How Golden Drop delivers a file
Golden Drop is the delivery layer between an AI-created artifact and the person who needs the finished file. The AI uses Golden once, Drop stores the delivered copy temporarily, and the recipient gets a browser download link.
What happens when an AI sends a file with Golden Drop?
The AI uses the existing Golden connection and calls the built-in share_files capability with the file or files it is allowed to deliver. Golden Drop stores a temporary server-side copy, returns a private download URL, and the recipient downloads the file without creating a Golden account.
AI output→share_files→Golden Drop→temporary URL→recipientThe current trusted Golden delivery path supports files up to 100 MiB each and uses a server-selected lifetime of 1 hour. The caller does not choose an arbitrary retention period.
Drop is built into Golden, not a second MCP setup
ChatGPT / MCP-compatible AI
↓
one Golden connection
share_files → temporary file deliveryFile delivery is target-independent. You do not need to pair a computer just to send an AI-generated file. Pair Golden Agent only when the AI also needs to read, write or execute on a computer or server.
From file to expiry in six steps
- The AI has the artifact.A report, image, archive, code bundle, exported data file or other ordinary non-secret file is available to the Golden tool call.
- Golden selects file delivery.The AI calls
share_files. It does not need to ask the user to open a separate Drop uploader. - Drop stores a temporary copy.The service generates a random storage object name and records metadata such as original filename, size, checksum and persisted expiry.
- A private URL is returned.The human-facing recipient page shows filename, size, expiry and a Download action. The recipient does not need an account.
- The recipient downloads an attachment.User-supplied files are served as attachments rather than rendered as executable Drop pages.
- Access expires.Every download checks the persisted expiry. After expiry, the link stops serving the file and cleanup removes the stored copy and metadata.
Single files stay single; multiple files become one archive
The live Golden share_files contract accepts up to 20 files in one delivery request. When there is one file, Golden delivers that file unchanged. When several files are supplied, Golden bundles them into one ZIP so the recipient gets one temporary link instead of a list of unrelated downloads.
An archive name may be supplied when the workflow needs a meaningful delivery name. This is useful for generated reports plus attachments, build outputs, screenshots plus logs, or several documents that belong to one handoff.
The share URL grants temporary access
A Golden Drop link is intentionally simple: the recipient does not sign in. That also means the URL itself is sensitive. Anyone who has the valid access URL before it expires can retrieve the delivered file.
Download access and early-deletion management use different high-entropy secrets. Only hashes of those secrets are stored in the Drop database. The normal recipient page never contains delete controls.
For security details, including browser headers, logging boundaries and what Drop does not scan, read Golden Drop Security.
Use temporary delivery for a handoff, not an archive
Use Golden Drop
when the file is a finished artifact that needs to move from an AI workflow to a person or another authorized environment now.
Use permanent storage
when the file must remain available for days, months or years, needs folder organization, version history, team ACLs or an archival retention policy.
Golden Drop deliberately does not become a shared drive. Short retention keeps the product focused on delivery rather than long-term document management.
Golden Agent is optional for delivery
If the AI already has the file, Drop is enough. If the AI first needs to fetch a report from your computer, build a project, read a log, create an archive from local files or work on a server, use Golden Terminal to perform that work and Golden Drop to deliver the resulting artifact.
What does the person receiving the link see?
The recipient opens one temporary Golden Drop page in a browser. The page is intentionally narrow: it shows the delivered filename, file size, expiry and a Download action. The recipient does not need a Golden account, Golden Agent or access to the sender's AI conversation.
This matters for AI workflows because delivery should not create another onboarding problem. The AI can finish the work, return the temporary URL, and the recipient can download the artifact with an ordinary browser.
What happens when a Golden Drop link expires?
Expiry is checked when the file is requested. Once the persisted expiry time has passed, the old URL no longer serves the file even if background cleanup has not completed yet. Cleanup then removes the expired object and active metadata from the Drop service boundary.
If the recipient still needs the artifact, create a new delivery from the source file. Do not treat an expired link as durable storage or assume that the old URL can be reactivated.
Golden Drop, email attachment or shared drive?
| Golden Drop | Best for a finished AI artifact that needs a short-lived browser download now. No recipient account and no shared-folder setup. |
|---|---|
| Email attachment | Useful for small files when email is already the handoff channel, but size limits and duplicated attachments can become awkward. |
| Shared drive | Better when the file needs durable retention, named-user permissions, collaboration, version history or long-term organization. |
Golden Drop is deliberately a delivery layer. It should not become a permanent workspace simply because permanent storage also happens to use links.
Where the delivery pattern is useful
The AI prepares a report and returns one temporary link for the person who requested it.
Golden Terminal builds or collects an artifact on a machine, then Golden Drop handles the final handoff.
Related generated documents, images or evidence files become one recipient-ready archive.
Delivery has its own success criteria
A task can succeed while file delivery fails. For example, an AI may generate a report correctly but fail to create the temporary link because the file is unavailable or exceeds the current delivery limit.
The inverse is also true: creating a working URL proves that the file is available for download; it does not prove that the recipient opened, reviewed or approved it. Golden should report those states separately rather than collapsing them into one vague “done.”
Golden Drop workflow questions
Does the recipient need Golden Terminal?
No. The recipient needs only the active temporary URL and a browser or HTTP client capable of downloading the file.
Does the sender need a Golden Agent?
Not for file delivery itself. Golden Agent is only needed when the AI must access a connected computer or server.
Can the AI choose a longer expiry?
No. The current trusted Golden delivery path uses the server-selected 1 hour lifetime.
Is Golden Drop a place to keep backups?
No. It is a temporary delivery layer, not long-term storage or backup infrastructure.
Can I send passwords or private keys?
No. Golden Drop is for ordinary files. Raw secrets, private keys, API tokens and recovery codes should stay in a dedicated secret-handling system.