Here is the deep dive into what actually happens when you hit "download" on Google Fonts. Most developers never download fonts. They use the <link> tag. This is the "Google-Hosted" method. When you do this, the user’s browser pings Google’s servers to grab the font file (WOFF2, TTF, etc.).
Before you hit "Download family," ask yourself: Am I doing this for privacy, performance, or offline use? If the answer is just "because I want the file on my hard drive," use the official zip. If the answer is "to speed up my site," you are likely making a mistake. google web fonts free download
Google Fonts is a service, not just a library. When you download the font, you are opting out of the service. Make sure you are ready to run that service yourself. Here is the deep dive into what actually
When you search for a download , you are rejecting the cloud. You are seeking self-hosting. This is the "Google-Hosted" method