How to Share a Google Doc (Email, Link and the Right Role)

Sharing a Google Doc takes seconds. Sharing it with exactly the right level of access takes a little more thought, and that's where most of the mishaps happen: a client accidentally rewriting your proposal, or a draft meant for one person floating around a whole team.

There are two ways to share. You can invite named people by email, or you can create a link that anyone who has it can open. I'll walk through both, then the roles, then what the other person sees.

Sharing a Google Doc with specific people on a computer

1. Open the document.
2. Click Share in the top right.
3. Type the email address of the person, or a Google Group, you want to share with.
4. Choose their role: Viewer, Commenter or Editor.
5. Leave Notify people ticked to send them an email, and add a short message if you like.
6. Click Send.

Google's help says each email address gets an email when you share, unless you untick the notify box. You can share a single file with up to 600 individual email addresses, which is plenty for most teams.

Sharing a Google Doc from your Android phone

Google's Drive help gives these steps for Android:

1. Open the Google Drive app.
2. Select the file and tap Share.
3. Enter the email address or Google Group.
4. Pick Viewer, Commenter or Editor.
5. Add a message if you want, or untick Notify people.
6. Tap Send.

Google also lists a quicker route in the Docs and Drive apps: tap More next to the file's name, tap Share, enter a recipient and tap Send.

Sharing a Google Doc as a link

A link is easiest when you're posting the document in a group chat, a course platform or an email to lots of people. Google's steps:

1. Click Share.
2. Under General access, click the Down arrow.
3. Choose Anyone with the link.
4. Select Viewer, Commenter or Editor.
5. Click Copy link, then Done.
6. Paste the link wherever you need it.

Choosing who can open the link matters. Google says you can make a file available to anyone with the link or keep it restricted to only the people with access. Restricted is the safer default for anything private.

Viewer, Commenter and Editor in Google Docs

Role	What Google's help says they can do
Viewer	Open and read the document, with no commenting or editing
Commenter	Read it and leave comments, but not change the text
Editor	Read, comment, edit and share it, though an editor can't change the owner

Google's help notes that viewers and commenters can download by default, and the owner can change that. To stop viewers and commenters from downloading, printing and copying, or to stop editors from changing permissions and sharing, click Share, then Settings, and adjust the tick boxes.

My rule of thumb for client work: when in doubt, start low. It's easy to bump someone from Commenter to Editor later, and much harder to undo a paragraph that got deleted while you weren't looking. Here's how I split it:

Commenter for anyone reviewing, Editor only for people who'll write in it with you.

What the other person sees when you share a Google Doc

• If you invite them by email and leave notify on, they get an email with the link and any message you added.
• If you share a link, Google says your name and email are visible as the owner of the file.
• People who aren't signed in to a Google Account show up as anonymous animals in your file.
• If many people have it open at once, Google says a file can only be edited on up to 100 open tabs or devices at a time.

That owner detail is worth remembering if you share documents publicly from a personal account. Use a business account for anything client-facing.

Emailing everyone on a shared Google Doc

Here's a handy feature hardly anyone uses. In the Sharing dialog, next to People with access, click Email people on this file. You can pick editors, commenters or viewers, write a message and click Send. Google notes you can't add new collaborators from that screen, so it's only for people who already have access.

It's useful for telling a client the next draft is ready without digging out their address. If you also coordinate meetings around shared documents, my guide on sharing a calendar in Outlook covers the scheduling side for teams that use Microsoft tools too.

Sharing a Google Doc safely for small businesses and job seekers

• Sending a CV or portfolio? Share it as Viewer so nobody edits it by mistake. My roundup of free resume templates worth downloading is a good place to start the document itself.
• Working with freelancers? Give Editor access on the document, not your whole Drive folder.
• Work or school account? Google says you might not be able to share outside your organisation, and eligible accounts can add an expiration date to someone's access.
• Finished a project? Review People with access and remove anyone who no longer needs it.

If someone can't open your shared Google Doc

• They see a request access page: General access is probably Restricted and they aren't on the list. Add them by email or change the link setting.
• They can open but not edit: check their role and change Viewer to Editor.
• They never got the email: check the address, or copy the link and send it yourself.
• Your work account blocks it: your administrator may limit sharing outside your organisation.

Frequently asked questions

How do I share a Google Doc so others can edit?

Click Share, add their email address, choose Editor and click Send. For a link, set General access to Anyone with the link and choose Editor.

How do I share a Google Doc without letting people change it?

Choose Viewer for read-only, or Commenter if you want feedback without edits.

Can people see who owns a shared Google Doc?

Yes. Google says that when you share a link, your name and email are visible as the owner of the file.

How many people can I share a Google Doc with?

Google says you can share a single file with up to 600 individual email addresses.

Can I stop viewers from downloading my Google Doc?

Yes. Click Share, then Settings, and untick the option that lets viewers and commenters download, print and copy.

Why does my link say request access?

General access is likely set to Restricted. Add the person by email or change it to Anyone with the link.