At a glance
See how the task fits together
- Your libraryManage the work in your account.
- Shared deliveryA link has its own access rules.
- Recipient’s copyA saved download is on their device.
Follow these steps
- 01
Decide whether this is a delivery or an archive
For a one-time handoff, a temporary transfer may be enough. For work you need to find in your account later, use My Files and check the available storage.
- 02
Check the file and storage limits
Look at the size of the largest file and your available account capacity. A maximum file size is not the same as the amount you may keep stored.
- 03
Choose the sharing period
When creating or managing a share, choose the expiry that suits the recipient. Tell them when they need to save their copy.
- 04
Check the owner copy separately
In My Files or the relevant transfer record, check whether you are managing persistent content or a temporary transfer. Do not infer retention from the appearance of a link alone.
- 05
Keep an independent backup
Save another copy of irreplaceable work under your own backup arrangements. Review old links and stored files deliberately rather than deleting a whole project to close one delivery.
The recipient needs a currently valid delivery link and time to download. They cannot see your private storage status from that link.
Keep this in mind
Know what happens next
Think cupboard and invitation
My Files is the cupboard where your account keeps eligible stored content. A share link is an invitation to a particular delivery. An invitation can expire while an owner copy remains in the cupboard. A temporary transfer has a content lifetime of its own, so it is not an invitation to indefinite storage.
Free storage and free file size are not the same number
Free includes 15 GB of persistent My Files storage, while the free maximum file size is 50 GB for the applicable transfer workflow. That does not let a 50 GB file fit into 15 GB of persistent space. Paid storage and file-size allowances are also separate; review the plan and the uploader’s current checks.
An expired link may not mean a lost owner copy
If the original is still present in an eligible persistent library, the owner can review the available sharing options. The recipient cannot make that decision from an expired page. Contact the sender, who can check the actual stored record and prepare a new delivery if the content remains available.
Deletion and recovery need their own check
Recoverable items may appear in Trash for the applicable plan’s recovery period. Permanent deletion and an expired recovery window are different from a public link timing out. Never assume that upgrading after a file is gone will bring it back.
Storage, transfer size, and traffic answer different questions
Storage asks “how much is kept?” File size asks “how large is one file?” Traffic asks “how much is delivered or streamed?” Some products and add-ons have separate traffic allowances. A generous allowance in one category does not remove limits in the others.
Questions people ask
Does an expired public link delete every copy?
No. A recipient may already have downloaded a copy, and a persistent owner copy may remain. The temporary transfer’s own retention still matters.
Is My Files a backup guarantee?
No single online copy should be treated as a complete backup plan. Keep independent copies of work you cannot replace.
Where do I check my actual allowance?
Open the signed-in workspace and Plans and limits. Check current usage and the settings of the specific file or transfer.
Check your stored content and its share links as separate things.