at all.
How large can an email attachment be?
Every email provider sets its own limit. For Gmail, according to Google’s help pages, it’s 25 MB; Gmail inserts larger files as a Google Drive link. That’s why a link is the more reliable route for large files.
Will a ZIP make my videos smaller?
Barely, because videos and photos are usually already compressed. A ZIP is still worth it when you want to send lots of files as one package.
How large can files be in tiaki?
Up to 500 MB per file. Simply split larger collections into several ZIP packages.
Why give the link an expiration date?
So drafts and quotes don’t stay in circulation longer than needed. The link expires on its own, and you send a new version whenever you need to.
Further reading.
You might also like.
Share what you want to show. Up to 500 MB.
Share files up to 500 MB: every file virus-scanned, your own download page with preview, expiration date and download stats.
Learn more GuidesThe Best Time to Post on Instagram – How to Find Your Own
The best time to post on Instagram is your own: how to read it in Instagram Insights, test it and schedule your posts in advance.
Learn more GuidesContent plan template: how to plan your social media month
Social media content plan template: the columns you need, sample weeks for a bakery and an agency, and a monthly rhythm with awareness days to join in on.
Learn moreWant to do it with tiaki?
We’d love to show you tiaki in person · All features