Send a Transfer from Neo Drive

Neo Drive Transfers let you send files or folders as a one-time copy using a secure link. Unlike Shares, Transfers create a snapshot of the files at the time the Transfer is created. Any changes made later in Neo Drive do not affect the Transfer.

In this article

1. What is a Transfer
2. Share vs Transfer
3. Create a Transfer
4. Transfer Settings
   • Expiry
   • Password Protection
   • Notes
   • Tracking
5. What Recipients See
6. Download Limits for Recipients
7. Tracking Views and Downloads
8. Branding on Transfer Pages
9. Storage Impact and Transfer Expiry

What is a Transfer

A Transfer creates a one-time copy of files or folders as they exist at that moment.

If you later rename, edit, replace, add, or delete files in Neo Drive, recipients continue seeing the original version included in the Transfer.

Transfers:

• Expire automatically
• Use additional storage until expiry
• Support password protection
• Support download and view tracking
• Support recipient notes

Folders shared through Transfers are not navigable for recipients.

Share vs Transfer

Neo Drive provides two ways to send files and folders:

Use Share when recipients should always see the latest version.

Use Transfer when you want to send a temporary copy that stays unchanged.

To learn more, refer to: Share vs Transfer in Neo Drive

Create a Transfer

You can create Transfers directly from Neo Drive or while composing emails.

Open Neo Drive, hover over the file or folder, and click ⋮ → Transfer a copy.
Configure the Transfer settings, then create and copy the link.

Using the Quick Transfer Action

Select the file or folder, click the Share icon, and choose Transfer a copy from the toolbar.
Configure the Transfer settings, then create the Transfer link.

Create a Transfer from the Transfers Page

You can also create Transfers from the Transfers page by uploading files or folders, or using drag and drop.
Configure the Transfer settings and create the Transfer.
Uploaded content remains stored until the Transfer expires or is deleted.

Create a Transfer from Email Composer

When attaching files from Neo Drive in Email Composer, files may automatically be sent as a Transfer link instead of a regular attachment.

This happens when:

• A folder is selected
• The file type is not supported as an email attachment
• Total attachment size exceeds the attachment size limit (currently 30 MB)

In these cases, the files are added as a secure Transfer link that appears similar to an attachment in the email.

To learn more, see Attach from Drive

Transfer Settings

While creating a Transfer, you can configure the following settings.

Expiry
Transfers expire automatically and can be set for:

• 3, 7, 14, or 30 days
• A custom expiry date

Important:

• Default expiry is 30 days
• Maximum expiry allowed is 90 days from creation

After expiry:

• The Transfer link becomes inactive
• Recipients can no longer access the files
• Storage used by the Transfer is freed automatically

Custom expiry is available only if it's included in your current plan. Otherwise, the default expiry date is applied. Upgrade your plan to select a custom expiry date.

Password Protect a Transfer
You can protect a Transfer using a password.

Recipients must enter the correct password before accessing the files.

Password requirements:

• Maximum 20 characters

When you copy a Transfer link:

• If no password is set → only the link is copied
• If a password is set → the copied content includes both the link and password

Password protection is available only on supported plans. If it's unavailable for your current plan, the password field displays "Upgrade to set password."

Add a Note to a Transfer
You can include a note for recipients.

The note appears on the recipient landing page before the files page opens.

Enable Tracking
Neo Drive can track recipient activity for Transfers.

Tracking may include:

• Link views
• File downloads

You can enable or disable tracking during Transfer creation.

Note: Tracking settings cannot be modified after the Transfer is created.

Copy the Transfer Link

Once the Transfer is created:

1. Click Copy Link.
2. Share the link with recipients.

If password protection is enabled, recipients will also require the password to access the Transfer.

What recipients see

The recipient experience depends on whether the Transfer includes a password or note.

Landing page

If the Transfer includes:

• A password
• A note

Recipients first see a landing page where they can:

• Read the note
• Enter the password

Files page

After opening the Transfer, recipients can:

• Preview supported files
• Download individual files
• Download all files

Preview is available only for supported file types.

Folders cannot be previewed.

Folder behavior in Transfers

Folders included in Transfers are not navigable.

Recipients can download folder contents, but they cannot browse through folder structures like they can in Shares.

Download Limits for Recipients

Download limits and Transfer availability may vary depending on your email plan and Neo Drive’s Fair Usage Policy.

Recipients can preview files any number of times while the Transfer remains active. 

Each click on Download or Download All by a recipient counts as one download. You can check your current plan limits from the Upgrade section in Neo Drive.

Neo Drive supports uploads up to 5 GB per file on supported plans. 

Note: Transfers may vary on supported plans. Once the download limit is reached, the Download and Download All buttons become unavailable. Refreshing the page may re-enable the buttons visually, but attempting to download will display a Download limit reached message.

Tracking Views and Downloads

If tracking is enabled, Neo Drive records engagement activity for the Transfer.

Views

A view is counted when the Transfer page loads successfully for a recipient.

Downloads

Downloads are counted when recipients:

• Download an individual file
• Use Download All

Tracking helps you understand whether recipients accessed the files.

Branding on the Transfer Recipient Page

Transfer recipient pages can display your company branding.

Branding may include:

• Company logo
• Company name
• Background color
• Social or website links

If branding is not configured, the page displays basic information such as:

• Shared by
• File size

To learn more, refer to: Set Up Neo Drive Branding

Storage Impact and Transfer Expiry

Transfers use additional storage separate from the original files in Neo Drive.

For example:

• If you create a 1 GB Transfer from files already stored in Drive
• The Transfer consumes an additional 1 GB until it expires.
• If the original files are deleted from Neo Drive after creating the Transfer, recipients can still access the files included in the Transfer until it expires.

After the Transfer expires:

• The Transfer storage is automatically freed
• All Transfer files are automatically deleted after expiry or deletion, so storage is freed without requiring manual cleanup.
• The original files in Neo Drive remain unaffected.

Feel free to contact us at hello@neo.space if you need any assistance with Neo Drive Transfers.