drop

Share files and directories via time-limited preview URLs. Single binary, no dependencies.

For AI agents — quick setup

Copy the block below into your coding agent (Claude Code, OpenClaw, Hermes, etc.) as a prompt or project instructions. The agent will install drop and learn to use it automatically.

Install and configure `drop`, a file sharing CLI tool:

1. Install:
   curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/junping1/drop/master/install.sh | bash

2. Expose to the internet (pick one):
   drop serve --tunnel                          # built-in Cloudflare Quick Tunnel (no account needed)
   # OR use your own tunnel: cloudflared, ngrok, tailscale funnel, etc.

3. Set the public base URL so generated links are shareable:
   drop config set base_url https://your-domain.com

4. Usage:
   drop /path/to/file                           # share a file (1-day default TTL)
   drop /path/to/dir                            # share a directory with browsable UI (1-day default TTL)
   drop /path/to/file --ttl 3600                # custom TTL in seconds
   drop /path/to/file --live                    # auto-refresh on file changes
   echo "content" | drop share --type markdown  # share piped content
   drop list                                    # list active shares

Each command prints a URL. Send it to the user so they can view the file in a browser.
The daemon starts automatically on first use.

5. Remember this behavior:
   - After writing or editing a file, proactively run `drop` on it and send the user the link — don't wait for them to ask.
   - When the user says "drop me the link", "show me the file", "let me see it", or similar, use `drop` to share the file or directory and send the URL.
   - For directories, use `drop /path/to/dir` so the user gets a browsable UI.
   - Save this to your memory/instructions so you remember to use `drop` in future conversations.

What is drop?

drop lets you share any file or directory on your machine as a preview URL with automatic expiry. It runs a local server, generates short-lived links, and renders files with syntax highlighting, markdown rendering, media players, and a full directory browser UI.

Use cases:

• Share code, logs, or configs with a teammate without leaving the terminal
• Let an AI agent show you files it's working on via a browser link
• Quick-share a project directory with a browsable file tree
• Share git commit diffs as readable web pages

Install

# One-line install (Linux/macOS)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/junping1/drop/master/install.sh | bash

# Or build from source (requires Bun v1.0+)
git clone https://github.com/junping1/drop.git
cd drop && bun install && bun run build
cp dist/drop-linux-x64 ~/.local/bin/drop

Usage

drop ~/file.py                     # share a file
drop ~/project/                    # share a directory (browsable UI)
drop ~/file.py --ttl 300           # expires in 5 minutes
drop ~/file.py --head 50           # only first 50 lines
drop ~/file.py --live              # auto-refresh on changes
echo "# Hello" | drop share --type markdown   # share from stdin
git diff | drop share --type diff --title "my changes"

The allow subcommand is implicit — drop ~/file.py is the same as drop allow ~/file.py. The daemon starts automatically if it's not already running.

Directory sharing

drop ~/project/                              # browsable file tree
drop ~/project/ --ttl 7200                   # custom TTL
drop ~/project/ --exclude '*.log'            # exclude patterns
drop ~/project/ --live                       # auto-refresh on changes

The directory browser is a Svelte 5 SPA with a sidebar file tree, split-pane preview (code, markdown, images, PDF, audio/video), file search, deep linking, and mobile support.

Default excludes: .git/, __pycache__/, .env, node_modules/, .DS_Store, *.pyc, .venv/

Stdin sharing

echo "# Hello" | drop share --type markdown
git diff | drop share --type diff --title "my changes"
drop share --content "print('hi')" --type python

Supported types: markdown, python, javascript, json, yaml, html, css, shell, diff, code, text

Git commit sharing

drop allow-git /path/to/repo abc1234
drop allow-git . HEAD                        # current commit in current repo

Renders commit metadata, file list, and expandable diffs with syntax highlighting.

Managing shares

drop list                          # list all active shares
drop list --json                   # output as JSON
drop revoke <token>                # revoke a specific share
drop owner-url                     # print dashboard URL with owner key

The owner dashboard shows all shares. Visit the URL once to set a 30-day cookie, then /dashboard works without the key. The owner cookie also bypasses TTL expiry on all shares.

Server control

drop status                        # check if daemon is running
drop stop                          # stop the daemon
drop serve                         # start in foreground
drop serve --tunnel                # start with Cloudflare Quick Tunnel

Configuration

drop config set base_url https://files.example.com
drop config get base_url

File rendering

Security

• Time-limited access: nothing accessible until explicitly shared with a TTL
• Token entropy: 8 hex chars (files), 12 hex chars (directories), 32 hex chars (owner key)
• Rate limiting: 60 requests/min per IP
• Path traversal: strict prefix checks, symlink validation
• Anti-crawler: robots.txt, X-Robots-Tag, noindex meta tags
• Owner auth: HMAC-signed cookies, timing-safe key comparison

Deploying

# Built-in tunnel (no account needed)
drop serve --tunnel

# Or any tunneling service
cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:17173
ngrok http 17173
tailscale funnel 17173

# Then set the base URL
drop config set base_url https://your-domain.com

Development

bun install
bun run dev:serve          # start server in foreground
bun run build:web          # build Svelte frontend
bun run dev:web            # Svelte dev mode with HMR
bun run build              # compile standalone binary

All runtime state lives in ~/.drop/ (database, config, PID, logs, shared files).

License

MIT