OneDrive 2016 Direct File Download URL Maker

Update for 2024  - Metadata Consulting [dot] ca: OneDrive Direct Download Link Generator for 2024 Breaking API Change

Microsoft OneDrive Direct File Download URL Maker

I get asked all the time to by my clients to provide a way to direct download URL to a file and NOT preview the file, especially if the file is large. It's often very confusing for novice users to have preview mode of file, such as PDF files which launch a separate user interface. Moreover, if the file is over 100Mb, the preview appears too slowly for most users, and they'll abandon the file.

So I came up with this mini "App", it takes a OneDrive Share Link and returns the direct download URL for that file.

Enjoy! The original download maker, accept no other.



Microsoft OneDrive Direct File Download URL Maker

1. Right-click on item in Onedrive, Choose Embed
2. Click Generate button
3. Get Embed code from Onedrive as in picture above. i.e.: <iframe src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=8F99649728BEB2F3&resid=8F99649728BEB2F3%211010&authkey=AFo8ZQ_-qj84DEQ" width="98" height="120" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>  see instructions below, if you don't know how. NOTE : For images there an extra step below.

New 17-Jan-17: Paste Embed Code 3 here

This will get the File Embed Link: https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=8F99649728BEB2F3&resid=8F99649728BEB2F3%211010&authkey=AFo8ZQ_-qj84DEQ and populate the textbox below, click "Get Download Link" button.

OR Paste (ctrl-v) your OneDrive File Embed Link in textbox below and click "Get Download Link" button below


4. Click on Get Download Link button.
Textbox will be highlighted so you can copy the full link. To copy, right-click and choose  "Copy" or simply (ctrl-c) to copy link. Note: Entire URL is automatic selected for your convenience.

 


Now you can Paste (ctrl-v) and share the OneDrive Share Direct Download Link in your email ;)

How to get a Microsoft OneDrive Embed Code (see instructions and images below)

1. Goto OneDrive (https://onedrive.live.com/)
2. Upload you file
   
   
3. Right-click to "Embed" your uploaded file 
   
   
4. Click Generate HTML Button.
   
   
5. Copy and Paste HTML Code to Notepad
   
   
6. Copy the all the embed code ie. <iframe src="embed link"... >...</iframe> and paste into textbox here
   
   
   
   Click Get embed link button to get the embed link and copy (ctrl-c).
7. Paste (crtl-v) the file link into OneDrive Embed Link textbox above and click "Get Download Url" button. Proceed as usual.
8. Right-click and "Copy" or simply press ctrl-c keys to copy the link to your clipboard.
9. Now Paste (ctrl-v) the OneDrive Share Direct Download Link in emails to share!
10. Done!

API Change for Images 

1. Right-click to "Share" your uploaded file
   
   
2. Pop-up will appear and choose "Get a link", click "Create link" dark blue button.
   
3. Right-click and "Copy" the highlighted link.  Updated June 07, 2016 API change.
   
4. You should get a similar "shortened" url as this
   
   https://1drv.ms/i/s!AvOyviiXZJmPlSc1CjtKuwc_gqVu
   
   Paste into http://www.linkexpander.com/ and copy that URL.
   
   
    
5. Resulting url looks like this  https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=8F99649728BEB2F3!2727&authkey=!ADUKO0q7Bz-CpW4&ithint=photo%2cjpg
6. Paste link into OneDrive Share Link textbox and click "Get Download Url" button.
7. Right-click and choose "Select all" and "Copy".
8. Paste the OneDrive Share Direct Download Link in emails instead.
9. "Shorten link" was a feature in the old API windows now gone, June 07, 2016.  This is done by default now.
   
   
10. OR for image only 

1. Updated June 07, 2016 API change! Right-click Embed now gives you direct download URL! So you do not need to do the above! 

Google Chrome Warning: Very large PDF files do not preview in Chrome

• 

PDF files approx. over 100Mb in size, do not preview in Chrome, and you get a splash page to "For the best experience, open this PDF portfolio in Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader"

You have to save the file first then open in Adobe Acrobat/Reader.




Microsoft OneDrive Sharing Feature

Here's a sample OneDrive Embed Link to your file;

• https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=8F99649728BEB2F3!2737&authkey=!ACnO8wuwLQ07PqI&v=3&ithint=photo%2cgif

It should look something like URL above and must contain the required file id (resid), authentication key (authkey) and file type (ithint). We'll use this link to get a direct file download.
Microsoft OneDrive Consumer product offering;

1. Anyone with a Microsoft Account will only get 5GB of free storage, instead of 15GB in 2016.
2. OneDrive has increased the maximum size for a file to be uploaded from 2GB to 10GB.
3. OneDrive syncing limit of 20,000 files, you can upload more individually. 

Note: that for OneDrive for Business File Share Link is the download link by default;)


Bonus : For images, read Using OneDrive as a Content Delivery Network (CDN)