Google Drive Link or Uploaded File? How to Send a Client a PDF
Send a Google Drive link when the file is a living document that people will keep editing or commenting on. Send an uploaded file when it is a finished PDF you want a client to read, and you want to see when they open it. A Drive link stays alive until you change its sharing settings. A squish.to upload gives you a short link that expires after 30 days and comes with open stats.
Both are fine. The trick is picking the one that matches the job, so here is how they differ in practice.
The quick comparison
| Google Drive link | Uploaded file on squish.to | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Docs, Sheets and folders that change | Finished PDFs, images and one-page HTML |
| Account needed to send | Google account | None |
| Sharing control | Viewer, Commenter or Editor, per link | The link is the access: anyone who has it can open it |
| How long it lives | Until you change the setting | 30 days |
| Size limit | Your Drive storage | 10MB per file |
| See when it was opened | Depends on your Google plan and whether viewers are signed in | Total opens, last 7 days, busiest day, 14-day chart, recent opens with source and country |
| Link looks like | A long drive.google.com URL | A short link you name yourself |
When a Drive link is the right call
The file will change. If a client is going to comment on a draft, or you will fix a typo tomorrow, a Drive link means everyone always sees the latest version. An uploaded PDF is a snapshot. To update it you upload again and send a new link.
You want comments or edits. Drive lets you choose Viewer, Commenter or Editor when you share. That is the whole point of a shared doc, and an uploaded PDF cannot do it.
The file is big. Anything over 10MB belongs in Drive.
If you go the Drive route, check the sharing setting first, because the link is only as open as you make it. Our guide to shortening a Google Drive link walks through picking the right access level before you copy anything.
When an uploaded file is the right call
It is a finished document. A signed-off proposal, a quote, a one-page summary or a slide deck exported as PDF does not need to be live. A snapshot is actually a feature, because the client always sees exactly what you sent.
The client should not need a Google account or a login. Some clients use Microsoft 365, some have locked-down work laptops, and some just do not want another sign-in. An uploaded PDF opens in the browser for anyone with the link.
You want to know if it was opened. Each squish.to link has a stats page showing total opens, opens in the last 7 days, a 14-day chart, and recent opens with the time, country and source. That is often enough to time a follow-up. For the full walkthrough, see how to send a PDF proposal as a link and see when it's opened.
You want a link that reads well. squish.to/acme-quote is easier to paste into an email, say on a call or put on a slide than a Drive URL.
What to keep in mind with an upload
A few honest limits, so there are no surprises:
- 10MB per file. Fine for most PDFs. Compress large images before exporting.
- 30 days, then it is gone. When an uploaded file expires, the file, the link and its stats are all removed. If a deal drags on, upload again and send the new link. For a quote with a deadline, the expiry can even be a plus.
- Stats are per link, not per person. If you send one link to five people you will see opens but not who made them. Upload one copy per recipient if you need to tell them apart.
- Some opens are not human. Email scanners and link previews can add an open within seconds of sending. A later open, hours after you sent it, is more likely a real person.
- Anyone with the link can open it. That is how it works with Drive's "anyone with the link" setting too. Share the link with the people you mean to.
A simple rule of thumb
Ask two questions before you send:
- Will anyone need to edit or comment? Use Drive.
- Is it final, and do I want to know when it lands? Upload it.
You can also do both. Keep the working version in Drive, then export the final PDF and upload it for the client. Name the link after the client so your stats pages stay easy to find.
Try it
Have a finished PDF ready to go? Upload it at squish.to/upload, pick a custom link name, and send the short link. No account needed.
FAQ
Should I send a client a Google Drive link or a PDF attachment? Send a link in both cases. A Drive link suits a document that is still changing. An uploaded PDF link suits a finished file. Both avoid email attachment size limits.
Does a Google Drive link expire? A link shared with "anyone with the link" does not expire on its own. It works until you change the sharing setting back to restricted or delete the file. A squish.to upload expires after 30 days.
Can I see who opened my Google Drive file? It depends on your Google account type and whether the viewer was signed in. With a squish.to upload you see opens per link, with source and country, but not the person's identity.
What is the maximum file size for a squish.to upload? 10MB per file. Images, PDFs and single HTML files are supported.
Can the client edit an uploaded PDF? No. It is a read-only snapshot. If you need them to edit or comment, share it through Drive instead.