How to Find Who Still Has Access to a Google Doc
Google Docs on the web; app differences noted · Last checked · Suggest an edit
https://instructions.wiki/google-docs/find-who-still-has-access-to-a-google-doc
A doc has been passed around for months and you want to know who can still open it. The Share dialog shows the direct list; folders and link settings can add more people than that list suggests.
Open the Share dialog
Open the doc and click Share at the top right. The dialog lists everyone with direct access and their role: Owner, Editor, Commenter, or Viewer. A Google Group appears as one entry, so open the group itself to see its members.
Check the General access section
Below the list, General access shows whether the doc is Restricted to the people listed, open to Anyone with the link, or open to everyone in your organization. Anyone with the link means exactly that, including people who were forwarded the link and never appear in the list.
Look for inherited access
An entry with a folder icon next to it has access through a parent folder rather than the doc itself. That access cannot be removed from the doc. Open the folder in Google Drive, click Share there, and change or remove the person at the folder level.
Remove people or change roles
Click the role drop-down next to a name and choose a new role or Remove access. Change General access to Restricted if the link was opened up for a one-off. Click Save or Done to apply the changes.
Check from Google Drive for the wider picture
In Google Drive, select the file and click the i (Details) icon to see who has access without opening the doc. To find every file you have shared with one person, search Drive for to:name@example.com. To find files a person shared with you, use from:name@example.com.
If the doc was set to Anyone with the link. Assume it has traveled beyond the people you sent it to. Switching to Restricted cuts off everyone who is not named in the list, including former colleagues who kept the link. For old docs this is usually the right move.
If you use Google Workspace. Administrators can audit sharing across the whole domain from the admin console, which is the only way to see access on docs you do not own.