Jul 5, 2019

How to add a file to multiple folders in google drive.

I am selecting the file I want to share, pressing shift+z, choosing a folder, and then there is no 'Add' button to actually add the file to that folder.

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Sharing Files/Folders,Chrome OS

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All Replies (16)

Ashley Bixel

Original Poster

Jul 8, 2019

Yes- I created multiple google drive folders to be shared with my remote offices. Letting them have the ability to update a form or excel sheet each morning. However, When I created these folders, I had to make a copy of the excel sheet because once I put the sheet in Folder A, it could not also be in folder B, etc. I want to upload a document or form and be able to share it with all the folders (offices) without having to make 20 copies of the same document.

Ori Weinroth

Feb 25, 2020

Double click on the file, select "add shortcut", and choose the folder in which you want a shortcut to your file to be added.

Michelle Lasch

Mar 6, 2020

I'm having the same issue with not being able to use "Add Here" in a shared drive. I can see it, but it's grayed out. I can do it in my own drive but not in my work's shared drive.

John Carroll 5657

Mar 10, 2020

This feature is currently not supported on shared drives. When I attempt to "add" a file rather than move it within a shared drive, the add option is grayed out with the following tooltip message:

"Files can't be added to shared drives, they must be moved"

I've already noticed a few other bugs / unsupported features associated with Shared Drives, so hopefully this is simply something that hasn't yet been implemented.

Note: in general, another way to "add" a file is to right click it, select "move to," and then hold down the option/alt key. The "move here" blue submit button should change to a green "add here" button inside the move context menu.

Last edited Mar 10, 2020

Leon Krohn

Mar 30, 2020

Wow, that's a major bummer. I hope they fix this soon. Hard to take it seriously for organizing anything if this does not work.

Jeannie Wyse

Apr 14, 2020

My question is why did google start doing this? I If I create something I would like to have the file but now if I create that file in a shared drive I don't have ownership. I dislike this. I can't even make a copy. Make me understand your reasoning google..

TERRY PAN

May 11, 2020

Similar question: How do u put a thing(eg:pdf)in a folder?

Victoria 5828

May 31, 2020

Me too. I can only add a shortcut to my new folder. I am concerned as the original doc might be deleted or moved at some future date, and I'll be stuck without it. I guess what I'll do is make my own copies and TRY TO REMEMBER to update BOTH??

Why did google change this?

JR 930

Jun 9, 2020

Very awesome trick.

But why it need to be trick ? Why Google don't make this well-know by user ?

User 12149803839616527413

Jun 19, 2020

Google, please fix the "Add Here" asap so we can put the same pdf in different folders. We've set up our files this way and now it doesn't work. I see that these posts are from last year and nothing has been done.

Rachel Salerno 6320

Jun 19, 2020

If you right-click on the doc there is an option to Add Shortcut to Drive. Doing this allows the doc to stay in "Folder A" but then you can choose to have a shortcut for the doc placed in "Folder B." So now you can open the doc from more than one folder, and no need to make a copy and have to update the copies.

Last edited Jun 19, 2020

Sarah Couture

Jun 24, 2020

Thanks Rachel Salerno 6320! your suggestion worked perfectly for my coworker and I who were needing a document in two places but didnt want to update multiple copies

Vanessa Fennell

Jul 2, 2020

If I have to now delete one of this short cut files, how do I do it safely without messing with the original one?