This page is for one job: put a picture inside somewhere that expects an image address. GitHub READMEs, Notion, phpBB-style forums, email signatures, and marketplace listings all fail in the same way if you paste the human share page instead of the file itself.
Worked example: a README screenshot
You have ui-empty-state.png, a 1.4MB screenshot of an empty state. You want it in a GitHub README and, separately, in a forum thread that still uses BBCode. Upload the PNG. ShareKit stores those bytes and returns two different addresses:
- A share page such as
https://sharekit.app/s/k7nq2wpx. Open this when a person should see the picture, the file name, and a download button. - A direct asset URL under
/api/uploads/asset?key=…. This is the address that belongs in Markdown, HTML, and BBCode.
The README line is . The forum post is [img]ASSET_URL[/img]. Slack or email, when you want the recipient to download the original rather than see an inline picture, gets the /s/ page. The slug above is an illustration, not a live file.
Embed snippet chooser
The preview below uses this site's own /og-image.png so the chooser works before you upload. After a real upload, swap in the asset URL from the result panel. The three snippets are the same picture with different markup.
Direct asset URL
Points at the stored file. Use it for img, Markdown images, and BBCode. Hotlinking uses your upload's bandwidth, and the picture disappears when you delete the upload. The stored expiry does not remove it on its own.
Share page (/s/slug)
An HTML page with the preview, file size, a download action, and view / download / QR-scan counts. Send this to a person. Do not put it in an image tag.
Which image format to upload
ShareKit accepts JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, AVIF, SVG, BMP, and ICO. It does not convert between them. Pick the format before you upload.
| Format | Use it when | Transparency | Animation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPG | Photographs and marketplace shots | No | No |
| PNG | Screenshots, logos, and UI crops | Yes | No |
| WebP | Smaller web images when the destination supports it | Often | Rare; the image tag shows frames the browser can decode |
| AVIF | High-efficiency photos for modern browsers | Possible | No |
| SVG | Logos and diagrams that must stay sharp | Vector | No pixel animation |
| GIF | Short UI motion and reaction images | Limited | Yes, in a normal image tag |
Size tips
- Photos: export JPG or WebP. A camera PNG is often huge and buys you nothing.
- Screenshots with text: PNG. JPG will ring around the letters.
- Logos that sit on different backgrounds: SVG or PNG, not JPG.
- Under 20MB costs 0 credits and can be a guest upload (stored expiry: 7 days). A 4K screenshot over 20MB needs an account and credits, and is stored with a 30-day expiry.
Steps for an embed, not a download
- Export the image in a format the destination can render. GitHub displays PNG, JPG, GIF, and WebP.
- Upload it here. If the result panel shows a credit cost, the file is over the free line and needs a signed-in account.
- Copy the asset URL into the snippet chooser format you need. Send the /s/ page only when someone should download the original.
Where image links show up in practice
- Sales proposals and client materials — a screenshot or product photo beside a deck, sent as a link rather than another attachment.
- Markdown, HTML, and BBCode embeds — syntax details for docs, sites, and forums.
Questions about image embeds
Which address belongs in an img tag or Markdown image?
Use the direct asset URL (the file address returned for the upload), not the /s/ share page. The share page is HTML. An image tag that points at it will not render the picture.
Does ShareKit recompress a PNG or keep GIF animation?
The stored file is the file you uploaded. PNG transparency and GIF frames stay in the original bytes. The preview on the share page is an image element pointed at that file.
Can I use the same upload in GitHub, a forum, and an email signature?
Yes. Copy Markdown for a README, BBCode for a forum that still uses it, or an HTML img element for a signature or product listing. All three point at the same asset URL.
What happens to a screenshot that is larger than 20MB?
Uploads under 20MB cost no credits and can be created without an account. A file that crosses that line needs a signed-in account and credits. The account copy is stored with a 30-day expiry unless you buy Keep One File for that upload. Passing that date does not remove the public page; delete the upload when the picture should stop.
Guest uploads store a 7-day expiry. Account uploads store a 30-day expiry. Keep One File ($4.99) moves that date out by at least a year for one file, its URL, and its QR code. When that date passes, the public page, download, and QR stop serving the file. Delete the upload sooner if it should go offline earlier. Guest short links are refused after 7 days. Uploads under 20MB cost no credits.
Back to the uploader