Detailed Guide to Efficiently Sending Large Files via Email (Explained for Beginners!)

While email remains the most popular method for business communication and file sharing, one of its main drawbacks is that it’s inefficient for sending large files.

But you’ll often need to send large files via email in the course of running your business. For example, you may need to send large multimedia-rich presentations to clients for review or approval or even a video showcasing your product or service.

So, how do you send large files via email? This article will show you some of the best ways to send even the largest file you have via email. At the end of the article, you’ll know which method is best for you, depending on the large file you’re sending (like video, audio, PDF, and more).

To appreciate why you need these alternative ways to send large files via email, let’s start the discussion with the file size limit of the different email providers.

What is the email attachment size limit?

The different email service providers impose varying limits on the size of attachments you can send through their services. When you try to attach and send a file larger than the set file size limit, you’ll get an error message.

The file size limits allow for easily sending the majority of attachments, but they do create some roadblocks for sending large files via email.

For example, the most popular email provider, Gmail, limits the size of email attachments to 25 MB. Yahoo Mail and AOL also do not allow the sum of attachments for either incoming or outgoing emails to exceed 25 MB.

While 25 MB restricts what you can send via email, it is still better than the file size limits of some other email providers. For example, in Outlook, ZohoMAil, and iCloud Mail, you can only send files up to 20 MB.

It is only the lesser-known GMX Mail that has a relatively high email file size limit, which sits at 50 MB.

The file size limit for the common email providers is as follows:

Email provider	File size limit
Gmail	25 MB
Yahoo	25 MB
Outlook	20 MB
ProtonMail	25 MB
AOL	25 MB
Zoho Mail	20 MB
GMX Mail	50 MB
iCloud Mail	20 MB

How to send large files via email: The 6 easiest and safest methods

You cannot simply attach a large work document to an email and send it the traditional way if it exceeds the limit set by your email provider. However, there are different ways to send large files via email, each with its pros and cons.

Here are six ways to send your larger files via email easily and safely:

Store the file in the cloud and email a link to its location

One of the easiest ways to send large files via email is to store the file in the cloud and email your recipient a link to the file’s location.

The steps for doing this are:

Step 1: Choose a cloud storage service, like Dropbox, that lets you upload large files to the cloud.

Step 2: Upload the file to the cloud.

Step 3: Navigate to the file in the cloud storage service.

Step 4: Right-click the file to find the shareable link.

Step 5: Copy the link.

Step 6: Paste the link in your email.

If you don’t want to use an external cloud storage service, you can also opt to use your email provider’s integrated cloud storage service.

Popular email providers have their own cloud storage services (Gmail has Google Drive, Outlook has OneDrive, and iCloud email has Mail Drop). And they integrate their cloud storage service with their email service to streamline the process of sending large files.

For example, consider attaching a file over Gmail’s 25 MB file size limit. When you click the “Attach files” button in the compose window, Gmail will automatically upload the file to Google Drive and add its link to your email (instead of attaching it the traditional way).

This saves you the time and effort of uploading the file to Google Drive, navigating to Drive to copy the file’s link and coming back to your email to add the link.

So, if you’re using your email provider’s corresponding cloud storage, you’ll bypass many of the steps above when sending large files. But if you’re using a platform-agnostic file-sharing website like Dropbox, you must follow the above steps.

An added benefit of using your email provider’s cloud service is that you won’t need to subscribe to a paid plan.

Pros of using a cloud storage service to send large files

• It’s easy to use.

Cons of using a cloud storage service to send large files

• You can mistakenly send a link to the wrong file.
• It raises privacy concerns for users uncomfortable with their sensitive data being hosted on third-party controlled servers.

Send direct access to the file via Google Drive

When sending large files using a cloud service, you have two options. The first is described above – manually copying the link to the file’s location and emailing it to your recipient. The other option is sending direct access to the file in the cloud storage service.

Because of the popularity of Gmail, Google Drive is almost the go-to cloud storage service for sending large files via mail. So, we’ll describe this method using Google Drive.

To send direct access to a file via Google Drive, follow these steps:

Step 1: Upload your large file to Google Drive.

Step 2: Open the file from your Google Drive.

Step 3: Click the “Share” button.

Step 4: Enter the recipient’s email address.

Step 5: Click “Send.”

That’s how to send large files via email with Google Drive by sending direct access to the file location. Since this method starts with opening the document, there is less chance of sending a recipient a link to the wrong document.

Pros of sending large files via email by sending direct access to the file via Google Drive

• It’s easy to use.
• There’s less chance of sending the wrong link.
• You only need to have your Google Drive account open, not both Google Drive and Gmail

Cons of sending large files via email by sending direct access to the file via Google Drive

• The recipient has to have a Google account to access the shared file.
• There’s an extra step to confirm the access level you want your recipient to have
• You need to make sure you have “Notify people” checkbox selected to ensure your recipient receives an email notification

Use a third-party file transfer service

If you’re looking for how to send large files via email without Google Drive or other cloud storage service, you can use a dedicated file transfer service.

WeTransfer is a very popular file transfer service. It allows users to send large files up to 2 GB for free without signing up for an account.

The general steps for using a file transfer service to send large files via email are:

Step 1: Sign up with the file transfer service and log in (with WeTransfer, this step is not required)

Step 2: Upload your file

Step 3: Enter the recipient’s email address in the appropriate field 

Step 4: Enter your email address

Step 5: Add an optional message

Step 6: Send your message

It’s easy to use a third-party file transfer service to send large files via email. However, these services can be expensive if you need to use them frequently. 

For example, WeTransfer offers a $10 per month Pro plan and a $19 per month premium plan. This cost accumulates and can easily become too much for a small business.

Granted, third-party file transfer services offer free versions. But you may find free versions too limiting. For example, with the WeTranfer free account, the download link expires after seven days.

Pros of using a third-party transfer service to send large files via email

• It’s easy to use for both the sender and receiver
• No account is required (at least for WeTransfer)

Cons of using a third-party transfer service to send large files via email

• You will need a paid subscription if you surpass the free account limits, which adds to your running expenses
• It raises privacy concerns as some users may not want to share files with a third-party platform
• It’s an additional platform you need to learn about and understand

Send the file via snail mail and email the tracking details

Another way to send large files is to combine snail mail (traditional postal mail) and email. This involves physically shipping an envelope or box containing the file to the recipient and sending them an email containing the tracking details of the shipment.

The steps for sending large files via snail mail are:

Step 1: Choose an appropriate shipping service.

You may burn the file to a CD or DVD. You may send it to a USB flash drive or an external hard drive. If it’s a text file, you may even print out the document.

Step 2: Place the document in an appropriate packaging.

Step 3: Address the package.

Write the recipient’s name and address on the package. Also, write your return address (so it can be returned to you if it cannot be delivered).

Step 4: Take the prepared package to the postal service for shipping.

Step 5: Obtain tracking details for the package.

Step 6: Email the tracking details to the recipient.

Step 7: Monitor the shipment’s progress.

Pros of sending large files via snail mail

• You’ll not be bothered about file size limitations.
• It is not hampered by internet connection issues.

Cons of sending large files via snail mail

• It’s slower compared to purely electronic methods.
• It’s inconvenient for both the sender and the receiver as they must deal with the logistics of shipping and receiving the package.
• Physical shipments are vulnerable to loss or damage during transit.
• You must deal with shipping costs.

Compress the file to a smaller size

If you’re looking for how to send large files via email attachment without dealing with download links, this is for you. This method for sending large files via email involves compressing the file to a smaller size and then attaching it to your email as normal.

There are many file compression tools on the market for reducing the size of digital files (including video files, audio files, image files, and PDF documents). Some popular ones include Compress2go, FreeConvert, and SmallPDF.

To send a large file by compressing it to a smaller size, follow these steps:

Step 1: Choose an appropriate file compression software.

Step 2: Upload the large file to the platform.

Step 3: Choose or enter the size you want to reduce the file to (choose a size less than your email provider’s file size limit).

Step 4: Click to start the file compression, then download the finished product.

File compression tools effectively reduce the size of digital files, taking them under the email attachment limit. However, compressing files usually comes at the expense of quality, so if you’re sending images or a video, be very cautious if you choose to use this method. It doesn’t have as big of a negative impact when sending PDFs files via email though.

Pros of sending large files via email by compressing them to smaller sizes

• Compressed files consume less bandwidth during transmission.
• You attach them to your email just like any other type of attachment

Cons of sending large files via email by compressing them to smaller sizes

• It reduces the quality of the file (particularly if it’s an image or video file).
• It raises privacy concerns for users uncomfortable with uploading their documents to a third-party platform.

Zip the file into a compressed folder

Zipping your file into a compressed folder is another fine alternative for those looking for how to send large files via Gmail without Google Drive.

When you zip a file into a compressed folder, you essentially create a folder holding one or more files in a compressed format. That is, the size of the zipped folder is less than the sum of the original files’ sizes.

Zipping a file into a compressed folder differs from file size reduction using compression tools (described above). When you compress a file with compression tools, the recipient can open it like any other attachment. But when you send a zipped file, the recipient will need to unzip the folder to access and open the files.

Also, zipping a file does not impact its quality as much as reducing its size with compression tools. 

Pros of zipping a file into a compressed folder

• There’s no need to upload files to a third-party platform.
• File quality is better than when you use compression tools.

Cons of zipping a file into a compressed folder

• The recipient has to know how to unzip the folder to access the file

It’s very a very straightforward process to zip your files together into a folder.However, the steps for zipping a file into a compressed folder do depend on your operating system.

How to zip a file on Windows

Follow these steps to zip a file into a compressed folder when using Windows:

Step 1: Navigate to the file’s location.

Step 2: Right-click on the file and choose “Send to.”

Step 3: Choose “Compressed (zipped) folder” from the “Send to” options.

The compressed folder will appear in the same folder as the original file. You can then rename the new compressed folder. To do this, right-click on it and select “Rename.” You can then send the zipped folder via email.

How to zip a file on Mac

Follow these steps to zip a file into a compressed folder when using MacOS:

Step 1: Navigate to the file’s location

Step 2: Right-click on the file and choose “Compress.”

Step 3: In the “Compose” window, select the “.zip” extension to the right of the file name.

Step 4: Choose a location for your zipped folder

Step 5: Click “Create.”

This creates a compressed folder in the location you chose. You can then attach the compressed/zipped folder to your email and send it. 

Best practices for sending large files via email

Using the above-listed methods, you can send files via email, even huge files. However, following a set of guidelines will help you ensure a smoother and more reliable file transfer process. 

These recommended guidelines or best practices for effectively sending large files via email include:

Make sure you send the correct documents to the correct recipient

One of the fundamentals of email communication and file sharing is ensuring you send the correct documents to the right recipient. And this also applies when sending large files via email.

The last thing you want when sending business documents is to mistakenly allow sensitive information to get into the wrong hands. 

So, whether you use any of the methods above or a file transfer protocol that lets you transfer files directly between computers, ensure you do not mistakenly send your files to someone other than the intended recipient.

One way to ensure you send the correct document to the correct recipient is to open the file to be sure you have the right one when manually copying your file link from a cloud service.

Another way is to double-check the recipient’s email address in the To field when emailing. Mailsuite’s (formerly Mailtrack) “Campaign” feature can help you ensure this.

When emailing multiple people, Campaign automatically imports the recipients’ email addresses from a spreadsheet. Since recipients’ addresses are not manually entered, there is less chance of mistakenly entering the wrong contact.

Ensure your file is safe if using a third-party service

It’s important to know that third-party file transfer services do not usually encrypt files. This means files sent using these services could be exposed to anyone on the internet. 

Since you won’t want your sensitive information to get into the wrong hands, it’s important to ensure your file is safe when using third-party file transfer services. 

Check that the file-sharing platform you use has a track record of security and privacy. Reading reviews can help you in this regard. 

You should also go for platforms offering extra file security features, such as password protection. For example, WeTransfer allows you to password-protect files (albeit only in their higher-priced Pro and Premium plans).

If sharing a file in the cloud, make sure the recipient has the proper access

Sometimes, it is not enough for the correct document to get to the right recipient. It may also be important to control how recipients access the document.

Controlling access to a document you send via email can help prevent unauthorized changes, thereby protecting the integrity of your document.

For example, when you send a document using a cloud service like Google Drive, you can give the recipient “Viewer,” “Commenter,” or “Editor” access. 

A recipient you give “Viewer” access can only view the document and cannot edit it. A recipient with “Commenter” access will be able to view the document and add comments (which is good for collaboration). Only people with “Editor” access can edit the content of the document.

Think about the method that works best for your files

Know that each method for sending large files via email may be better suited for a particular file type. 

For example, compressing a file to a smaller size is not a good method for sending high-quality images and videos because it will significantly reduce the quality. 

So, a best practice for sending huge files via email is to consider the type of file you want to send and choose an appropriate method. 

Takeaway: Send large files via email easily and safely with the best method

Have you ever been frustrated by email providers’ low 20 or 25 MB file size limits? That shouldn’t happen again!

When you have large work documents or some other large files to send via email, choose an appropriate method from the six discussed above.

When sending business documents via email, you can also optimize the process with Mailsuite (formerly Mailrack). 

Mailsuite is a Chrome extension that can help you turn your Gmail into a powerful email marketing tool. For example, the mail merge feature facilitates sending personalized emails to multiple addresses at the same time. 

Also, the superior email tracking features allow you to track when recipients read your email and access the attached document so that you can craft more effective follow-ups.