Sharing files & folders in Drive
How to share Google Drive files and folders — choosing who can view, comment, or edit, and how to share with people outside your organization.
Sharing files in Google Drive is one of its most useful features. You can share a file with one person, a whole team, or anyone with a link — and you choose exactly what they can do with it.
Quick summary
Right-click any file or folder and choose Share. Type someone's email address to share with them directly, or create a shareable link. Choose whether people can view, comment, or edit. You can change or remove access at any time.
Permission levels explained
Before you share, understand what each permission level means:
| Permission | What they can do |
|---|---|
| Viewer | See the file. Can't change anything. |
| Commenter | See the file and add comments. Can't edit. |
| Editor | See, comment, and edit the file. |
| Owner | Full control, including deleting and changing permissions. You're the owner of files you create. |
Use the most restrictive permission that still lets the person do their job.
Sharing with a specific person
Right-click the file or folder in Drive, or open the file and click the Share button in the top right.
Type the person's email address in the "Add people and groups" field. You can add multiple people.
Choose their permission level from the dropdown next to their name (Viewer, Commenter, or Editor).
Optionally add a message to let them know why you're sharing.
Click Send. They'll receive an email notification with a link to the file.
Sharing with a link
If you want to share a file without entering someone's email — for example, to post in a chat or send by text — create a shareable link.
Right-click the file and click Share, or use the Share button.
Click "Change to anyone with the link" under the General access section.
Choose the permission level for link viewers (Viewer, Commenter, or Editor).
Click Copy link, then share the link wherever you need to.
Be careful with 'Anyone with the link'
When you share with a link and set access to "Anyone with the link," anyone who has that link — even someone who wasn't supposed to have it — can access the file. For sensitive documents, stick to sharing with specific email addresses.
Sharing a folder
You can share an entire folder, which gives access to everything inside it — now and in the future. This is handy for project folders or client folders.
The process is the same as sharing a file — right-click the folder and choose Share.
Files in a shared folder inherit permissions
When you add a new file to a shared folder, it automatically gets the same sharing permissions as the folder. You don't need to share each file individually.
Changing or removing access
Right-click the file and choose Share.
Find the person whose access you want to change.
Click the dropdown next to their name and choose a new permission level, or choose Remove access to revoke access completely.
Click Save.
Seeing who has access
Open the Share dialog on any file to see a list of everyone who currently has access and their permission level.
Common questions
Related guides
- Google Drive basics
- Shared drives explained
- Docs, Sheets & Slides explained
- Transferring files when someone leaves
Need a hand?
Learn more
Google Drive basics
A beginner's guide to Google Drive — how to upload, organize, and find your files, and how to access them from any device.
Shared drives explained
What Google Workspace Shared Drives are, how they differ from My Drive, and why they're the best way to store files that belong to your whole team.