Share Files/Folders in Google Drive

Google Tip: Sharing Folders follows the same steps below as documents, except the person you share with will have access to all files within the folder that was shared.

Pre-requisites:

Be the owner OR have Editor permissions on the documents you want to share
Understand what permissions you are granting based on Access Level you choose (see matrix below)

Sharing Permissions Matrix:

Please review access levels below to determine the best fit for how to share a document with another user.

* Default role for new members.

** Note: You may also see the Contributor role called Editor at the individual file level. Contributor access provides read-only access to files in Google Drive for desktop or files in the Chrome OS Files app. For example, if you share an Excel file in a shared drive with a user who opens the file in Drive for desktop, the user can only view and not edit the file. To allow users to create, upload, and edit files in a shared drive in Drive for desktop and Chrome OS, give the user Content manager or Manager access to the shared drive.

Requests for access to files in shared drives go to the file creator if they still have edit access to the file, whether or not they are a member of the shared drive. Managers will receive the request instead of the file creator when the creator no longer has edit permissions to the file.

Google account needed to become a member of a shared drive.—You can share files and folders with visitors without Google accounts by following these instructions. To be a member of a shared drive, an invited user must have an email address associated with a Google account.

1.) Open up your Drive in a Google Chrome browser. (You can access it by typing drive.google.com into your URL bar.)

2.) Right click the file you want to share OR double click and open the file up

3.) Click the Share button OR Share icon, depending on what method you chose.

OR

The box pictured below will come up at this point:

Choose the option below that best describes how you want to share the file/folder-

Option 1- Share to Specific People:

4.) Type in the email address of the person/people you are sharing with

Note: If you share with a NON Google account email, they can only VIEW the file.

5.) Choose their permission level (edit/comment/view) by clicking the pencil icon next to where you've entered emails.

Note: You can learn more advanced Share settings by viewing the following article: Advanced Share Settings

6.) If you don't want to email the people you are sharing with, then uncheck the "notify people" box.

Now click "Send" or "Done" depending on what you've chosen to do.

Now proceed to step 7 at the bottom

Option 2- Generate a Link to Share:

4.) Click the "Get shareable link" button

5.) Choose the permission level (edit/comment/view) of the link by clicking the drop down.

Note: You can learn more advanced Share settings by viewing the following article: Advanced Share Settings

6.) Click the "Copy Link" button and then "Done"

7.) Send and/or confirm receipt of shared documents/links with the people you've elected to share with.

8. You have shared files/folders/links with others!

If you still encounter any issues after following these steps, please let us know by putting in a ticket.

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