When sharing a Drive file, you may see an error message that you can only share the file with a Google Account. Your business or school might require this to help protect confidential information.
What to do
If you see the error message:
- Ask the person you’re sharing with if they have a Google Account that you can share with. This could be:
- A personal account that ends in @gmail.com.
- A work or school account they use for Google products like Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, or Slides.
- If the person doesn’t have a Google Account, they’ll need to sign up for one before you can share the file.
- To help them sign up, send them this link: https://accounts.google.com/signupwithoutgmail.
Exceptions
- Google Accounts don’t have to use a gmail.com address. You can associate any existing email address with a Google Account.
- Alternatively, files can be shared with non-Google accounts using visitor sharing. Learn how to Share documents with visitors.
