1. Set up a shared drive

Want to get more out of Google apps at work or school?  Sign up for a free Google Workspace trial

You can use this feature only if your organization supports it. For help, contact your administrator.

Start by setting up a shared drive and adding members.

In this section, you learn how to: 1.1 Create a shared drive 1.2 Add members and set access levels 1.3 Change member access levels 1.4 Remove members

1.1 Create a shared drive

1. Open Google Drive.
2. On the left, click Shared drives.
3. At the top, click New.
4. Enter a name and click Create.

1.2 Add members and set access levels

You can add people with a Google account as members of a shared drive. New members are given Content manager access, but you can change a member's access level.

Note: Give members who need to edit files in Google Drive for desktop Content manager access.

Permission	Manager	Content manager	Contributor	Commenter	Viewer
Can view files and folders	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Can comment on files	✔	✔	✔	✔
Can edit files	✔	✔	✔
Can create and add files, can create folders	✔	✔	✔
Can add people and groups to specific files	✔	✔	✔
Can restore files from the Trash (up to 30 days)	✔	✔	✔
Can move files from My Drive to a shared drive	✔	✔	✔
Can move files and folders to the Trash	✔	✔
Can move files and folders within a shared drive	✔	✔
Can add people and groups to specific folders in a shared drive	✔
Can move files from one shared drive to another shared drive	✔
Can add or remove members of a shared drive	✔
Can change member access levels	✔
Can permanently delete files in the Trash	✔

Add members and set access levels:

Requires Manager access

1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
2. At the left, click Shared drives and double-click one of your shared drives.
3. At the top, click Manage members.
4. Add names, email addresses, or a Google Group.

   New members must have a Google account. By default, new members are Content managers. They can upload, edit, move, or delete all files.

5. To change:
   • Permissions for a new member, click the Down arrow and choose an option.
   • Whether new members get notified, click Notify people.
6. Click Send.

1.3 Change member access levels

Requires Manager access

1. On the left, click a shared drive.
2. At the top, next to the shared drive name, click the Down arrow Manage members.
3. Next to a member’s name, click the Down arrow and select a new access level.
4. Click Done.

1.4 Remove members

Requires Manager access

1. On the left, click a shared drive.
2. At the top, next to the shared drive name, click the Down arrow Manage members.
3. Next to a member’s name, click the Down arrow and select Remove member.
4. Click Done.

Note: If you remove someone from a shared drive, they might still have access to files shared in other ways, such as files shared with everyone in your organization by link or through a group.