You don't have to, of course (though repeating key points from attachments inside emails themselves helps get those points across, in particular with recipients who loathe attached files). You don't have to fear rejection of your emails due to a overly large attachments either in Mozilla Thunderbird — or the wrath of a recipient whose mailbox has been jammed.
Send Attachments Using a File Sending Service in Mozilla Thunderbird
To send a file attachment using a file sending service from Mozilla Thunderbird instead of included in full with the email:
- Make sure you have set up a file sending service for use in Mozilla Thunderbird. (See below.)
- Select File | Attach | Filelink | <file sending service> from the menu while composing a message.
- You can also click the down arrow next to the Attach button in the message's toolbar and select Filelink | <file sending service> from the menu that comes up.
- Wait for the file to finish uploading to the file sending service.
- A link to the file will appear in the message's body, and the file will show up in the attachment area as well.
- Do not delete the file in the attachment area.
- You can edit and even delete the text added to the message body. Do include the link to the file download location, though. (Mozilla Thunderbird will send the link in encoded form even if you remove all text from the message body, but recipients can have a hard time finding the promised attachment and file.)
- Send the message.
Mozilla Thunderbird may also suggest Filelink when you include an attachment in the traditional manner:
- Add the file to the email using the Attach button or by dragging and dropping the file or files to and onto the message.
- Click Link under This is a large file. It might be better to use Filelink instead..
Set Up a File Sending Service for Use with Mozilla Thunderbird
To add a file sharing service to Mozilla Thunderbird for sending documents:
- Select Tools | Options… (Windows), Edit | Preferences (Linux) or Thunderbird | Preferences… (Mac) from the menu in Mozilla Thunderbird.
- If you do not see the menu, try holding down the Alt key.
- Open the Attachments category.
- Go to the Outgoing tab.
- Click Add.
- Select the desired file sending service under Set up Filelink.
- Enter your account name at the service under Username:.
- Click Set up Account.
- Type your file sending service password under Enter your password for ___ on ___:.
- Make sure Offer to share for files larger than ___ MB is checked.
- Enter "0" to have Mozilla Thunderbird suggest Filelink file sending service for all attachments.
- You can always send a file using Filelink even if its size does not trigger Mozilla Thunderbird's suggestion, of course.
(Updated September 2012)
