At a glance
- Format written
- The link, with
https://added if missing - Shows the final link
- Yes, in The link that goes in the code
- Updates
- As you type
- Error correction
- Level M
Fields
Link to your file Required
The address of the file. It must already be online.
Make Dropbox serve the file directly Dropbox only
Appears only for Dropbox links. When ticked, dl=0 becomes dl=1, or dl=1 is added, so the phone gets the file rather than Dropbox's preview page.
The link that goes in the code Read only
The exact address that will be encoded, after any changes.
File types it recognises
| Type | Extensions |
|---|---|
| Video | mp4, mov, m4v, webm, avi, mkv |
| Audio | mp3, wav, m4a, aac, ogg, flac |
| Word document | doc, docx, rtf, odt |
| Spreadsheet | xls, xlsx, csv, ods |
| Presentation | ppt, pptx, odp |
| Archive | zip, rar, 7z, tar, gz |
| Image | jpg, jpeg, png, gif, webp, avif, svg |
For each, the tool adds one line on how phones handle it. For a Word file, for example: Recognised a Word document. Most phones download a Word file rather than displaying it. If it only needs reading, export to PDF first.
What the code contains
A link to an audio file
https://example.com/audio/guide.mp3
A Dropbox link with the option off
https://www.dropbox.com/s/abc123/guide.pdf?dl=0
The same link with the option on
https://www.dropbox.com/s/abc123/guide.pdf?dl=1
Warnings
- Transfer services. For WeTransfer, SendGB and file.io links the tool says: Transfer services expire, usually within days. Never put one behind a printed code. It recognises the full wetransfer.com address; short
we.tllinks are not flagged, so check those yourself. - Google links. It points you to the Google Drive generator.
- No extension. It warns that the link may be a page about the file rather than the file.
- Long links. Over 90 characters, it warns that the code needs printing larger.
What it does not do
- It does not host files or check they exist.
- It cannot put a file inside a code. Our guides on Office files and audio files show why.