How to turn a GIF into a URL
- Drop your GIF on the box above, paste it, or tap “Choose images”.
- Wait a moment while it uploads — larger animations take a little longer to optimise.
- Copy the direct link (ends in .gif) for chats and apps, or switch the link type to BBCode, HTML or Markdown.
Which link plays the animation?
The direct link points at the GIF file itself, so any app or website that shows images from a URL will play it. The share page link opens a simple page with the GIF and its links — handy when sending it to a person rather than embedding it.
Why does my GIF link open a page instead of the GIF?
GIF sites usually give you a share link to a web page that contains the GIF, with its own menus and ads. Forums, chat apps and image tags need a direct link — the address of the file itself, ending in .gif. PictureToLink gives you both: the direct link for embedding and the share page for sending to a person.
GIF, animated WebP or video?
| Format | Good for | Things to know |
|---|---|---|
| GIF | Forums, older sites, anywhere that only accepts GIF | Plays everywhere, but limited to 256 colours per frame and usually the largest file. |
| Animated WebP | Modern browsers and apps | Much smaller: our 24-frame, 480×270 sample went from 52.9 KB as GIF to 23.3 KB as WebP. Some older forums reject it. |
| Video (MP4) | Long or high-resolution clips | Far smaller for long clips, but it is a video, not an image — it won’t work in an image tag or BBCode. |
Size and length limits
- Up to 25 MB per file.
- Up to 300 frames. Longer clips are better shared as a video.
- Frames larger than 4096 pixels are scaled down.
Want a smaller file? In the upload options choose Format → Convert to WebP. Animated WebP keeps the motion and is usually much smaller (see the table above). Most modern browsers and apps play it, but some older forums only accept GIF.
Privacy and removal
Anyone with the link can view the GIF. Each upload also gets a private delete link, and you can set it to delete itself after an hour, a day, a week or a month. Read more in the FAQ, or turn a regular photo into a link on the homepage.