Frequently Asked Questions

DriveLink is a tool that generates direct download links for your Google Drive files. This allows you to share files with direct access without requiring users to navigate through Google Drive's interface or deal with download prompts.

A Google Drive API Key is required to authenticate your requests to Google's servers. This is how Google ensures that only authorized applications access their API. Without an API key, you cannot access the Google Drive API to generate direct links.

Yes. Your API Key is:

• Only stored locally in your browser if you check the "Remember" option
• Never transmitted to our servers
• Only used to make direct requests from your browser to Google Drive API

For additional security, we recommend restricting your API key to only Google Drive API access in the Google Cloud Console.

You can generate direct download links for any file type stored in your Google Drive. This includes:

• Documents (PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, etc.)
• Images (JPG, PNG, GIF, etc.)
• Videos (MP4, MOV, etc.)
• Audio files (MP3, WAV, etc.)
• Archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.)
• And many more

There are size limitations based on your Google Drive plan, but these are enforced by Google, not DriveLink.

1. Go to the Google Cloud Console
2. Create a new project or select an existing one
3. In the left sidebar, click on "APIs & Services" > "Library"
4. Search for "Google Drive API" and click on it
5. Click "Enable" to activate the API for your project
6. Go to "APIs & Services" > "Credentials"
7. Click "Create Credentials" and select "API Key"
8. Your new API key will be displayed
9. For security, consider restricting the key to only Drive API in the credentials settings

Direct links generated with DriveLink remain valid as long as:

• Your API key is active and valid
• The file still exists in your Google Drive
• The sharing permissions for the file allow access

Google may invalidate API keys that haven't been used for an extended period, so if a link stops working, you might need to generate a new API key.

Yes, for others to access your direct download links, the files need to have appropriate sharing permissions:

1. Right-click on your file in Google Drive
2. Select "Share"
3. Either share with specific people or click "Change to anyone with the link"
4. Make sure the permission is set to "Viewer" or higher

If your file is not shared properly, users will receive an access denied error when trying to use the direct link.

Yes, Google Drive API has rate limits that apply to API keys. The standard limits are:

• Up to 10,000 requests per day
• Up to 10 requests per second per user

These limits are set by Google and may change. If you exceed these limits, your direct links may temporarily stop working until the quota resets.

For high-traffic needs, consider upgrading to a Google Workspace account and requesting higher quotas directly from Google.

If your direct link isn't working, try these troubleshooting steps:

1. Check that your API key is valid and has not expired
2. Verify that the file still exists in your Google Drive
3. Confirm the file's sharing settings allow access
4. Ensure you haven't exceeded Google's API rate limits
5. Generate a new direct link
6. Try using a different Google account or API key
7. Try using a VPN on your computer, not in your browser

If problems persist, your API key may have restrictions that prevent it from working with the Drive API, or there might be an issue with your Google Cloud project settings.

DriveLink itself is free to use. However, Google may charge for API usage beyond certain limits:

• Google provides a free tier of API usage (usually sufficient for personal use)
• If you exceed Google's free tier limits, your Google Cloud account may incur charges
• These charges would be between you and Google, not DriveLink

For most personal and small business uses, you'll likely remain within Google's free tier limits. Monitor your Google Cloud Console usage dashboard to ensure you don't exceed free limits.

DriveLink works on all modern browsers, including:

• Google Chrome (recommended)
• Mozilla Firefox
• Microsoft Edge
• Safari
• Opera

For the best experience, we recommend using the latest version of any browser. Internet Explorer is not supported.

Yes! We offer a browser extension for Chrome, which provides additional features:

• Right-click on Google Drive links to instantly generate direct links
• Batch processing of multiple files
• Automatic link copying
• Advanced settings for default behaviors

You can install the extension from the Chrome Web Store.