Dec 8, 2019
Establish a Google Sheet as a Template and Allow Multiple Users to Update and Save as Unique Files
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How to share a link for use as a template:
Go to the sharing dialogue, select "get shareable link", select "anyone with link can view", then select "copy link".
You should have a link that looks like this:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/<spreadsheetID>/edit?usp=sharing
If you want to use the document as a template, change the last part to /template/preview it should look like this:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/<spreadsheetID>/template/preview
When someone opens the link it will give a preview of the file and a "Use template" button that will create a copy of the sheet for them. I use this method to bookmark my personal templates.
If you just want a prompt for people to make a copy, then change the last part to /copy instead of /edit?usp=sharing, it should look like this:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/<spreadsheetID>/copy
Use that link when sharing and the person you are sharing with will get a prompt to "make a copy" when they click it.
Does that do what you are looking for?
After you get the link to share the file, from the Share dialogue "Get shareable link", that link is the one that needs modified.
You can either paste it into an email then change it or paste it into your address bar and change it before you hit go (or enter).
Original Poster Erikah marked this as an answer
All Replies (20)
How to share a link for use as a template:
Go to the sharing dialogue, select "get shareable link", select "anyone with link can view", then select "copy link".
You should have a link that looks like this:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/<spreadsheetID>/edit?usp=sharing
If you want to use the document as a template, change the last part to /template/preview it should look like this:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/<spreadsheetID>/template/preview
When someone opens the link it will give a preview of the file and a "Use template" button that will create a copy of the sheet for them. I use this method to bookmark my personal templates.
If you just want a prompt for people to make a copy, then change the last part to /copy instead of /edit?usp=sharing, it should look like this:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/<spreadsheetID>/copy
Use that link when sharing and the person you are sharing with will get a prompt to "make a copy" when they click it.
Does that do what you are looking for?
Dec 8, 2019
For your new question about how to access their modifications efficiently. I don't have a good answer for that. Each person will need to share that copy with you in order to get you access.
Dec 11, 2019
In terms a work around for the limitation to save the updated template or copy. Could we create a shared drive with all of the users we want to modify the template and put the template in the drive and each of them access it and their modifications saved in that shared drive as unique files?
I do not know if that would work. You could ask them to move the copied file to the shared drive location but I think it will by default just be saved to their "My Drive".
There might be a script solution for this but I'm not sure how to go about that. For specific script help, you might check the Stack Overflow Google Apps Script forum, this page has a link for that forum and some other script resources.
Jan 7, 2020
The "Template" is really just your original file in a view-only form that others can save. So, if you want to put that file in a new Drive you would need to move it to that other Drive account. Or open the file from that other account and save a copy, "Use Template" > Save as.
Feb 13, 2020