Embedded Files
We are going back to the very basics. This is the beginning of a three-part series that will introduce you to everything you need to know about sharing in Google Drive, our most advanced and secure method of storing and collaborating on any type of data. We start with direct sharing and must-knows that will make work easy and intuitive for you.
The next installments are already written (we all love cliff-hangers) and cover folder sharing and domain-wide sharing - so in the order of widening the audience. The posts cover both My Drive and Shared Drive. Let's dive in!
Sharing the gift of sharing.
Drive is a friendly place
Drive is a friendly place
By default, everything you create is yours alone
By default, everything you create is yours alone
When you create a new file in Google Workspace, it is by default stored in My Drive (you can imagine that a lot of files go there, as time passes). The file is not shared with anybody. All files have very long addresses, but others cannot open the file unless you share it with them.
It is easy to see which files have been shared
It is easy to see which files have been shared
Before we get into how to share: You can always see at a glance if something is being shared or not. Look for the "people icons" near the file names. (1) No icon means the file is not shared.
If you would like details: They are available by clicking the opening the file information (2), under "who has access". You can also open the "share" dialog, more on that later.
In this case, the folder "Marketing project" and the files "Meeting minutes" and "Office document" are being shared. "Old files" and "My work log" are not. The folder containing all of this ("My folder") is also not being shared.
Sharing files
Sharing files
The big moment has arrived: We have created a presentation in Google Slides. We need a colleague for the finishing touches - so we share the presentation by clicking "share (either in Slides or in Drive).
You will be greeted with the glorious new sharing dialogue, a marvel of user experience and functionality. It can transform quite a lot, but we will get to all of that. First, look at the screenshot to the right:
The dialogue is split into two areas, one called "share with people and groups", the other "get link". We will ignore the "get link" today, this is relevant only for domain-wide sharing.
The green box lists everybody who has access to the file you are looking at. You can adjust people's access rights (and remove people entirely) using the drop-down (1). Adding new people happens using the text box (2). Finally, you can adjust the sharing settings for everybody (3).
When to notify?
When to notify?
When you share, you can notify people that you are sharing the file with them (and write a message). Normally, people like that, and for sharing with our Clients Drive will not let you go ahead without it. But it's not necessary - if you have already sent the link via Chat, for example, you can skip the email notification.
Revoking a share
Revoking a share
To undo sharing, just go to the sharing menu and remove a person from the menu. They will no longer have access. Had you sent the document via email or put it on a server, revoking reliably would be impossible.
The glorious new sharing dialogue. You will see in the course of the series where the glory comes from.
The full sharing workflow.
Access rights
Access rights
When sharing anything, you need to decide what the other person can do with your file. It is good practice to choose the lowest access right that "does the job". The standard access rights are:
Viewer
Viewer
The person can view the file (like a print version), download and print it (both of which can be disabled).
Commenter
Commenter
The person can view the file and any comments made to it. Commenters can create comments, too.
Editor
Editor
Editors can do everything with the file, except delete it. Only the person who owns the file can delete it.
There has been a change where sharing can be disabled for editors.
What is different with Shared Drives?
What is different with Shared Drives?
So much has been said about how shared drives are so different - yet when it comes to simple sharing, nothing is different. If you have the Contributor role on a shared drive (which allows you to edit files... makes you an editor... Get it?), you can share files with others. (Shared Drives may be hardened to prevent that.)
The only difference is found in the sharing dialogue. When you share with someone who is not a "member" (of your shared drive), that person will be listed under "Guests". That's it.
You made it! You have officially earned your first grade in Drive sharing and learned many important concepts. We will build on these skills in follow-up posts and they will hopefully be immediately useful in your daily routine. See you very soon for folder sharing - feared and loved. Thank you for reading!
Page updated
Report abuse