How to Make a Dropbox or OneDrive Direct Download Link

You upload a file to Dropbox or OneDrive, copy the share link and send it to someone. They click it and land on a preview page with a sign-in banner, a "Download" button somewhere in the corner and sometimes a pop-up asking them to create an account. For a download button on your website, a price list in an email or a file in a QR code, that extra page loses people.

A direct download link skips the preview and starts the download right away. Both Dropbox and OneDrive support it, but the links look different and the trick is different for each. This guide shows both, plus how to embed images and videos and what to do when a link stops working.

Dropbox: change one number in the link

Every Dropbox share link ends with dl=0. That zero means "show the preview page". Change it, and Dropbox behaves differently.

Step 1: copy the share link

1. In Dropbox, hover over the file and click Share (or right-click → Share).
2. Make sure the link setting is Anyone with the link can view.
3. Click Copy link.

A new Dropbox link looks like this:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/abc123/price-list.pdf?rlkey=xyz789&dl=0

Older links look like https://www.dropbox.com/s/abc123/price-list.pdf?dl=0. Both work the same way.

Step 2: convert it

Paste the link into the generator. It gives you two versions at once and can convert many links in one go, one per line.

Dropbox Direct Link GeneratorConvert Dropbox share links into direct download and raw links.

Keep the rlkey part of new links. It is the key that gives access to the file; if you remove it, the link breaks. The generator keeps it for you and only swaps the dl or raw value.

OneDrive: a different trick

OneDrive links don't have a simple switch at the end. Personal OneDrive links (1drv.ms/... or onedrive.live.com/...) have to be rewritten into OneDrive's "shares" address, which returns the file itself instead of the web viewer. Doing that by hand means encoding the whole link, so it is much easier with a tool.

Step 1: share the file publicly

1. In OneDrive, select the file and click Share.
2. Change the setting to Anyone with the link can view. Turn off "Can edit" unless you really want that.
3. Click Copy.

Step 2: convert it

OneDrive Direct Link GeneratorCreate direct download links from OneDrive share links.

For personal OneDrive links you get an address starting with https://api.onedrive.com/v1.0/shares/. For work or school links on SharePoint (...sharepoint.com/...), the tool adds download=1 to the link instead, which is the standard way to make SharePoint start a download.

The conversion happens in your browser. Your link is not sent to our server.

Always test the link like a stranger would

The most common mistake is testing the link while you are signed in. Your browser already has access, so it works for you but not for anyone else.

Open a private or incognito window and paste the direct link there. If the file downloads, it works for everyone. If you see a sign-in page or an error, the sharing setting is still too strict.

Embedding images and videos on a website

Direct links are handy for showing a file on a page without uploading it to your own server:

• Dropbox image: use the raw=1 link in an image tag, for example <img src="...&raw=1" alt="Product photo">.
• Dropbox audio or video: put the raw=1 link in an <audio> or <video> tag.
• OneDrive image: the generated shares link returns the image file, so it also works in an <img> tag.

This is fine for a few images on a small site. Cloud storage is not built to serve heavy traffic, though. If a popular page loads the same file thousands of times, Dropbox or OneDrive may limit the link for a while. For images on a busy site, your own hosting or a proper CDN is more reliable.

When a direct link stops working

"This link has been disabled" or too much traffic. Dropbox limits how much bandwidth shared links can use per day, and free accounts get the smallest allowance. Wait a day, or host large and popular files somewhere else.

The file was moved, renamed or deleted. A new share link is created when you share the file again. Convert the new link.

"You need permission" or a sign-in page. The link is not set to "Anyone with the link". On work and school accounts, an admin may block public sharing entirely, and then no direct link will work.

The download is an HTML page instead of the file. You probably used the original share link, not the converted one, or the rlkey was cut off when copying. Copy the full link again.

An old OneDrive direct link broke. Microsoft changes OneDrive from time to time. Share the file again, convert the new link and test it in a private window.

Make the link easier to share

Direct links are long and full of codes. Two small extras help:

• Shorten it so it fits nicely in a message or a printed flyer.

URL ShortenerTurn long links into short, shareable links with click counts.

• Turn it into a QR code so people can scan a menu, a brochure or a price list straight from paper.

QR Code GeneratorCreate QR codes for links, text, Wi-Fi, email, phone and SMS.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between dl=1 and raw=1 in Dropbox? dl=1 downloads the file as an attachment. raw=1 sends the file content directly, which is better for showing images or playing audio and video on a web page.

Do direct download links expire? They work for as long as the share link exists. If you delete the share link, change its permission or delete the file, the direct link stops working too.

Is it safe to share a direct link? Anyone who has the link can download the file, exactly like with the normal share link. Don't use it for private documents, and remove the share link when you no longer need it.

Can I make a direct link for a whole folder? Not as a single file download in the same way. Zip the folder first, upload the ZIP and share that file.

Does this work for Google Drive too? Google Drive uses a different format. Use the Google Drive direct link generator for those links.

Google Drive Direct Link GeneratorTurn Google Drive share links into direct download and embed links.

With the right link, your file is one click away for anyone you share it with, with no preview page or sign-in in between.