How to Create a File Request Link for Google Drive

There's no built-in "Create file request" button in Google Drive. You can approximate one with a shared folder in under a minute, get more control with a Google Form and Apps Script, or use a dedicated upload-link tool for the closest match to Dropbox-style file requests.

Before you start

Decide two things up front, because they determine which option below actually fits: how many different people will be sending you files (one trusted person is a very different problem from fifty strangers), and whether you need any limits — file size, file count, an expiry date, or a password.

Option 1: a shared folder

The fastest route, and the one most people try first.

1. Open Google Drive and create a new folder.
2. Right-click the folder, choose Share, then change access from "Restricted" to "Anyone with the link."
3. Set the permission level to Editor — Viewer access won't let anyone upload.
4. Copy the link and send it to whoever needs to send you files.

This works, with two caveats worth knowing before you send it: everyone with the link can see and edit every file already in that folder, not just add their own, and there's no way to cap size, count, or set an expiry without adding a script on top.

Option 2: a Google Form wired to Drive

More setup, but it gives you a proper intake form instead of a bare folder.

1. Create a Google Form and add a File Upload question.
2. In the form's settings, point file uploads to a specific Drive folder.
3. If you want fields beyond the file itself — name, email, notes — add them as separate form questions.
4. Publish the form and share its link instead of a folder link.

The file-upload question in Google Forms requires the respondent to sign in with a Google account of their own — which defeats the point if you're collecting files from people outside your organization who don't want to sign up for anything. Removing that requirement means adding Apps Script on top, which is where this option starts costing real setup time.

Option 3: a dedicated upload-link tool

The closest match to what Dropbox File Requests or Box do natively, built specifically for Google Drive.

1. Sign in with your Google account on a file-request tool such as Drive File Request.
2. Create a link and, if needed, set a maximum file size, a file count limit, or an expiry date.
3. Optionally add a password, restrict senders by email or domain, or add custom questions (name, notes, dropdowns) senders answer before uploading.
4. Share the link. Senders see a single upload page — a drag-and-drop area and a "Choose files" button — nothing else.
5. Every file lands in a dedicated folder inside your own Drive automatically, with no manual step to move it there afterward.

Comparing the three

Common mistakes

• Reusing one shared folder across multiple unrelated senders — the privacy issue compounds with every new person you add.
• Never setting an expiry date, so the link keeps collecting files (or stays a security surface) long after the project ends.
• Not testing the upload flow yourself, from a different browser or device, before sending the link to anyone else.
• Forgetting to restrict file types when it matters — a bare shared folder accepts anything, including files you didn't want.

Frequently asked questions