File sharing
Share a Folder Online by Turning It Into a ZIP
Yoink uploads individual files, so to share a whole folder you compress it into a ZIP first and upload the archive as a single file. Your recipient gets one link, downloads the ZIP, and unpacks it with tools already built into their system.
Updated
Prepare the folder
Pick a folder of files you are happy to publish, such as public project artwork or an event asset pack. Anything you upload to Yoink gets a public URL: anyone with the link can open or forward it, and signing in does not make a file private. Keep the material non-confidential.
- Open the folder and inspect every file inside. Remove drafts, hidden exports, and anything with customer data.
- Check the total size and confirm the recipient has enough free disk space to extract the archive, since unzipping needs room alongside the download.
- Note that ZIP packaging is lossless, but files that are already compressed, like JPEGs, often barely shrink. If your folder is mostly media, the ZIP may end up nearly as large as the originals, so do not count on the transfer getting smaller.
Compress the folder
Windows
On Windows 10 or 11, locate the folder, right-click it, choose Show more options if it appears, then Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder. Microsoft documents this flow in its ZIP and unzip guidance.
macOS
In Finder, Control-click the folder and choose Compress. A single item keeps its name with a .zip extension; multiple items become Archive.zip. See Apple's Mac help page.
iPhone (alternative)
If the files are already in the Files app, choose a location, tap More > Select, pick the files, then tap More in the lower right and choose Compress. Apple's iPhone Files instructions cover the steps. Multi-file archives are named Archive.zip.
Check, then upload
- Open the finished ZIP yourself and confirm the expected files are inside and readable.
- Go to the Yoink uploader, choose Select Files or drag the ZIP onto the page, then start the upload with the main upload button.
- Wait for the upload to complete and copy the
https://files.yoink.zip/link from the completed result. - Send the link. The recipient downloads the ZIP and uses Extract All on Windows or a double-click on macOS to unpack it.
What to tell the recipient
- The link is public and works for anyone who has it, so only package files you are comfortable publishing.
- Keep your own originals. Public link lifetime is not guaranteed, and important durable assets belong in a repo or controlled asset hosting. See limits and retention.
- If the download opens oddly in the browser, save the file and extract it locally rather than troubleshooting the preview.