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Your First Upload

Let’s get a file into your GolemDrive. It only takes a few seconds, and you’ll see the encryption happen right in front of you.

There are two ways to upload:

  1. Click the upload button in the top corner of your dashboard and pick a file from your computer.
  2. Drag and drop — grab a file from your desktop or file explorer and drop it anywhere on the dashboard.

Either way works great. Pick whichever feels more natural.

As soon as you select a file, you’ll see a progress indicator. Here’s what’s happening behind the scenes:

  1. Your file is encrypted on your device — right in your browser, your file gets scrambled using a key that only you have
  2. The encrypted data is uploaded — the scrambled version travels to our servers
  3. Done — your file is safely stored, and nobody but you can read it

The whole thing usually takes just a few seconds for normal-sized files. Larger files might take a bit longer depending on your internet speed.

Once the upload finishes, your file appears in your file list. Click on it to open a preview — images, PDFs, videos, and many other file types can be viewed right in your browser without downloading anything.

The preview works because your browser decrypts the file on the fly, just for you. The file on our servers stays encrypted the whole time.

Want to show someone that file you just uploaded? Here’s how:

  1. Right-click the file (or click the menu icon next to it)
  2. Choose Share
  3. A share link is created — copy it and send it to anyone

The person you share with can view or download the file through that link. You can also add a password, set an expiry date, or limit the number of downloads if you want extra control.

Check out the sharing guide for all the details.

Your file is now stored in GolemDrive, encrypted so that only you can access it. The original file on your computer is untouched — GolemDrive made an encrypted copy in the cloud.

A few things to know:

  • Your file is private by default. Nobody can see it unless you share it.
  • You can access it from any device by logging into your GolemDrive account.
  • You can organize files into folders, just like on your computer. Try creating a folder and dragging files into it.