How to Share a Folder in Google Drive
Share a Google Drive folder with specific people or with anyone who has the link, choose the Viewer, Commenter, or Editor role, and copy the link to send.
Applies to: Google Drive on the web; app differences noted. Checked September 2026.
Sharing a folder gives people access to everything inside it at once, including files added later. You do it from the Share dialog on the Drive website.
Right-click the folder and choose Share
Open drive.google.com and find the folder in My Drive. Right-click it, hover Share, and click Share. You can also select the folder and click the person-with-a-plus icon in the toolbar above the file list.
Add people by email
Type names or email addresses in the field at the top of the dialog. A dropdown to the right of the field sets their role. Leave Notify people ticked to send an email with the link, add a message if you want, and click Send. Google Groups and mailing lists work in the same field.
Or open it to anyone with the link
Under General access, click Restricted and choose Anyone with the link. Anyone who has the link can then open the folder without signing in, unless you pick a role that requires an account. Pick this only for content that is fine to be forwarded.
Choose the role
The three roles are Viewer, Commenter, and Editor. Viewers can open and download. Commenters can also leave comments on files inside. Editors can add, rename, move, and delete files in the folder, and by default can share it with more people. If you only want people to drop files in, Editor is still the role to use; Drive has no upload-only option.
Copy the link and finish
Click Copy link at the bottom left of the dialog, then click Done. Paste the link into an email or chat. People you added by email also receive the link automatically if you left the notification on.
Everything inside inherits the sharing. Files and subfolders take on the folder's permissions, so a person with Editor on the folder can edit every file in it. Sharing set on an individual file inside stays in addition to the folder's sharing. Moving a file out of the folder removes the inherited access.
Where recipients find it. The folder appears under Shared with me in their Drive. To keep it handy, they can right-click it, choose Organize, then Add shortcut, and place the shortcut in their My Drive. In the phone app, tap the three dots next to the folder and choose Share to reach the same options.