Why can’t you share database backups as email attachments?
A small table may fit in an email. A full backup of a store, application, or accounting database won’t. Plain SQL text can be hundreds of MB, a compressed dump can be several GB, and a SQL Server .bak file can be tens of GB. Gmail does not accept attachments over 25 MB, and Outlook does not accept attachments over approximately 20 MB.
Splitting the file won’t solve the problem. If one part is missing, the restore stops halfway through. We don’t reassemble those parts. Using a shared drive means dealing with accounts, quotas, and indefinite access. A link lets the recipient download a copy of the backup within a set period.
The file the recipient imports into their server should be the backup you exported.
| Method | What happens | Suitable for a dump? |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail or Outlook attachment | Attachments over 20–25 MB won’t send | Not suitable |
| Splitting the backup | A missing part breaks the restore | Not suitable |
| Shared drive | Requires an account and storage quota | Use with care |
| Having us connect to a live server | We don’t access servers | Not available |
| SendGB link | The file is not opened or sent as an attachment | Suitable for delivery |
The example above is a store backup that fits within the free limit: a compressed full dump, the table structure, a user list, and two short notes. Years of raw transaction data would be larger than the backup in this example.
Opening a backup vs. sending it unchanged
Restoring means importing the file into the recipient’s own database. The recipient’s server handles that. We don’t. We don’t convert a MySQL backup to PostgreSQL or a .sql file to a .bak file.
You also handle the export. Common commands are mysqldump for MySQL and pg_dump for PostgreSQL. You create a SQL Server backup with your own tool. We don’t run these commands. We don’t connect to your server.
A version mismatch or a server-specific command in the file can cause restore errors. Include the database engine and version in a note. We don’t fix these issues.
| Converted or cleaned-up copy | Backup sent unchanged | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Adapt it for another engine | Restore it in the same environment |
| Contents | Rows or commands may change | The file you exported |
| Compression | Your responsibility | We don’t open .sql.gz files |
| Restoring | The recipient’s responsibility | We don’t attempt it |
| What we do | We don’t convert or clean up files | We leave the file untouched |
SQLite is different. The database is already a single file. A copy made while the application has the file open may be corrupted. Make the copy with the application closed. We don’t lock the file or reduce its size.
What should you include with the backup?
A full dump may be a single file. Without a version note, the recipient will import it into the wrong server.
| File | Purpose | If missing |
|---|---|---|
| Full dump | Tables and rows | Nothing to restore |
| Schema file | Table structure without rows | The recipient cannot view the structure separately |
| User list | Accounts, if stored separately | Logins may be missing |
| Checksum | Check whether the download is incomplete | A corrupted file is detected late |
| Short note | Engine, version, and date | Imported into the wrong server |
The schema defines the structure of the tables. It contains no sales or customer rows. You put these files in the same folder. We don’t extract tables from the dump. When the recipient downloads the entire transfer, the folder structure stays intact. See the folder transfer guide for details.
A backup may contain customer data, password information, or payment records. Protect the link with a password. Send the password separately from the link. If the file has its own password, share it in that same separate message. Don’t confuse the two. We don’t clean up the contents.
Sending an entire disk is a separate task. See the disk image guide. If you put the backup in a ZIP archive yourself, you can send it without opening the archive, as described in the ZIP transfer guide.
Is 5 GB enough for a database backup?
It is enough for a small application’s backup. It may not be enough for a table containing years of transactions. This limit does not mean we compress your file. Free transfers stop at 5 GB.
Plain SQL text often shrinks significantly when compressed. You handle the compression. Putting an existing .sql.gz or .bak file in a ZIP archive won’t reduce it much. We don’t open or recompress it.
If you save each table as a separate file, you may also hit the file count limit. Free transfers stop at 500 files. SendGB Extra and SendGB Exceed raise that limit to 2,500. A single dump won’t hit this limit.
| What you’re sending | Typical size | Which option is enough? |
|---|---|---|
| Small application dump | Under 5 GB | Free; up to 90 days for files up to 250 MB, 7 days above that |
| Large uncompressed SQL file | May shrink with compression | Free if it fits; otherwise SendGB Extra |
SQL Server .bak | Can be tens of GB | SendGB Extra, 500 GB per transfer |
| Full backup covering years of data | Can be hundreds of GB | SendGB Extra or SendGB Exceed |
| Dump over 1 TB | A single file | Won’t fit in a single transfer |
SendGB Extra starts at €29.90 per year. It includes 1 TB of storage. SendGB Extra keeps files for up to 1 year. It suits frequent transfers of large backups. The limit is 500 GB per transfer.
SendGB Exceed requires no membership. A 1 TB transfer costs €9.99. The code can be used once and is valid for 1 year. SendGB Exceed transfers stay available for 7 days. It is enough for an occasional single dump over 500 GB. We cannot send more than 1 TB as a single file.
Don’t make this link your only backup. Free transfers over 250 MB stay available for 7 days. Free transfers up to 250 MB stay available for up to 90 days. SendGB Extra keeps files for up to 1 year. Keep the original copy yourself.
If you enter your email address, you receive one notification when downloading starts. With email delivery, you are notified once per recipient. With link delivery, you are notified once per transfer. If the same person downloads again, you won’t receive another email. The notification does not confirm that the entire dump has downloaded or been restored.
How to send
- 1
Add the backup
Add your exported dump file to the upload box. You can include the schema, user list, and a short note in the same transfer. The free limit is 5 GB in total. If a single file exceeds that limit, you need SendGB Extra or SendGB Exceed.
- 2
Send the link
Email the link to the recipient or copy and paste it into a message. Protect the link with a password if the backup contains customer data. Send the password separately from the link. If you enter your email address, you receive one notification when downloading starts.
- 3
The recipient downloads
The recipient downloads from the link and does not create an account. The backup is not opened on the download page. They download the file and restore it to their own server. Free transfers over 250 MB stay available for 7 days. Free transfers up to 250 MB stay available for up to 90 days. SendGB Extra keeps files for up to 1 year.
What happens to your file?
- We leave the file untouched. We don’t open the dump, read its contents, or convert it for another database engine.
- SQL, SQL.GZ, BAK, DUMP, and SQLite files download unchanged.
- The accompanying schema, list, and note go in the same transfer.
- If you enter your email address, you receive one notification when someone starts downloading.
What we don’t do
- We don’t connect to your server. You handle exporting and restoring.
- We don’t remove personal data or passwords. We don’t resolve version differences.
- We don’t open compressed backups. More than 1 TB won’t fit in a single transfer.
- A download notification does not mean the backup has been restored.
Frequently asked questions
What is a database backup?
It is a copy of tables and their rows saved in a file, called a dump. An uncompressed copy usually has a .sql extension. A compressed copy uses .sql.gz. A SQL Server backup uses .bak, while SQLite is a single .sqlite or .db file. We send all of them without opening them.
Can a backup be corrupted during transfer?
We don’t open the file, read its contents, or convert it to another database format. We don’t convert a MySQL backup to PostgreSQL. An incompletely downloaded dump may not restore. We don’t verify that the download is complete. Calculate the checksum yourself and include it in a note.
Do you create the backup?
No. We don’t connect to your server. Common export commands are mysqldump for MySQL and pg_dump for PostgreSQL. You create a SQL Server backup with your own tool. We don’t run these commands. You send the finished file.
What if 5 GB isn’t enough?
The free transfer cannot accept a single file over 5 GB. Plain SQL text may shrink when compressed. You handle the compression. Putting an existing .sql.gz file in a ZIP archive won’t reduce it much. Don’t split it into parts. We don’t reassemble them.
Do you open .sql.gz files?
No. We transfer the compressed backup unchanged. We don’t extract the SQL inside. The recipient downloads the file and opens it with their own tool. We don’t compress plain .sql files either.
Can the recipient view the backup on the page?
No. SQL, BAK, and SQLite files are not opened on the download page. The recipient downloads the file and restores it to their own server. Restoring means importing the file into the database. We don’t do that. The recipient downloads from the link and does not create an account.
Do you remove customer data from the backup?
No. We leave rows, passwords, and payment records untouched. The schema defines the structure of the tables. We don’t strip that out either. If the backup contains personal data, protect the link with a password. Send the password separately from the link. If the file has its own password, you are responsible for that too.
Why won’t Gmail accept it?
Gmail does not accept attachments over 25 MB, and Outlook does not accept attachments over approximately 20 MB. A dump is far larger than these limits. A link is not an attachment. The file is not included in the message. No add-on is needed.
Will I be notified when the recipient starts downloading?
Yes, if you enter your email address. With email delivery, you are notified once per recipient. With link delivery, you are notified once per transfer. The notification tells you that downloading has started. It does not confirm that the entire file has downloaded. It does not mean the database has been restored.
Which transfer limit should I choose?
A dump under 5 GB can be sent for free. Free transfers over 250 MB stay available for 7 days. Free transfers up to 250 MB stay available for up to 90 days. Larger backups need SendGB Extra: 500 GB per transfer, 1 TB of storage, starting at €29.90 per year. SendGB Extra keeps files for up to 1 year. For a single dump over 500 GB, SendGB Exceed is enough: no membership required, €9.99 for a 1 TB transfer, and a single-use code valid for 1 year. SendGB Exceed transfers stay available for 7 days. More than 1 TB won’t fit in a single transfer. Don’t make this link your only backup.
Send a download link, not a database backup attachment
A small dump may fit within 5 GB. You can send a full backup up to 500 GB with SendGB Extra, or up to 1 TB in a single transfer with SendGB Exceed.
Start sending