How to Share Folders and Collaborate Using Google Drive GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Software & Apps > Google Apps 38 38 people found this article helpful
How to Share Folders and Collaborate Using Google Drive
Work with others efficiently using the cloud
By Marziah Karch Marziah Karch Writer Michigan State University Emporia State University Marziah Karch is a former writer for Lifewire who also excels at Serious Game Design and develops online help systems, manuals, and interactive training modules. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on May 30, 2022 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Google Apps Docs Sheets Slides What to Know
Open a Google Drive file. Select Share. Enter email addresses of collaborators.Select Edit and assign a role: View, Comment, or Edit. Choose Settings gear to add restrictions. Select Done.Share a folder: Select the folder. Choose Share and enter email addresses. Assign rules and restrictions. This article explains how to share folders and collaborate on files using Google Drive. The article includes information on addressing unwanted collaboration requests and a warning about the risks of sharing folders. How to Add Collaborators to a Google Drive Document
Google Drive is great for collaborating with co-workers on a project. It offers fine-tuned control over who can see your files and what they can do with them. With Google Drive, you can add collaborators to either view or edit your documents. Here's how: Open Google Drive and then open the file you want to share. Select Share (it's located in the upper-right corner of the document). Enter the email addresses of the people you want to add as collaborators. Select the Edit drop-down arrow and choose whether or not collaborators can edit, comment on, or view the document. Click Settings (gear icon) to add sharing restrictions. Check Editors can change permissions and share to allow your collaborators to share the document with others. Check Viewers and commenters can see the option to download, print, and copy to give viewers and commenters these abilities. Select Done to close out. To keep track of collaborators' edits, highlight a range of text, right-click, and select Show Edits. You'll see a list of editors and their changes, along with time stamps. How to Share a Folder in Google Drive
Sharing an entire folder with collaborators works similar to sharing a single document. Select the folder you want to share in Google Drive, then open the drop-down menu and select Share, then follow the steps above. Once you share a folder, every document or file placed in that folder inherits the same sharing privileges. That is some pretty powerful collaboration, but now that Google Docs is also Google Drive, it gets complicated. You see, each file can only exist in one folder, but people sharing editing privileges can move files around. Files Can Only Exist in One Folder
If you use the Google Drive desktop app, it's tempting to move a shared file into My Drive or another folder, either to organize or to access it on your desktop Google Drive folder. Because a file can exist in only one folder, moving a file out of a shared folder means that you move the file out of everyone else's shared folder. Moving a shared folder into My Drive means you stop sharing it with everyone. If you accidentally move a file out of a shared folder, move it back, and all is restored. If you or someone you are collaborating with accidentally moves a shared folder into some other folder on My Drive, you get a warning and you get a message telling you what you did and offering you a chance to undo it. If you ignore both warnings, you'll need to share the folder again to restore the settings. If you're working with an organization, make sure everyone knows these rules and that you share documents with people you trust to obey those rules. How to Address Unwanted Collaboration Requests
You may also receive collaboration requests from people outside your organization. These unsolicited documents could simply be annoying, but they might also represent a possible attempt to gather sensitive documentation. You shouldn't open any unknown document or file in Google Drive; instead, you can block the person who sent it by right-clicking the file name from the main Drive page and selecting Block [email address]. Then, click Block again in the confirmation window. How to Copy Folders in Google Drive Learn more about moving Google Docs from one drive to another Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Share and Collaborate With Google Drive How to Unshare a Google Doc How to Share a Folder of Google Drive 17 Best Free Cloud Storage Services for Backup in 2022 How to Allow Access to Google Docs How to Share Google Sheets How to Use Google Sheets How to Move Google Docs From One Drive to Another Dropbox vs. Google Drive How to See Who Has Viewed a Google Doc How to Email a Google Doc How to Open Google Docs How to Access Google Docs Trash How to Transfer Ownership of a Google Doc How to Share a Dropbox Folder How to Download and Watch Google Drive Movies Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies