The Basic Steps to Share a Folder
To share a Google Drive folder, open the folder, click the Share button in the top right, enter the email addresses of the people you want to share with, choose their permission level, and send the invitation. The person you share with will receive an email notification and can then view, edit, or comment on the folder and its contents — depending on the access level you set.
The folder itself stays in your Drive, but the people you share it with can now see it in theirs. They do not need to read anything or create a copy. If you add new files to the folder later, those people automatically see them without you having to reshare.
Key Takeaways
- Click the Share button on the folder, type email addresses, and choose whether people can view, comment, or edit before you send the invitation.
- Viewer access lets people see the folder and files but not change anything; Commenter access lets them add notes; Editor access lets them modify or delete files.
- You can change or remove someone's access at any time by opening the Share panel again and adjusting their permission level.
- Sharing a folder does not automatically share files outside that folder, even if they are linked inside it.
Permission Levels and What Each One Means
Google Drive offers three main permission levels when you share a folder. Viewer means the person can open and read files in the folder but cannot make changes. CommenterEditor
Choose Viewer for people who only need to read or review. Choose Commenter for people giving feedback on work in progress. Choose Editor only for people you trust to make permanent changes to the folder's contents. You can give different people different access levels to the same folder — one person might be an Editor while another is only a Viewer.
How to Share With a Link Instead of Email Addresses
If you do not have someone's email address or want to share with a large group, you can create a shareable link instead. In the Share panel, click Change to anyone with the link (or the current sharing setting), then toggle the option to Anyone with the link. Google will generate a URL you can copy and send through email, chat, text, or any other method.
When you use a link, you still set the permission level — Viewer, Commenter, or Editor. Anyone who has the link can access the folder without needing to sign in with a Google account, though they will see a prompt to sign in or continue as a guest. If you later want to stop sharing the link, you can turn off link sharing in the Share panel and the URL will no longer work.
Changing or Removing Someone's Access
To change what someone can do with a shared folder, open the folder, click Share, find their name in the list, and click the permission level next to their name. A dropdown menu will appear — select the new level you want them to have. The change takes effect when ready; you do not need to send a new invitation.
To remove someone's access entirely, click the trash icon next to their name in the Share panel. They will no longer be able to see the folder or any files in it. If they received a link to the folder before you removed them, that link will no longer work either.
What Happens When You Share a Folder With Subfolders
When you share a folder, everyone you share it with can see all the subfolders and files inside it, down to the deepest level. You cannot selectively hide certain subfolders from some people while showing them to others — sharing a parent folder means sharing everything beneath it.
If you need different people to see different parts of your folder structure, create separate parent folders for each group and share each one individually. For example, if you have a "Projects" folder with subfolders for "Client A" and "Client B", you would share the "Client A" subfolder only with Client A's team, not the entire "Projects" folder.
Sharing Folders Across Organizations or Google Accounts
You can share a folder with anyone who has a Google account, regardless of whether they use Gmail, Google Workspace, or another service. When you enter their email address in the Share panel, Google will send them an invitation. If they do not have a Google account yet, they can create one for free using that email address.
If you work in a Google Workspace organization (a company or school account), you may see additional options like sharing with your entire organization or with specific groups. Your organization's administrator controls whether these options are available. Personal Google accounts do not have these organization-level sharing options.
Troubleshooting Common Sharing Problems
If someone says they cannot see a folder you shared, first check that you actually sent the invitation — sometimes the Share panel closes without sending. Open the folder again, click Share, and verify their name is listed with the correct permission level. If it is not there, add them again.
If they received the invitation but the folder still does not appear in their Drive, ask them to check their email for the invitation and click the link in it. Sometimes the folder appears in their Drive only after they click the link in the email. If they are using a different Google account than the one you shared with, they will not see it — they need to sign in to the correct account.
If you shared a link and someone says the link is broken, open the folder and check the Share panel to confirm link sharing is still turned on. If you turned it off, the link will no longer work and you will need to turn it back on or create a new link.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I share a folder with someone who does not have a Google account?
Not directly. They will need to create a free Google account first, using any email address. Once they have an account, you can share the folder with them. Alternatively, you can create a shareable link and send it to them — they can view the folder with that link without signing in, though Google will prompt them to do so.
If I share a folder with someone and they add files to it, can I delete those files?
Yes, if you gave them Editor access. As the folder owner, you can always delete, move, or modify any file in the folder, even if someone else created it. If you want to prevent them from deleting your files, give them Commenter or Viewer access instead.
What happens to a shared folder if I delete it from my Drive?
The folder moves to your Trash, and the people you shared it with can no longer see it. If you permanently delete it from Trash, it is gone for everyone. If you want to keep the folder but stop sharing it, remove people's access through the Share panel instead of deleting the folder itself.
Can I share a folder with a group email address?
Yes. Enter the group email address in the Share panel just as you would an individual email address. Everyone in that group will receive the invitation and gain access to the folder. If people are added to or removed from the group later, their access to the folder updates automatically.
Does sharing a folder also share files I linked to it from outside the folder?
No. Sharing a folder only shares the files and subfolders physically inside it. If a file is stored elsewhere in your Drive and you linked to it from within the shared folder, that file remains private unless you share it separately.