About this tool
Package documents, assets, exports, or project folders into one portable standard ZIP archive without uploading source files.
ZIP File Maker assembles a standard, unencrypted .zip archive from files or a whole folder directly in the browser, then reads the finished archive's central directory back to confirm the entry count, paths, sizes, and absence of encryption flags before offering the download. It accepts up to 500 files and 500 MB of source data. Folder selection keeps relative paths, so a project tree unpacks with the same structure. Paths are checked before packaging: absolute paths, parent-directory traversal, names longer than 255 bytes per segment or 4,096 bytes total, and entries that would collide on a case-insensitive filesystem are all rejected with a reason. You choose between storing files as-is or DEFLATE compression at Fast, Balanced, or Maximum level.
- Accepts up to 500 files and 500 MB while rejecting absolute, traversal, ambiguous, oversized, and cross-platform duplicate entry paths.
- Provides store, fast, balanced, and maximum compression with progress, cancellation, and locked source settings during creation.
- Checks the generated central directory entry count, exact paths, source sizes, duplicate names, and encryption flags before download.
How to use ZIP Maker
Click Add files to pick individual documents or Add folder to import a directory with its subfolders; a list shows each accepted path and its size, with a remove button per row and Clear files to start over. In Archive settings, type an Archive name of up to 120 characters (the .zip extension is added for you) and choose Compression: Compress files enables a Compression level dropdown with Fast, Balanced, and Maximum, while Store without compression skips DEFLATE entirely. Press Create and download ZIP. A progress bar tracks packaging, and Cancel abandons the build; the source list and settings are locked while it runs. When it finishes, the status line reports the checked entry count and the download starts. Open the archive on your device before deleting the originals.
When this tool is useful
- A job applicant bundling a resume, portfolio PDFs, and reference letters into one attachment for an upload form that accepts a single file.
- A front-end developer zipping a static site build folder to hand to a client without a hosting deploy step.
- A photographer packaging a client's selected JPEGs with store-only compression so the archive builds quickly.
- A student submitting a coursework folder where the grader expects the original directory layout preserved.
- An analyst sending a batch of CSV exports to a colleague as one archive rather than a dozen separate email attachments.
Practical tips
- Use Store without compression for JPG, MP4, PDF, and existing archives. They barely shrink under DEFLATE and packaging is much faster without it.
- Balanced (level 6) is the sensible default for text, code, and office documents; Maximum rarely saves more than a few percent at a noticeable time cost.
- The archive is built in browser memory, so a device with limited RAM can fail before the 500 MB source limit. Split very large sets into two archives.
- Two files whose names differ only by letter case are rejected because they would overwrite each other on Windows or macOS; rename one first.
- There is no password option. If you need an encrypted archive, create it with a trusted desktop application instead.
Examples you can test
Load an example, compare the result with the expected output, then replace it with your own input.
Package a project handoff
Example input
Add folder on client-site/ (src, public, README.md) with Compress files at Balanced, name client-site-v2
Expected output
client-site-v2.zip whose entries keep the src/ and public/ subpaths
The root folder name itself is dropped, so the archive unpacks to src, public, and README.md rather than a nested client-site directory.
Fast bundle of photos
Example input
24 JPEG files totaling 180 MB, Store without compression
Expected output
A roughly 180 MB ZIP created in seconds
Store mode skips DEFLATE, which is the right choice for already-compressed media and keeps memory pressure lower during the build.
Validation checklist
- Check the accepted file count and total size before creating the archive.
- Scan the path list for names you would not want a recipient to see.
- Confirm the archive name has no slashes or reserved characters and is under 120 characters.
- Open the downloaded ZIP and extract a few representative files to confirm they read correctly.
- Keep the source files until the archive has been opened successfully on the destination machine.