Just a very quick tip. Dropbox is a useful tool for sharing large files, I use it with my client’s quite a bit.
One thing I do not like is the length of the URL it gives you to share, they can be longer than the average length of a line of email text, spaces in file names become %20, and honestly long URL links are just plain ugly.
Fortunately, Dropbox creates shortened URLs for you, they just don’t show you where they are! Basically if you opt to share the file link via Twitter, you’ll see the short version, which you can email or share in other ways too.
Just to make it really clear, here’s a short video I made showing how it’s done.
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That was very useful. Thank you.
Glad to be of help! That is, after all, why I’m here. 🙂
Thanks a lot, very very very useful hint 🙂
Wow – easy that way and I had tried bit.ly and it would 404 me.
Thanks!
Do you know if these short links are permanent, i.e. if I put them on my printed business cards (link to my portfolio) will they remain fresh and working for several years to come? Thanks
I’ve certainly used some for well over 24 months–so while I can’t make any promises…you should be fine!
Couldn’t believe it! it was that easy.
Thanks a lot for sharing.
An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague who had
been doing a little research on this. And he in fact bought me lunch because I discovered it for him…
lol. So let me reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!!
But yeah, thanks for spending the time to share the shortening trick.
Thank you! As with all the best tips, it was concise and it works! 🙂
Nice tip!
I wish it was available directly inside the Dropbox application
Wow that was strange. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up.
Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say great blog!
Great tip! Would have been a great 10 second video, too. Spent almost a minute explaining to me why I was here!
Fair comment! Initially I made the video for my mailing list subscribers, so had to do a bit of introduction. Next time I’ll make different versions for multiple audiences.
Cheers!
Does this feature still work? cannot find the feature
I’m afraid Dropbox has actually changed things now.
I’ve gone back to using third-party sites like goo.gl
You can still, or at least I can, use dropbox to shorten URLS, but it only seems to work this way.
1. user has to have public folder enabled, google enable public folder dropbox
2. user has to place file in dropbox public folder
3. user has to right click file on dropbox.com and use copy public link (not share) and than you will see shorten url option
OUCH! but it works on individual files not folders placed in dropbox public folder. If you are viewing this months after the post and it does not work for you, that would be because dropbox made yet another adjustment.
thanks pete!
i found one more while googling. there is a site http://dpbx.in which gives you short url’s for dropbox along with other services. you should check them out!
Hello would you mind letting me know which webhost you’re using?
I’ve loaded your blog in 3 completely different internet
browsers and I must say this blog loads a lot faster then most.
Can you recommend a good hosting provider at a reasonable price?
Thanks, I appreciate it!
Gladly–it’s hosted on my own! Webtique UK Hosting.