Personal guide

Send a large file without an email attachment

Lattice Suite · Updated 3 November 2026

Upload a file to Lattice Files and send a download link in your email. Your recipient does not need a Lattice account, and you can choose when the link expires or revoke it yourself.

Lattice supports file uploads up to 5 GiB per file, within your available storage. Sharing uses the file already in your account; it does not add a separate transfer allowance. Free Personal accounts include 15 GB of file storage, separate from their mailbox.

1. Upload the file

Sign in to Lattice Files with your Personal account. Open the folder where you want to keep the file, then select Upload files, or drag the file onto the page.

Wait until the upload has finished and the file appears in the list. For a first try, use a small sample file you are comfortable sharing. You do not need to upload a multi-gigabyte file to learn the steps.

If you are trying Lattice as a guest, claim your account before using public download links.

2. Open Share link

Find the uploaded file in the list and select Share link. The dialog is headed Share followed by the filename.

This creates a download link for anyone who has it. It is different from inviting a named colleague to edit a document in a Business workspace. Check the filename before continuing.

3. Choose an expiry and create the link

Under Link expires after, choose 1 day, 7 days or 30 days. Read the linked Terms and Privacy Notice. If you agree, select the agreement checkbox and choose Create download link.

The complete link is shown only at creation. Select Copy link before closing the dialog, or select and copy the link field yourself if the copy button does not work. If you lose the link, create a new one; the active-link list does not reveal its secret again.

4. Send the link in your email

Paste the complete copied link into your message. For example:

Here is the file we discussed. You can download it without creating an account. The link expires in seven days.

Use the expiry you actually selected. Leave the file off the email's attachment list: the link is what gives the recipient access. This also avoids putting another copy of the large file into each recipient's mailbox.

Anyone who receives or is forwarded the link can use it while it remains valid. Share it only with the people you intend to give download access to.

5. Check the recipient experience

For a sample file, open the copied link in a private browser window where you are not signed in to Lattice. You should reach A file shared with you and be able to choose Download file without an account. Check the downloaded file before sending the link more widely.

The link includes a secret after the # character. Keep the complete copied link intact. Removing that part can make the link appear incomplete.

Stop access before the expiry

Return to the same file, open Share link, and find Active links. Select Revoke link beside the link you want to stop. If there is more than one, check the expiry shown to help identify it.

Wait for confirmation. If revocation cannot be confirmed, use Refresh links and check again before relying on it. Test a fresh download attempt with your sample link to confirm that access has stopped.

Expiry and revocation stop new downloads. A download already underway may finish, and a saved copy cannot be recalled.

What happens if I change the file?

A link refers to the saved version it was created for. Saving a new version stops that link. After replacing the file, create and send a new download link rather than assuming the old one points to the update.

If an upload or link does not work

• Check that the upload finished, the file is within the 5 GiB limit, and your account has enough storage.
• If Share link is missing, check that you are using a claimed Personal account and selecting an uploaded file. Reload Files if needed.
• If a recipient sees an incomplete or unavailable link, send the full copied link again. Check whether it expired, was revoked, or stopped after a new version was saved.
• If you lost the link, create a replacement and revoke an unwanted earlier link from Active links.

For help, contact Lattice support. Describe the error without sending your private file or its download link.

Create a free Lattice account, explore Lattice Files, or set up Lattice Mail in Apple Mail to send your link from your Mac.