How to send large files securely

Large files tend to be the ones that matter most to the person waiting for them: the raw footage from a shoot, a wedding gallery in full resolution, a design package with every source file, a dataset for an analyst at another company. They’re too big for an email attachment, so they go through whichever transfer service is open in a browser tab, often with no password and a link that anyone holding it can use.

This page is a task walkthrough: getting a large delivery into Fabric, publishing it as one password-protected download link, and confirming it arrived. For background on transfer methods and encryption, see the Learn article on how to share large files securely.

How people usually send large files

Transfer services such as WeTransfer are the usual answer for a one-off delivery. There’s no account needed on either side, and links expire after a set time. They’re built for handing files over, so there’s nowhere to collect feedback, and your copy of the delivery lives somewhere else entirely.

Email services offer their own route: Gmail and Outlook both suggest converting a large attachment into a Google Drive or OneDrive link. That gets the file through, and it also creates a sharing setting in your drive that’s easy to forget about once the email has gone.

Studios and agencies with regular large deliveries often use a shared Dropbox or Google Drive folder per client, or an FTP server for very large footage. These hold up well over time. The friction is in setup and permissions: a new client needs an account or a link, and folders shared for one project tend to stay open long after it ends. For the largest video projects, some teams still post a hard drive.

Step 1: Move the files into Fabric from your desktop

For big folders, the Fabric desktop app is the easiest way in. It mounts Fabric as a virtual drive on Mac, Windows and Linux, so you drag a folder of footage or RAW photos into it the way you would into any other folder. Files on the drive take no space on your computer and stream when you open them, which helps when the delivery is bigger than your free disk space.

You can also drag files into the web app or click Upload a file, which handles large numbers of files at once. The free plan has storage and file size caps, so check pricing before you start on a big delivery. How to access cloud files without using disk space explains how streaming from the drive works.

Step 2: Put the delivery in one folder

Create a folder for this delivery, named for the recipient and project (Hart wedding, final selects or Q3 dataset for Northwind), and gather everything into it. Sending one folder means one link, one password and one record of visits, in place of several links to track.

A folder publishes as a web page, so the recipient sees the files laid out together instead of a bare file list. Because everything sits in your Fabric cloud, the delivery stays searchable alongside your other work after it’s sent.

Step 3: Add a password to the folder

Right-click the folder, or open it and click the three-dot menu, choose Add password protection, and enter a password. Password protection is on the Pro and Team plans.

The password covers files you add to the folder later, which is useful when a delivery goes out in batches. Visitors’ access lasts 6 hours, then they enter the password again. There’s no reset, so save it in a password manager, and send it to the recipient by text or phone rather than in the same email as the link.

Step 4: Publish a download link

Click Share, open the Publish tab and click Create link. For a large delivery, the recipient almost certainly needs the files themselves, so turn on allow downloads. Turn off allow indexing by search engines. If the recipient also uses Fabric, allow visitors to copy it to their Fabric lets them add the delivery to their own workspace. Name the link after the recipient, turn on collect engagement analytics, and copy the link. Publishing and downloads are available on every plan.

With analytics on (Pro and Team), the link gets its own chart of traffic over time, plus visit dates and each visitor’s location and device. Link analytics count visits to the link, which tells you the recipient has opened the delivery page.

Step 5: Share instead when you need feedback

If the recipient has to review the files as well as receive them, share the folder with the commenter role instead of publishing it. On video and audio, commenters leave timestamped comments, and on video a comment can include a drawing on the frame. On images, they draw on the image and attach a comment. Each comment can be marked completed. The annotations page shows how this works across file types.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most secure way to send a large file?

Send a link to a file you control, protected by a password that travels separately. In Fabric, that’s a published folder with a password on Pro or Team, indexing off, and a named link for each recipient.

How big a file can I send with Fabric?

The free plan has a file size cap, and limits change over time, so check the pricing page for current figures before sending a very large delivery.

Does the recipient need a Fabric account to download the files?

No. Published links open in a browser, and with allow downloads on, the recipient can save the files.

Will uploading large files fill up my laptop?

Files on the Fabric desktop drive take no space on your computer and stream when opened.

Can I add more files after sending the link?

Yes. Add them to the published folder. Changes to the source update the published page, and a folder password covers files added later.

Can I tell if the recipient opened the link?

With analytics on (Pro and Team), each link shows visits with dates, location and device. Give each recipient their own named link so their visits are easy to pick out.

Is a Fabric link better than WeTransfer for client deliveries?

They suit different jobs. A transfer service hands files over quickly; a Fabric link keeps the delivery in your workspace, can be password protected, and can be swapped for a shared link when the client needs to comment.

Can clients comment on large video files?

Yes, through a shared link with commenter permission. They can leave timestamped comments, including a drawing on the frame.