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Cloud file sharing starts with a file, a person and the access that person needs. This archive centers on our Google Drive link guide. Use it to plan the share before copying an address, so sending a file does not also give more access than the task requires.

Choose the person and the role

Shareable links are one part of a file’s access setup. File permissions decide what people can do when they open it. Google’s current sharing help separates viewing, commenting and editing roles. Check the role as well as the link before sending either to someone else.

Viewer access fits a different job from editing access. A reader checking the final version may not need to change the draft. Someone working on the text may need a different role. Start with that task instead of using one broad setting for every file.

Check the folder around the file

Shared folders also matter. Google’s help explains that access can come from the parent folder. That means a single file’s controls may not tell the whole access story. Check where the item is stored before assuming that a file-level change settles every person’s access.

For the service-specific steps, browse Google Drive. For work inside a text file, use Google Docs. Keeping those tasks distinct makes it easier to answer two questions: who can open the item, and what work they should do once it opens.

Review the link after the task changes

Link sharing should have a clear purpose. For example, a draft sent for review may need a different access check once the review ends. This is a planning example, rather than a claim that we audited a particular account or its folder settings.

Our OneDrive archive covers another file service, while online privacy adds context for personal-information choices. Work or school accounts may have their own sharing limits. Use the cloud file sharing guide below alongside current account help, and confirm the intended person and role before sending the final link.