Compared to the early days, it’s now much easier to send large files as email attachments. There was a time when attaching a 5MB file could cause an error, but these days, it’s not uncommon to attach files as large as 20MB, or even 100MB.
However, just because you can send large files by email doesn’t mean you should. Large attachments can prevent other emails from being sent or received, and they may even fill up the recipient’s mailbox entirely. That is not very polite to your customers.
Here are some alternative ways to send large files more appropriately:
Solution A: Share via a Cloud Service
For example, instead of sending an Excel file directly, you can use Google Sheets on the cloud and simply share the link with the recipient. This way, there’s no need to send the actual file. Plus, when updates are needed, there’s no need to send multiple versions—just edit the same file. You can also work on it at the same time with others in real time.
For videos, uploading them to YouTube allows you to share a link rather than sending the entire video file. For photos, you can upload them to Google Photos or, if you’re an iPhone user, iCloud. Again, all you need to share is a link.
Solution B: Upload to Cloud Storage
You can upload large files to cloud storage platforms like Dropbox, then simply share the download link. Unlike Solution A, this lets you share files in their original formats, Excel, Word, etc., without converting them.
Solution C: Use a File Transfer Service
Similar to Solution B, you can also use file transfer services like GigaFile, Firestorage, or Datadeliver. These are commonly used in Japan and are easy to use, often free or low-cost.
Just because email systems can handle large attachments these days doesn’t mean it’s okay to send them without consideration. In particular, sending large files to external clients can be disruptive or even considered rude. Always take care to choose the most appropriate method for the recipient.
