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How to create a direct download link for Google Drive files

Michael Mensah September 29, 2023 2 min read

Do you want to create a direct download link for your Google Drive files? We will show you a simple method to do that without using any third-party tool.

Google Drive is a popular cloud storage service that people use not just for storing their files but also for file sharing. Google Drive has a feature that lets you create a shareable link for your files. Those who have been provided with this link will be able to access your file directly.

The default shareable link provided by Google Drive is only made to preview the files. There is no option to create a direct download link that can allow viewers to download your file directly, rather than showing its preview in Google Drive.

Also Read: How to upload files and folders to Google Drive

In this article, we are going to share a simple trick that can help you create a direct download link for your Drive files without using any tool.

How to create a direct download link for a Google Drive file

Go to Google Drive and right-click the file that you want to share, then click on “Share“
In the window that comes up, change the access to “Anyone with the link”
Click “Copy link”
Paste that link into the text box above and click “Create Direct Link” to create your link.

How to convert your Google Drive link for a Direct Download

Paste your link into a notepad (or other text editing app) so that you can edit it.
Your link should be similar to this one: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RG3CAPiwiFlFATUlIIwhk0RrbEU4PgVP/view?usp=sharing
Each file has a unique file ID in the link, this is the text between d/ and /view: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RG3CAPiwiFlFATUlIIwhk0RrbEU4PgVP/view?usp=sharing
Remove the text file/d/ from the link and replace it with uc?id=
Now remove the section after the file ID, including /view and replace it with &export=download in place of the text you have removed. This is what it should look like afterward: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1RG3CAPiwiFlFATUlIIwhk0RrbEU4PgVP&export=download