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📩 SURFfilesender

Overview

This is the SURFfilesender page, part of Other Tools in the A-LIFE RDM collection.

Authors: Irene Martorelli, Brett Olivier — Last modification: 2026-07-31 — Version: 0.3.0

ℹ What is SURFfilesender?

SURFfilesender is a secure file transfer service provided by SURF1 that allows you to share large files easily and securely. The recipient does not need an account to download files — they simply receive a link and can access the data directly. This makes it ideal for sharing data with external collaborators, reviewers, or anyone outside your institution. It is available to all VU affiliated staff and students.

📃 How to use SURFfilesender

For step-by-step instructions on how to transfer data with SURFfilesender, see the dedicated manual:

Transfer data with SURFfilesender

✨ Why use SURFfilesender?

  • Share files up to 1 TB in size
  • Works via your web browser — no software or plugins needed
  • Recipient does not need an account
  • Two sharing options: by email or via an anonymous link
  • End-to-end encryption available for extra security
  • Links are valid for a defined period of time, with a maximum of 30 days
  • Files are stored in the Netherlands

❓ When to use SURFfilesender?

SURFfilesender is a good option in situations such as:

  • ✉ Anonymous link — you need to share data without revealing who is sending it, for example during double-blind peer review
  • 📰 For review — you are in the review process before publication and your data is not yet publicly available
  • 🏷 Your DOI is not yet created or not yet resolving — your dataset may not yet be archived or published, or the DOI exists but is temporarily not resolving due to a technical issue; SURFfilesender provides a secure temporary alternative while waiting for the issue to be fixed
  • 📤 The recipient has no account on Research Drive or Yoda — and creating one is not practical for a one-off transfer
  • 📁 You need to transfer a large file quickly — without setting up a shared folder or storage space

Check your data sharing conditions

Check your data sharing conditions before sending. If you are not sure, contact your A-LIFE team to see how to proceed.

Further reading

👉 VU service page - SURFfilesender

  1. SURF — SURFfilesender: https://www.surf.nl/en/services/storage-data-management/surffilesender ↩