Timed with an actual stopwatch, the setup runs about 8-12 seconds depending on how fast you type the assignment title. The steps below assume you're on a laptop; from a phone it's slightly longer because of on-screen typing.
Go to getfiles.app
Open getfiles.app in your browser.
Type the assignment name
In the title field, type something like "History Essay - The Industrial Revolution"
Click "Create upload link"
That's it. You have a link like getfiles.app/x7k2mp.
Share with students
Copy the link and paste it wherever your students will see it:
- Class WhatsApp or Telegram group
- Written on the whiteboard
- School website or portal
- Google Classroom announcement (even if you're not using Classroom for submissions)
Optional: customize
Before clicking create, you can:
- Add a description with instructions ("Submit as PDF, max 5 pages, include your name in the filename")
- Set file types to "Documents only"
- Set max file size
- Set expiration to your due date
But these are optional. The basic flow is: title → create → share.
What students see
A clean page with your assignment title and an upload area. They tap to select their file (or drag and drop on desktop), optionally enter their name, and click upload. A progress bar shows the upload status, and they get a confirmation when it's done.
What you see
A dashboard showing all uploaded files with filenames, sizes, upload times, and uploader names. One button to download everything as a ZIP file.
File naming that makes grading easier
Put the naming rule in your description before creating the page. One that works: lastname_firstname_assignment.pdf. No student remembers a rule after the fact, so write it once in the upload instructions and it sticks for the whole year.
If you're juggling three classes, add the class code or period: lastname_p3_essay.pdf. Sorting 90 files alphabetically after download is then a one-click affair rather than half an hour of renaming.
Handling late submissions
Upload pages record a timestamp on every upload, visible in the dashboard. If you have a late-submission policy (no penalty before 11:59pm, half credit after), you can audit this after download. Some teachers set the page to expire exactly at the deadline - uploaders after that see an "expired" page, which is a harder line than trusting honor-system timestamps.
Others leave the page open for late submissions and use the timestamps to apply policy. Both work; pick based on how much you care about zero-tolerance vs. flexibility.
Re-using the same setup next semester
The dashboard link is a URL, so it's bookmarkable. Most teachers keep one bookmark folder per semester - "Fall 2026 Assignments" - with every assignment's dashboard link. Mid-year, the value is being able to click into any past assignment and see who submitted what, without hunting through email.
If you teach the same course year after year, keep a plain-text template of your assignment description (file-type rules, naming convention, deadline language). Paste it into a new page each time; change the title. No system, no training, nothing to maintain.