How to make a shared folder on google drive

Google Shared Drive

Getting Started with

Shared Drive is a new feature in Google Drive that gives groups of users access to a set of shared resources. Think of a Shared Drive as a set of shared files and folders that everyone on a team owns.

Shared Drive is located in your Google Drive right under “My Drive”. Any staff member can create a Shared Drive and create or be a part of multiple Shared Drives.

What is a Shared Drive??

How is Shared Drive different a shared folder?

Shared Drive

  • Shared ownership of files and folders
  • All team members see the same files, folders, and organizational structure
  • Files will remain in Shared Drive if one member leaves the team or district

Shared Folder

  • Creator of the file/folder owns the document.
  • Folder can be shared
  • Files, folders, and organizational structures are not synced by default
  • Shared files will be deleted if file owner leaves or deletes file

Who owns a Shared Drive?

  • Full Access: a user can add and remove files and folders; add and remove members to the Shared Drive; and upload files and create new files and folders.

  • Edit Access: a user can create, upload, and edit individual files and folders. Editors in a Shared Drive cannot delete files or folders or move items from one folder to another in a Shared Drive.

  • Comment Access: a user can view and comment on all files in a Shared Drive.

  • View Access: a user an view all files in a Shared Drive

A Shared Drive is not owned by any one individual on the team, unlike shared Google Drive files and folders. Instead, a Shared Drive is technically owned the whole team and has a variety of permission levels for team members:

Who should have Full Access?

Now that we have explored the different access levels available in a Shared Drive, it is important to understand when each access level should be used.

Users who will regularly maintain and update the Shared Drive should have Full Access. These users may be team leads or building secretaries who are responsible for curating, organizing, and updating the Shared Drive. Review the chart below to see specific permissions for all other access levels

Full

Access

Edit

Access

Comment Access

View Access

Can view files and folders

Can comment on files

X

Can edit files

X

X

Can create and upload files, can create folders

X

X

Can add people to and remove people from a Shared Drive

X

X

X

Can add people to specific files

X

X

Can move files and folders

X

X

X

Can delete files and folders

X

X

X

Can restore files from trash

X

X

Can assign files in Google Classroom

X

X

Creating a Shared Drive

1. Click on the Shared Drive section of your Google Drive, then click NEW.

2. Name your Shared Drive and click CREATE.

3. Click the drop-down arrow to the right of your Shared Drive’s name to add members.

Note: Users can be added individually or by an entire staff group to a Shared Drive.

Add Files to a Shared Drive

Members of a Shared Drive with Full Access or Edit Access can create new files in a Shared Drive or add existing files to a Shared Drive. To create a new file in a Shared Drive, right click inside the Shared Drive and select the file type to create. Keep in mind that any file created inside a Shared Drive can be viewed by all members of that Shared Drive.

4. Type email addresses to add users to your Shared Drive.

5. Select an access level for users as they are added to the Shared Drive.

How to move a file from My Drive to a Shared Drive.

Additionally, members of a Shared Drive with Full Access or Edit Access can add files from their Google Drive to a Shared Drive. However, it is important to keep in mind that once a file or folder has been moved to a Shared Drive (see GIF below for instructions), it will no longer be in the individual user’s My Drive. Instead, the file or folder will live in the Shared Drive and be owned by the Shared Drive.

Share Files outside of the Shared Drive

Members of a Shared Drive who have Full Access or Edit Access are able to share individual files or folders with users outside of the Shared Drive. This can be helpful if a team is working on a file but it needs to be sent to a Google Classroom Class or if someone else needs to view the file (i.e. a parent letter).

Shared Drive Files can be shared just like files in any other part of Google Drive, by clicking the Share icon in the Shared Drive or in the document itself.

Files in a Shared Drive can be shared outside of the team just like any other file in Google Drive.

Click WHO HAS ACCESS to share a Shared Drive file as “anyone with link can access”.

Customize the file or folder’s access setting after turning on LINK SHARING.

When to use a Shared Drive

Shared Drives were created to give groups more control over the files and folders they need to get work done. In our District, Shared Drives could be used in a variety of situations:

  • Curriculum Writing Teams have Full Access to a Shared Drive and share the Drive with all users to access curriculum documents.
  • PLCs have a Shared Drive with files and folders relating to student assessment data.
  • PLC Teams have a Shared Drive with shared resources to assign to students for a unit of study.
  • Building administrators have a Shared Drive that gives all staff members View Access to building wide-documents, schedules, procedures, etc.

Removing Files from a Shared Drive

Members of a Shared Drives who have Full Access are the only Shared Drive members who able to remove files or folders from a Shared Drive. If a file or folder is deleted from a Shared Drive, users with Full Access or Edit Access can restore the file from the Trash for 30 days after it has been deleted. After 30 days, the file is permanently deleted from Google Drive.

Shared Drives and Google Classroom

One of the most popular use-cases of Shared Drive is resource sharing for a PLC group. In this use case, PLC members are are all members of a Shared Drive and will want to be able to access and assign shared resources to students through Google Classroom. Shared Drive members with Full Access or Edit Access are able to assign resources to students in Google Classroom. Team members with Comment Access or View Access will see a message that says “You can only attach files you have permission to share. You will need to make a copy.” In this case, team members will be able to go to the Shared Drive, open the desired file, then click File > Make a Copy to have a copy of the file in their My Drive.

Please Note: Making a copy of a Google Drive file creates a new file that will not sync revisions with the original file.

How do I create a shared folder?

To share a file or folder in File Explorer, do one of the following: Right-click or press a file, select Give access to > Specific people. Select a file, select the Share tab at the top of File Explorer, and then in the Share with section select Specific people.

Why can't I create a shared drive in Google?

Important: Shared Drives are only available with the G Suite Enterprise, Business, or Education editions. If you don't see Shared Drives in Google Drive, it might not be available for your organization. For details, contact your G Suite administrator.