Google Drive file sharing

When you upload files to the "My Drive" portion of Google Drive, you are the owner by default, and only you can access the files. You can share these files with collaborators either on or off campus. To share with individuals off campus, they either need a Google account you can share with, or you will need to use Link Sharing. Please read the section on Link Sharing below if you plan to use it.

Sharing Settings

Different ways to share

• Right-click on a file or folder in your Drive and choose "Share."

• Click the "Share" button at the top-right of a Google file while it's open in your browser.

Adding collaborators

1. Select "Share" in the upper right-hand corner, while viewing a folder or file.

2. On the next screen, add the email addresses of your collaborators - Swarthmore addresses will auto-complete as you type them, but external email addresses will not.

3. You can give each collaborator “Editor”, “Commenter” or “Viewer” privileges as you add them.

4. If the "Notify people" box is checked, a default Google email with a link to the file or folder will be sent automatically. 

   1. If you uncheck the box, you can send the link manually (more on this below).

Open

Link sharing

The best way to ensure confidentiality on a file is to only grant permissions to your direct collaborators. Sometimes you may need a document to be accessible to more people - especially if they do not have a Google account to use for direct collaboration. 

Link share settings and tips

• With the Share window open, you can click "Copy link" in the bottom-left of the window.

• The link will be copied to your computer’s' clipboard, and is now ready to be pasted as needed.

• "Only people with access can open the link" will be set as the permissions by default. To change this to anyone with the link, select the downward arrow next to “Restricted” and use the resulting drop-down menu.

• The Access options are as follows:

  • Anyone with the link - Needed if you have to share with someone who does not have a Google account/email. People will only see the file if they have the link for the file

  • Anyone at Swarthmore.edu with the link - This restricts the file to Swarthmore users, and only those users with the link to the file/folder can see it

  • Restricted - Only people you have manually given access to will be able to use the link.

• After you choose WHO can see your file or folder, click the "Viewer" dropdown and set their roles.

  • Choose from "Viewer”, “Commenter”, and “Editor.

• Click "Done" to save your changes.

Please note: Any users who have access to the link are free to send that link to someone else, so long as the document is not “Restricted”.

Open

Google Drive Folder Sharing Notifications

Google Drive allows users to email collaborators from a specific file but not for a folder.  Folders only allow you to send notifications on new shares and don’t provide an easy way to export an existing permissions list, especially if the collaborator list is long.

Recommended workaround:

1. Within the shared Folder in question, create a Google Doc file with the same sharing permissions as the containing Folder. The file should inherit permissions of the folder automatically.

2. Name the Google Doc something helpful like "Folder Collaborator Notice."

3. From the containing Folder properties (right-click menu, "Get link"), get the "share link" and paste it into the Doc (yields a clean look to make this link the only line in the Doc).

4. Within the Google Doc, pick "File/Email collaborators"

5. Edit the Send Message dialogue as needed then send it. (For the clean look mentioned in 3, pick "Paste the item itself into the email") You probably want to check the box to send a copy to yourself as well.

6. Save the Google Doc (in that containing Folder) for future and/or repeated use.