Why is Outlook’s attachment size limit lower than Gmail’s?
Outlook’s commonly cited attachment size limit is around 20 MB. Company email administrators may lower this limit. The message may appear to have been sent on your end. The recipient’s server may silently reject it. A 42 MB contract carries this risk too.
Reducing the attachment size can damage the drawings. A link takes up just a few lines in the message body. The attachment filter has no file to check.
| Method | 42 MB contract |
|---|---|
| Outlook attachment | Blocked at 20 MB or less |
| Company policy | Even 15 MB may be rejected |
| OneDrive sharing | Permissions and a Microsoft account |
| Outlook add-in | None |
| Link pasted into the message | Goes through |
The example above is a contract package: the main PDF, a drawing, a signature image, a short summary, and a note.
No add-in. Just paste the link.
Some transfer sites add a button to Outlook. We do not. You complete the transfer on the website. Copy the link. Paste it into a new Outlook message. No file is attached to the message.
| What an add-in promises | What you do | |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | An app in Outlook | None |
| Administrator | Company deployment | Not needed |
| File | Still stored somewhere | On the download page |
| Recipient | No account required | No account required |
| 20 MB | Bypassed | There is no attachment to begin with |
If you enter your own email address for the transfer, you are notified once when someone starts downloading. If the same person downloads again, you do not receive another email.
OneDrive is company storage
Outlook may ask you to upload a large file to OneDrive. The file then stays in your company’s or your own Microsoft storage. Recipients outside the company may face invitation, permission, or account requirements. If you forget to end access, the file remains stored.
| OneDrive | Link | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Microsoft account | Time-limited transfer |
| External recipient | May need permission | Downloads from the link without creating an account |
| Company policy | An administrator may restrict access | Does not go through the attachment filter |
| Availability | May remain until you end access | Up to 250 MB: 90 days; over 250 MB: 7 days |
| What we do | We do not upload to OneDrive | We do not alter the file |
For sending through Gmail, see send large files through Gmail. For contracts in PDF format, see send large PDF files.
Which transfer limit is enough for company email?
Send 42 MB for free. No sign-up is required. Files stay available for up to 90 days. If your company sends large files every day, SendGB Extra is a simpler option. It starts at €29.90 per year. Depending on the plan, the transfer limit reaches up to 500 GB. SendGB Extra keeps files for up to 1 year.
| Need | Method |
|---|---|
| One contract, 42 MB | Free link |
| Company attachment limit of 10 MB | Still use a link; do not force it through as an attachment |
| Over 5 GB | SendGB Exceed or SendGB Extra |
| Recipient’s Microsoft account | Not required |
| Installing an add-in | None |
Do not attach the file in Outlook. Send the link.
How to send
- 1
Add the file to the upload box
Add the contract that may exceed Outlook’s attachment limit to the upload box. The free transfer limit is 5 GB. No sign-up is required for 42 MB.
- 2
Paste the link into your message
Open a new message. Do not use the paperclip icon. Paste the link into the message body. Do not put the password in the same message.
- 3
The recipient downloads
The recipient downloads from the link and does not create a Microsoft account. Free transfers up to 250 MB stay available for up to 90 days. Free transfers over 250 MB stay available for 7 days. Files are not compressed.
What happens to your file?
- The file is not an Outlook attachment. The company’s filter does not see an attachment.
- No OneDrive access permissions are needed.
- The PDF and drawing download unchanged.
- If you entered your email address, you are notified once when the download starts.
What we don’t do
- There is no Outlook add-in. There is no button to install from AppSource.
- We cannot raise your company’s attachment size limit.
- A file over 5 GB exceeds the free transfer limit.
- A download notification does not mean the contract has been approved.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Outlook attachment size limit?
For most Outlook accounts, the attachment size limit is around 20 MB. Your company’s Exchange administrator may lower it further. Even a 15 MB attachment may be rejected by the recipient’s email system. Sending a link avoids this limit.
Do I need to install an add-in?
No. There is no SendGB add-in for Outlook. You create the transfer on the website. You paste the link into your message. There is no app for your administrator to deploy.
Is uploading to OneDrive the same thing?
No. OneDrive stores the file in your Microsoft account. The recipient needs access permission and often a Microsoft account. With a SendGB link, the recipient downloads from the link and does not create an account. Files stay available for up to 90 days.
Can company email block the link too?
An attachment filter checks files inside the message. A link is not an attachment. Still, some companies separately restrict unknown addresses. We cannot bypass those restrictions. Because the message stays small, it does not hit the attachment limit.
Does the recipient need Outlook?
No. The link opens in Gmail, a phone’s email app, or a browser. The recipient downloads from the link and does not create a SendGB account.
Can recipients open Word and PDF files?
A PDF can open on the download page. A Word file does not open as a document on the page. The recipient opens it on their own computer. We do not convert the file.
How is this different from Gmail?
Gmail’s attachment limit is 25 MB. Outlook’s limit is often 20 MB, and a company may lower it further. There is no add-in for either. Paste the download link into your Outlook or Gmail message.
Where should I put the password?
Do not put it in the message containing the link. Send the password separately from the link. Use a separate channel. If the contract has its own password, do not confuse the two passwords.
Does a download notification confirm approval?
No. If you entered your email address, you are notified once when the download starts. With email delivery, you are notified once per recipient. With link delivery, you are notified once per transfer. This does not confirm that the contract has been signed.
Do I need SendGB Extra for 42 MB?
No. No sign-up is required for transfers up to 5 GB. Free transfers up to 250 MB stay available for up to 90 days. Free transfers over 250 MB stay available for 7 days. For frequent, larger transfers, SendGB Extra starts at €29.90 per year. For a one-time transfer over 5 GB, you need SendGB Exceed.
Send a download link instead of attaching the file in Outlook
A 42 MB contract package exceeds the company’s attachment size limit. Send it with a link without signing up.
Start sending