Create Protected Confidential Download Links Step by Step
Flip the file to "Public" viewer mode Secondary-tap the file → "Get link" → "Change to anyone with the link" → set role to "View-only" → "Apply". The URL now ends in /view?usp=sharing and pops in locked mode for every visitor, zero login required. Leave "Can edit" grayed unless you want surprise changes. If the file sits inside a private folder, reset the folder link to "Private" first; otherwise the upstream permission trumps the single-file setting.
Secondary-click the document inside the shared folder, pick Link options → Anyone, flip the permission to Viewer, copy the link, paste it into Discord or Coda—finished. No archives, no 24-hour expiries, no 15-meg inbox caps.
Flip on "Audit log" in the same popup–every attempt saves IP, UA, timestamp, success flag. Download as .csv nightly via the clock icon. Define retry ceiling: five strikes trigger a 900-sec lockout; IP is thrown into a daily block roster you can purge on demand. Rotate credentials at midnight: hit "Refresh" to mint a new 32-char string; old URL serves 410 Dead within 30 s.
Want to cancel a single visitor? Tap the paperclip icon → "Valid invites" → delete next to the address; the auth is voided in create Google Drive direct Link respects the first dimension parameter and auto-compresses above 2 560 px, so cage width below that threshold to escape quality loss. Bookmarklet version: javascript:location.href=location.href.replace('/file/d/','/uc?id=').replace(//view.*/,'')–yank it to the toolbar, one-click grab.
If the raw address already contains /view, copy nothing else—just trim everything after the ID Turbo-charge: Apps like Power Automate or Hammerspoon will paste the exact timestamp through just one keystroke. Archive: Drag all time-stamped copies into a folder labeled "_frozen" so they never mess up working drafts. Inspect: A rapid sort by name reveals every frozen version chronologically–no need to launch version history.