Gmail’s attachment limit is 25 MB. Outlook.com is in the same neighborhood. A short 4K clip or a folder of raw photos will bounce, and a zip will not save you. Send a link to a file that lives in the cloud, then decide how long that link should live and who can open it.
What you need
- A Google or Microsoft account (you already have one if you use Gmail or Windows)
- The file on your PC
In this guide
1. Google Drive link
Go to drive.google.com. New → File upload (or Folder upload). Wait until it finishes — a 1 GB file will take a while on slow Wi-Fi. Right-click the file → Share → Copy link. By default some accounts copy a restricted link. Click Share again → General access → Anyone with the link → Viewer. Copy link. Paste that into the email instead of attaching.
Viewer is enough for “here is the PDF.” Editor is how a shared folder gets wrecked. Use Viewer unless you want them to change the file.
2. OneDrive link
If the file is already in OneDrive (Desktop and Documents often are): right-click in File Explorer → Share → Copy link. Or open onedrive.com and Share there. Same rule: Anyone with the link, can view, unless this is a coworker who should edit.
Windows 11’s Share dialog can email a link from the right-click menu. Check the link opens in a private window before you send it to a client.
3. Who can open it, and for how long
For anything personal (IDs, contracts, family photos):
- Prefer “Specific people” and type their email, not “anyone with the link.”
- Turn on an expiry if the product offers it (Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace often do).
- Turn the link off after they confirm they have the file: Share → stop sharing, or change access back to Restricted.
A link that lives forever in a forwarded thread is how files leak. Treat it like a spare key.
If they still cannot download
They see “you need access” or a tiny file
- You sent a Restricted link. Change General access or add their address.
- Their office blocks Drive or OneDrive. Ask what they can receive, or use the other cloud. Do not bounce between five random file-host ads.
- The upload did not finish. Open the link yourself in a private window. If it 404s, upload again.
- A folder of photos may still be huge to download on their phone. Warn them, or send a compressed PDF of the pages they actually need.
If the only issue is a single fat PDF, try compressing it first. Under 25 MB, a normal attachment is still the least confusing thing you can send.
Common questions
What is Gmail’s attachment limit?
About 25 MB. Outlook.com is similar. Over that, send a Drive or OneDrive link.
They see “you need access.”
You sent a Restricted link. Set General access to Anyone with the link (Viewer), or add their email as a specific person.
Should I leave the link forever?
No. Turn sharing off after they confirm, especially for IDs or contracts. Use an expiry if your account offers one.
