Receive Files Securely With Browser-Based Upload Links

1483 words Human made

Published 2026-10-19 12:40:18.396701 by Carsten Blum

Getting files into your storage should not require explaining SFTP, creating temporary user accounts or asking someone to install FileZilla. With Receive files, ftpGrid now lets you create secure upload links that allow customers, partners and colleagues to send files directly to your ftpGrid storage using their browser. Create the link, configure the rules, and send it to whoever needs to upload files.

No FTP client. No ftpGrid account. No protocol configuration. Just a link.

Receive Files Securely With Browser-Based Upload Links Image is AI generated

A simpler way to receive files

FTP and SFTP are excellent protocols for automated transfers and recurring integrations. But they are not always the best interface for a human being who just needs to send you a file.

Consider a few common scenarios:

A customer needs to send a large data export to your support team.
An external accountant needs to upload monthly reports.
A supplier periodically sends inventory files.
A partner needs to deliver documents to an automated workflow.
A colleague needs to securely transfer files that are too large or sensitive for email.

Traditionally, you might create an FTP or SFTP account, send connection details and explain how to connect.

With an upload link, you instead send something like:

https://ftpgrid.com/receive/<secure-link>/

The recipient opens the link, selects or drags files into the browser, and the files are uploaded directly to the destination folder you configured.

That's it.

Works directly in the browser

The upload interface requires no special software. It works in modern browsers on Windows, macOS and Linux, as well as mobile devices such as iPhones and Android phones. Recipients can select files using their device or simply drag and drop them into the upload area on desktop. The browser uploads the files directly to your ftpGrid storage and displays upload progress while the transfer is running. This makes upload links particularly useful when the person sending the file is not technical — or when you simply don't want to provision another FTP/SFTP account.

You control what can be uploaded

An upload link is more than a public upload button. When creating a link, you can define exactly how it should behave.

Configure upload links

Choose the destination folder

Select where uploaded files should be stored.

For example: /incoming/customers/acme/

If the folder does not already exist, it can be created when files are received. The upload page does not expose the contents of the destination folder. Recipients can send files to it, but they cannot browse or download files already stored there.

Customize the upload page

Each link can have its own heading, allowing you to make its purpose obvious to the recipient.

For example: Upload monthly sales reports or Send files to the Acme support team

The upload page also displays the company name associated with your ftpGrid account, helping recipients confirm who they are sending their files to.

Protect the link with authentication

For uploads requiring an additional layer of access control, you can protect the page with a username and password. This means possession of the URL alone does not necessarily grant access to the upload page.

Automatically expire links

Upload links do not have to exist forever. You can configure a link to expire on a specific date, after a certain number of uploads, or whichever condition is reached first.

For example, you could create a link that:

expires in seven days,
expires after one successful upload,
or remains available for recurring file deliveries.

This is useful for temporary exchanges where you do not want old upload links remaining active indefinitely.

Restrict file types

You can control which types of files recipients are allowed to upload.

For example: *.zip, *.doc, *.png

Leave the filter empty and the link accepts all file types. This can be useful when an automated process expects a specific format, such as CSV or ZIP files, or when you simply want to prevent unrelated files from being submitted.

Set a maximum file size

Each upload link can have its own maximum file size.

For example: 10MB or 2GB

The limit is also constrained by the maximum upload size available with your ftpGrid plan. This gives you another safeguard when creating upload links for external users.

Upload links and SFTP solve different problems

Receive files is not intended to replace FTP or SFTP. For automated system-to-system transfers, scheduled jobs and integrations, SFTP remains an excellent choice. Upload links solve the other side of the problem: receiving files from people.

Instead of:

Person → FTP client → SFTP account → ftpGrid

you can use:

Person → Browser → Upload link → ftpGrid

And because the resulting file is stored in your normal ftpGrid storage, the rest of your workflow does not have to change. A file received through an upload link can subsequently be accessed through FTP, FTPS, SFTP, SCP, HTTPS or the ftpGrid REST API just like any other file in your account.

From human upload to automated workflow

This is where upload links become particularly useful. Imagine a business process where customers periodically need to submit files for processing. The customer should not need to understand your infrastructure.

They simply receive a link:

Customer → Browser → ftpGrid

Your application can handle everything that happens afterwards:

ftpGrid → Webhook → Application → Processing

The person uploading the file gets a simple browser interface, while your backend can continue using APIs, webhooks or file-transfer protocols. It creates a clean boundary between a human-facing upload experience and an automated backend workflow.

No temporary accounts to manage

One of the less obvious advantages is that upload links can significantly reduce account management. Without them, receiving a file from an external party often means creating an SFTP user, generating or exchanging credentials, configuring permissions and eventually remembering to remove the account again. That makes perfect sense for a long-running integration. It is unnecessary overhead for someone who needs to send you three files. With Receive files, the upload link itself represents the workflow. Give it a destination, restrict it as needed, set an expiration rule and share it. When it is no longer needed, remove it.

Available in ftpGrid, in all pricing tiers

Receive files is available directly from the ftpGrid control panel. Create an upload link, choose the destination folder, configure any restrictions you need, and share the generated URL with your recipient. Receive files, or upload links, are available in all ftpGrid pricing tiers, also free.

For recurring automated transfers, continue using FTP, FTPS, SFTP, SCP, HTTPS or our REST API.

For everyone else, send them a link. Receiving files really can be that simple.