What remote upload means
Normally moving a file from one website to another takes two trips. First you download it to your device, then you upload it to the new place. On a slow home connection, a hotel Wi-Fi network or a phone plan, that doubles the pain — and a 4 GB file may never finish at all.
Remote upload, also called URL upload or transload, removes your device from the route. You give upload.am the address of the file; our servers connect to that address, fetch the file on their fast connection and store it in your account. Your computer can even be switched off while it happens.
Once the file arrives it behaves like any other file in your cabinet: you can organise it into a folder, preview it, rename it and share it with a password, a download limit or an expiry.
When remote upload is the right tool
Moving files between hosts
Migrate files from another file host, an old server or a temporary link before it expires, without a detour through your laptop.
Working on a phone or a slow connection
Start the transfer from your phone with a single paste. The server does the heavy lifting.
Big files from a direct link
Datasets, installers, ISO images, video exports and archives that already have a direct URL.
Collecting material from a team
Colleagues send you direct links to deliverables hosted elsewhere; you collect them in one account and share a single link.
Keeping a copy
Save a file you rely on before the original link disappears, and keep it under your own retention rules.
Sharing with controls
Turn any public file into a link with password, limit and expiry, even if the original host offers none of those.
How it works behind the scenes
You paste a link that starts with http or https. upload.am first checks the address. For your safety and ours, links that point to private or internal network addresses are refused, and so are addresses that contain embedded credentials. This protects the service from being used to reach internal systems.
If the link passes, the transfer is queued and runs in the background. You can keep working or close the tab. When the file is ready it appears in your cabinet in the folder you chose. If something goes wrong — the link is dead, the file is too large for your plan or the other server refuses the request — we email you, so you are never left guessing.
The usual plan limits apply, as with any upload. The fetched file counts toward your storage, and its size must fit within your plan’s per-file limit. On the Free plan that means up to 25 GB of storage and 5 GB per file.
What you need for it to work
- A direct link to the file — the address should start the download itself, not open a web page with a download button.
- A public link that does not need you to be signed in to the other site. Links that require a login on that site cannot be fetched.
- An upload.am account. Remote upload lives in the cabinet, so register for free if you have not already.
- Enough free storage and a file within your plan’s size limit.
- File types that are allowed on the service. Executable and script formats are blocked, in line with the service rules.
Please only transfer files you have the right to copy. Content that infringes copyright is removed, and abuse reports are handled under our terms.
After the transfer: organise, preview and share
Remote upload is only the first step. After the file arrives, use the cabinet to place it into a folder, preview images, video and PDFs in your browser and keep older copies as versions. Group several fetched files under one link for multiple files and send the set to a client.
If the material is photos and video, the photo and video gallery shows them with thumbnails and a built-in player, so you can check what you fetched without downloading it.
How to upload a file from a URL
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1
Sign in to your cabinet
Remote upload is part of your account. Create a free account if you do not have one.
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2
Paste the direct link
Open Remote download in the cabinet, paste the file address and optionally choose a destination folder.
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3
Press Fetch
The transfer starts in the background. You can keep using the cabinet or close the page.
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4
Find the file in your account
When the transfer is done, the file appears in your cabinet. Share it, organise it or preview it.
Frequently asked questions
What is remote upload?
It lets you save a file to your storage by giving a direct link instead of uploading from your device. Our servers download the file for you.
Is remote upload free?
Yes. It is included on the Free plan. The fetched file uses your normal storage and must fit within your per-file limit.
Does the file go through my computer?
No. The transfer runs on our servers, so it does not use your device’s bandwidth, and your computer can be offline while it runs.
Which links are supported?
Public direct links that start with http or https. Links that need a login, point to a private address or contain embedded credentials are not accepted.
What happens if the transfer fails?
You receive an email explaining that the file could not be fetched, so you can fix the link or try another way.
How big can the file be?
As big as your plan allows per file: 5 GB on Free, and much more on paid plans. It must also fit in your remaining storage.
Can I use remote upload without an account?
It is part of the cabinet, so you need an account. Registration is free and takes under a minute. Without an account you can still upload files from your device using the box on this page.