Quick answer: Gmail lets you send up to 25 MB of attachments per email, all files added together. You can receive emails up to 50 MB. Anything bigger is turned into a Google Drive link, or you can upload the file to a transfer service and paste the download link into your email.
You have written the email, attached the file and pressed send, and Gmail stops you: the attachment is too big. It happens to everyone who works with video, photos, design files or long PDFs. The good news is that the limit is easy to get around once you know how it works.
What exactly is Gmail’s limit?
As of October 2026, Gmail’s limits are:
- Sending: 25 MB in total per email. If you attach three 10 MB files, you are over the limit.
- Receiving: up to 50 MB per email, but only if the sender’s provider allows it. Most do not, so in practice 20 to 25 MB is the safe ceiling.
- Blocked file types: Gmail refuses some file types for security, such as .exe, .msi, .bat and .js files, even when they are inside a ZIP.
One detail catches people out: the 25 MB is measured after the email is encoded for sending, which makes attachments roughly a third bigger. A 20 MB file can be rejected even though it looks well under the limit.
What Gmail does when a file is too big
When you attach a file over 25 MB, Gmail uploads it to your Google Drive and puts a Drive link in the email instead. That works, with a few catches:
- The file counts against your Google storage. Free accounts get 15 GB shared between Gmail, Drive and Google Photos.
- The link uses your Drive sharing settings. If the file is private, Gmail asks whether to share it with the recipients. If you skip that step, they see a “request access” page.
- The file stays in your Drive until you delete it. Old attachments quietly fill your storage.
For regular sharing with colleagues who also use Google, this is fine. For sending to a client or someone outside your organisation, a simple download link is usually cleaner.
4 ways to send bigger files from Gmail
1. Paste a transfer link into your email
Upload the file to a file transfer service, copy the link and paste it into your Gmail message. The recipient clicks it and downloads the file, with no Google account needed.
With Nashr you can send up to 2 GB per transfer, choose an expiry of 1 hour, 24 hours or 7 days, and add a password. After uploading, the email button opens a new email with the link already in it. Nothing is stored in your Gmail or Drive, and the file deletes itself when the link expires.
2. Let Gmail use Google Drive
If you and the recipient both live in Google’s world, let Gmail switch to a Drive link. Make sure you choose to share the file with the recipients when Gmail asks, and remember to clean up your Drive later.
3. Compress the file
If the file is just over the limit and it is a document, spreadsheet or folder of mixed files, a ZIP might bring it under 25 MB. Videos, MP3s and JPEG photos barely shrink, because they are already compressed. For a long PDF, try exporting it with smaller images.
4. Split it across several emails
As a last resort, you can send files in batches, each under 25 MB. It works, but it is easy for the recipient to miss one, and it fills their inbox. A single link is almost always better.
Tip: turn on the download alert when you upload to Nashr. We email you when the files are downloaded, so you know your client actually got them.
Which option should you pick?
| File | Best way to send from Gmail |
|---|---|
| Document or spreadsheet just over 25 MB | Compress it into a ZIP |
| Video, raw photos or design files | Paste a transfer link |
| Shared work file your team will edit | Google Drive link |
| Many files for one person | One transfer link with all files, or a ZIP |
| Something private | Transfer link with a password and short expiry |
Why not just raise the limit?
You cannot change Gmail’s limit, even on a paid Google Workspace plan. And even if Gmail allowed bigger files, the person you are writing to might not. Outlook.com, for example, stops at 20 MB, so a 22 MB email from Gmail could bounce on their side. Links avoid that problem entirely, because the email itself stays tiny.
Too big for Gmail? Upload it to Nashr and paste the link into your email. Free up to 2 GB, no sign-up.
For more ways to move big files, including QR codes and file requests, see how to send large files for free.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum attachment size in Gmail?
25 MB per email for sending, counting all attachments together. You can receive emails up to 50 MB if the sender’s email service allows it.
Why does Gmail say my 20 MB file is too big?
Attachments grow by about a third when they are encoded for email, so a 20 MB file can end up over the 25 MB limit. Use a download link instead.
How do I send a 100 MB file through Gmail?
Upload it to Google Drive or a transfer service like Nashr, then paste the link into your email. The recipient downloads it from the link.
Can I email an .exe file with Gmail?
No. Gmail blocks program files such as .exe, .msi and .bat, even inside a ZIP. Nashr also blocks program files such as .exe and .msi, for the same safety reasons.
Does a Google Drive link expire?
No, a Drive link works until you delete the file or change the sharing settings. If you want the file to disappear on its own, use a transfer link with an expiry.
