How to share files with a client

Deliverables go to one person, for a limited time, and then they should not be sitting in anyone's inbox.

Before you upload

Check the file. Open it once to confirm it is the right version and that nothing private is inside it, such as comments or hidden sheets in a spreadsheet.
Name it clearly. The file name is what the client sees on the link page. "Invoice-2026-11.pdf" is better than "final v3 copy.pdf".
Pack related files. Send several files as one zip with one link, so the client does not have to find each one.

Choose the right link

One download for a single deliverable that the client will save straight away.
24 hours when the client may need to re-download on another device.
7 days when the client may not look at it until next week.

See when to use a one-time link for the trade-offs.

Send it well

Upload, then copy the link into your message. Say what the file is and when the link ends.
If the material is confidential, add a password and send it in a separate message. See password-protected links.
Ask the client to confirm they received it. A one-download link that was used before they opened it is a sign that something went wrong.

After the work is accepted

Keep your own copy. The link is designed to end, and once it does the file is removed from our server. We cannot restore it for you.

More: what happens to your file.