Embedded Files
Your files in Google Drive need to be easily accessible. You have Drive Search and Cloud Search, but organizing files is important - in a world of collaboration and shared files, it is important to know what is where. Shortcuts provide clarity and save you time.
It is hard to overestimate the success and importance of Google Drive - there are as many daily Drive users as there are Windows users. And yet, for us nerds, it is fascinating how such a big ship keeps changing nimbly. It is currently on a mission to become simpler. That is why shared drives and My Drive are starting to converge, for example.
To become even more simple, shortcuts were introduced. Once you know how they work, you'll love them.
You can create shortcuts to folders, too!
How to create shortcuts
How to create shortcuts
Just like on your desktop computer, you create a shortcut to any file in Drive by right-clicking it and selecting Add shortcut to Drive. Two wonderful things happen that will leave your mind spinning with possibilities
You will be asked where to place the shortcut
You will be asked where to place the shortcut
You can place it wherever you want, without impacting the original document. Say your team is using a shared drive to get work done (as they should!). There are some key files that you would like to keep bundled together, to make your life easier. But if you move the files, people will get mad at you.
Shortcuts to the rescue! Nobody will be disturbed by them.
Note: When you share a folder containing a shortcut, you do not share the original file.
You can repeat the process
You can repeat the process
You can have multiple shortcuts to the same document. Organization groupies who like to file things away in different ways at the same time can do that.
What happens when you find a shortcut
What happens when you find a shortcut
Shortcuts are themselves files in Google Drive - very simple ones. Their only function is to be clicked and - tada! - the original file opens. It works with folders and every file you store in Drive.
Everyone with edit access to a folder can move shortcuts around, delete them and edit their name, all without impacting the original file.
There are some special things you can do with them. I knew you would ask:
Shortcuts indicate whether you have access to the original file they point to. They will even let you request access.
Shortcuts indicate if the original file is trashed.
When to use shortcuts
When to use shortcuts
Creating collections of shortcuts
Creating collections of shortcuts
You can create a folder of shortcuts ("Recommended reading for newbies on the project") and then share the folder. If people have no access to some files, they will be able to request it.
Bring order to your world
Bring order to your world
If you would like to create a folder per project, year or client - you can do that. Shortcuts will enable you to organize data your way.
You could even make Drive a log of what you worked on, in folder form.
Span Shared Drives and My Drive
Span Shared Drives and My Drive
If people have files in a location you cannot access, but cannot be bothered to move them to your team's shared drive, you can create shortcuts to those files.
You can create shortcuts for any file and store it on any other shared drive or in My Drive.
Shortcuts save you time by having to navigate less, fret less about organization and about people not filing their files properly. The difference between moving files and creating shortcuts is usually that you move your own files and add shortcuts for files owned by others. But as we saw, the humble shortcut is much more versatile.
I would like you to look out for the "add shortcut to Drive" icon on the next file you open. Add it as a shortcut to Google Drive, so you can find it again later. Thank you for reading!
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