Sharing Google Docs and Files in Google Drive - How To

In Google Drive, you can share one or more of your files with people by sending them a link to your file or sharing the file with an individual’s email address or a mailing list.

Sharing a file with an email address or mailing list

1. Go to drive.google.com.
2. Check the box next to the file or folder you'd like to share.

3. Click the Share icon .

   OR

   Click the More menu and select "Share..."

4. Choose a visibility option: "Private," "Anyone with the link" or "Public on the web."

   

5. Type the email addresses of the people you want to share with in the text box below "Add people." You can add a single person, a mailing list, or choose from your contacts.
6. Choose the access level from the drop-down menu next to each collaborator: "Can view," "Can comment" (Google documents and presentations only), or "Can edit."

   

7. Click Share & save.

Send a link to a shared file

If you’ve set a file, folder or Google Doc to "Anyone with the link" or "Public," you can send the link to another person and they’ll be able to access it.

1. Go to drive.google.com.
2. Check the box next to the file or folder you'd like to share.

3. Click the Share icon .

   OR

   Click the More menu and select "Share..."

4. Copy the link at the top of the sharing settings.
5. Send the link to another person or mailing list in an email or chat.

Tips for sharing in Google Drive

Notify people when you share something

Whenever you share something with someone they’ll receive an email notification to let them know they have access and can retrieve what you shared the next time they sign into their Google Drive. Prefer not to notify them? Uncheck the "Notify people via email" box.

Add lots of collaborators quickly by sharing with a Google Group

Rather than type your collaborators’ email addresses one-by-one, add an entire Google Group. Each member of that Google Group will have access to whatever you’ve shared, including people who are added to the group after you’ve shared something. This option isn’t available for mailing lists that aren’t Google Groups.

Share lots of files and Google Docs at once

If you want to share multiple items with your collaborators, move them into a folder and share the folder, with them. Since you’re sharing the folder, that’s their key to access. They’ll be able to access to whatever’s stored there or lose access if you remove something that they don’t already have access to.