How many times do you encountered and used, in many websites, a direct download link?

You surely used it to download files from the net, but you can also utilize it for yourself and your own needs. In this quick free tutorial we will explain how to use a direct download link, some websites providing it, how to create a profitable direct download link from two of the most popular and successful file storage online services.

When you need a direct download link:

a) upload images or documents to websites which require the image url only;
b) share the file with family members,  friends, colleagues and more, letting them directly download it with no surfing and clicking pains.
c) last but not least – this is the best part indeed: you can even monetize your direct download link by submitting it in any downloadable products marketplaces out there or by embedding it in your website as a link or in your e-commerce cart system.
The limit is just your imagination and needs. When you find the right marketplaces for your downloadable products, getting a direct download link is essential if you want to earn a lot of money from it.

Where to find a direct download link provider:

But hey!  Are you wondering how to create a direct download link? You maybe already know many file storage websites, out there, providing this kind of link, upon uploading of the file such as:

• freepdfhosting.com – donation required for files over 2 mb or for long term sharing
• filefactory.com – free account, no limit on numbers of downloads, you have a 200 MB file size limit
• pdf-archive.com  – free account allowed, you can send up to 10 files of 2 GB each!

This list is just a little example, not exhaustive and can be huge (search on google), but I won’t go further because today, I’m going to introduce you and focus on other two well known and reliable specific services. As it can be not so immediate to get the direct download link, I’d like to share with you this quick and easy tutorial, because it’s really worth it.

How to create a profitable direct download link:

We are talking about DropBox and Google Drive (or Google Docs) – who doesn’t know them nowadays?  Let’s examine them in details and enjoy the versatility and speed of these two services.

1) DropBox

They offer a free account to store your files of any kind and by doing some free activities, you can also increase your limit. How to get the direct download link? Upload your file, go to the sharing page, then right click on the “download” button that appears and select “copy link location” option (or whatever it’s called, depending on the OS and browser used), Now you’ve got your useful direct download link and can paste it wherever you want.

2) Google Drive (or Google Docs)

This is less simple and require a bit more settings, that’s why I’m giving you this tip (google doesn’t tell you that). Let’s go straight to the point and move through the following steps:

a) Getting a free google account and uploading your file:
register for your free google account (if you don’t have one yet), go to “Drive” or “Docs” folder from your top google menu bar and then upload your file (zip, image, text, pdf and so on).
Now that you have completed this simple step, you can move to the next level.

b) Creating the direct download link:
you will need the document ID and paste it at the end of the following link:

https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=

in order to obtain the ID, you can, for example, select the file, click on “share” button, then you will see the sharing link as in the following image and your ID is between “d/” and “/edit?”

image 1

c) Making the link suitable for working properly and safely:
to let the direct download link work properly, it’s important you set up the sharing visibility permission, so that the file is not public, but can be viewed by who has the link only: click on the “Change…” link as shown in the image 1, then set the visibility on “anyone with the link (recommended)” as shown in the following image2, then save it.

image2

Here you are! Three simple steps to get a direct download link from google drive and unleash the power of your digital files.

Have you already used it?

Please let us know your feedback or try it and tell us your opinion and experience.

Feel free also to enhance this guide and suggest other tips and eventually useful free file storage websites.

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