How to give permission on Google Drive
To give someone permission to view, edit, or comment on a file or folder in Google Drive, open the item, click the Share button in the top right, type their email address, choose their permission level, and click Share. The person receives an email notification with a link to the file. You can change or remove permissions at any time by opening the Share panel again.
The process takes about 30 seconds for a single person. If you're sharing with multiple people or managing permissions regularly, understanding the different permission levels and settings will save you time and prevent accidental oversharing.
Key Takeaways
- Google Drive has three permission levels: Viewer (read-only), Commenter (can leave notes), and Editor (can make changes), plus Owner for the person who created the file.
- You can share with specific people by email, or create a shareable link that anyone with the link can access without needing to be invited.
- Removing someone's permission when ready revokes their access, even if they already opened the file.
- Shared files stay in the original owner's Drive; the recipient sees them in a "Shared with me" folder unless they add them to their own folders.
Sharing with specific people by email
Open the file or folder you want to share. Click the Share button in the top right corner. A panel opens showing who currently has access. In the text field at the top that says "Add people and groups", type the email address of the person you want to share with.
As you type, Google Drive suggests contacts from your email account. Click the person's name to select them, or finish typing their full email address and press Enter. A dropdown menu appears showing three permission options: Viewer, Commenter, and Editor. Select the level you want, then click Share. Google Drive sends them an email with a link to the file.
You can add multiple people at once by typing several email addresses separated by commas, then choosing one permission level that applies to all of them. If you need different people to have different permission levels, add them one at a time.
Understanding the three permission levels
Viewer is read-only access. The person can open the file and see its contents, but cannot make changes, read it, or print it unless you specifically allow those actions in the Share settings. Use Viewer when you want someone to see information but not modify it.
Commenter lets someone add comments and suggestions to the file without changing the actual content. They can highlight text, leave notes in the margins, and suggest edits, but they cannot directly modify the document. Use Commenter when you want feedback but want to control what gets changed.
Editor gives full permission to modify the file. Editors can add, delete, or rewrite content, rename the file, and change permissions for other people. Only give Editor access to people you trust completely, because they can make any change and share the file with others without asking you first.
Owner is the person who created the file. Owners can delete the file entirely and change all permissions. You can transfer ownership to someone else through the Share panel, but you can only have one owner per file.
Creating a shareable link instead of inviting specific people
If you want to share a file with many people or with people whose email addresses you don't have, create a shareable link. Open the file, click Share, then look for the option that says "Copy link" or shows a link icon. Click it, and Google Drive generates a URL that you can send to anyone.
Before copying the link, check the permission setting in the Share panel. It usually shows "Restricted" (only people you invited can access it) or "Anyone with the link" (anyone who has the link can open it). Click the dropdown to change this setting. If you select "Anyone with the link", you can still choose whether those people are Viewers, Commenters, or Editors.
Shareable links are useful for sharing with groups, posting in emails, or sending to people outside your organization. However, be careful with Editor links—anyone with that link can modify your file. Use Viewer or Commenter links when you're not sure who might receive the link.
Changing or removing permissions after sharing
Open the file and click Share again. The Share panel shows everyone who has access, listed by name or email. To change someone's permission level, click their name and select a different level from the dropdown. To remove their access entirely, click the trash icon next to their name. They when ready lose the ability to open the file, even if they already have it open in another browser tab.
If you created a shareable link and want to stop sharing, click the link settings in the Share panel and select "Restricted". This disables the link for anyone who doesn't have a direct invitation. Anyone you specifically invited still has access unless you remove them individually.
Changes take effect when ready. If someone is currently viewing the file when you remove their permission, they see an error message the next time they try to interact with it. They cannot read or copy the content after you revoke access.
Advanced sharing settings
Click the settings icon (gear symbol) at the bottom of the Share panel to access additional options. You can prevent Viewers and Commenters from downloading, printing, or copying the file. You can also disable the option for people to share the file with others—this prevents Editors from giving access to additional people without your permission.
For folders, you can choose whether new files added to the folder automatically inherit the same permissions as the folder itself. This is useful when you're managing a shared project folder and want all new documents to have the same access rules.
If you're sharing sensitive information, consider setting an expiration date for access. Some Google Workspace accounts (paid versions) allow you to set a date after which the file becomes inaccessible, even if the person still has the link.
Shared files and where they appear
When you share a file with someone, it stays in your Google Drive under your ownership. The recipient sees it in a folder called "Shared with me" in their own Drive sidebar. They can add it to their own folders by right-clicking and selecting "Add to My Drive", but this doesn't change who owns it or who can manage permissions.
If you move a shared file to a folder in your Drive, the recipient still has access to it. If you delete the file from your Drive, it disappears for everyone, including people you shared it with. Shared folders work the same way—the folder and all its contents remain in your Drive, and shared people see them in their "Shared with me" section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see a list of everyone I've shared a file with?
Yes. Open the file and click Share. The Share panel lists everyone who has access, their email addresses, and their permission level. You can see the full list even if you invited them weeks ago.
What happens if I share a folder instead of a single file?
Everyone you share the folder with can see all files inside it and has the same permission level for all of them. If you add new files to the folder later, they automatically have the same sharing settings as the folder unless you change them individually.
Can someone I shared a file with share it with other people?
Only if they have Editor permission and you haven't disabled the sharing option in advanced settings. Viewers and Commenters cannot share the file with others. If you want to prevent Editors from sharing, open Share, click the settings icon, and uncheck "Editors can change permissions and share".
What's the difference between a Commenter and an Editor?
Commenters can add notes and suggestions but cannot directly edit the document. Editors can make any change to the content. Use Commenter when you want feedback without giving full editing power.
If I remove someone's permission, can they still see the file if they downloaded it?
Yes. Removing permission only stops them from accessing the file through Google Drive. If they downloaded a copy before you removed access, they still have that copy on their computer. If you need to prevent this, don't share the file with people you don't trust, or use Viewer permission and disable downloading.