Embedded Files
Complete this checklist to master cloud storage and collaboration
Complete this checklist to master cloud storage and collaboration
Manage your Drive and Docs editor files
Manage your Drive and Docs editor files
1) Upload files to Google Drive to access them on every device
1) Upload files to Google Drive to access them on every device
You can store any file in Drive: pictures, drawings, videos, and more. You only need to store a file in Drive on one device, and it will automatically be available on all your other devices. There are three ways to get your files into Drive.
Upload files to Drive on the web
On your computer, you can upload from drive.google.com or your desktop. You can upload files into private or shared folders.
On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
At the top left, click New > File Upload or Folder Upload.
Choose the file or folder you want to upload.
Learn more at the Google Drive Help Center
(Advanced) Upload files to Drive from your desktop
If you want to upload files from your desktop, install and use Google Drive for desktop.
Note: Drive for desktop is only available if your administrator has turned it on for your organization or team
2) Create new Docs files with URL shortcuts
2) Create new Docs files with URL shortcuts
Instead of constantly creating new files in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, or Forms you can use a shortcut URL.
In your browser, enter one of these URLs:
docs.new
sheets.new
slides.new
forms.new
A blank file opens and you can start adding your content.
3) Highlight important folders with stars and folder colors
3) Highlight important folders with stars and folder colors
Star important files and folders
Right-click a file or folder.
Select Organize > Add to Starred.
(Optional) To see all your starred files and folders, in the left sidebar, click Starred.
Color-code a Drive folder
Organize your Drive visually with color-coded folders.
Right-click the folder you want to change.
Click Change color and choose the color you want.
4) Manage file versions
4) Manage file versions
In the past, you might have kept multiple drafts of your files in case you needed to refer or switch to earlier versions. Drive keeps all your drafts in one file where you can easily view or restore earlier versions.
View or revert to earlier versions of Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files
In Drive, open your file.
Click File > Version history > See version history.
Click a timestamp to see a previous version of the file. Below the timestamp, you’ll see:
Names of people who edited the document.
A color next to each person’s name. The edits they made appear in that color.
(Optional) To revert to this version, click Restore this version.
Upload a new version of a non-Google file to Drive
For non-Google files, such as a PDF file, you can upload new versions to Drive from your computer:
On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
Click the file you want to replace.
At the top right, click More ⋮ > Manage versions > Upload new version.
5) Access your files offline
5) Access your files offline
Internet outages shouldn’t prevent you from working in Drive. Set up offline access so you can view and edit your files any time. You can work offline in:
Google Docs
Google Sheets
Google Slides
Important: For security reasons and to prevent unintended access to your files, set up offline access only on your own devices and not on public devices.
Set up offline access for Docs, Sheets, and Slides
Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers only
Install the Google Docs Offline extension.
In Drive, click Settings ⚙ > Settings.
In the Offline section, check the Create, open and edit your recent Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files on this device while offline box.
Click Done.
Right-click a file and turn on Available offline.
6) Attach Drive files in emails and calendar events
6) Attach Drive files in emails and calendar events
Attach Drive files to an email
Send a Google Drive attachment
Send a Google Drive attachment
On your computer, open Gmail.
At the top left, click Compose.
At the bottom of the message, click Insert files using Drive .
Select the files you want to attach.
At the bottom of the page, decide how you want to send the file:
Drive link: This works for any files stored in Drive, including files created using Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, or Forms.
Attachment: This only works for files that weren't created using Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, or Forms.
Click Insert.
Attach Drive files in Calendar events
On your computer, open Google Calendar.
Create an event, or open an existing event.
If you create a new event, click More options.
At the bottom, in the description box, click Add attachment .
Choose a file that's already in your Google Drive. To add a file from your computer, click Upload.
When you finish, click Select or Upload.
Note: If your administrator doesn’t allow sharing Google Drive files outside of your organization, you can send Gmail attachments to external guests instead.
Learn sharing best practices
Learn sharing best practices
1) Customize sharing settings for files and folders
1) Customize sharing settings for files and folders
Share a file or folder with specific people and set access levels
Select the file you want to share.
Click Share or Share icon.
Enter the email address or Google group you want to share with.
To decide what role people will have on your file, select Viewer, Commenter, or Editor.
If your account is eligible, you can add an expiration date for access.
Choose to notify people.
If you want to notify people that you shared an item with them, check the box next to Notify people. If you notify people, each email address you enter will be included in the email.
If you don't want to notify people, uncheck the box.
Click Send or Share.
2) Choose a sharing expiration date
2) Choose a sharing expiration date
Open a file in Google Drive.
Click Share.
Find the user and next to the user's name, click the Down arrow ▼> Add expiration.
To accept the 30-day expiration date, click Send.
If you want to change the default expiration date, for Access expires, click Edit and select the expiration date from the calendar.
(Optional) To remove the expiration, click Remove expiration.
Click Done > Send.
3) Allow general access to a file
3) Allow general access to a file
You can choose if your file should be available to anyone or restricted to only the people with access. If you allow access to anyone with the link, your folder won't restrict who can access it.
Select the file you want to share.
Click Share or Share icon.
Under “General access”, click the Down arrow .
Choose who can access the file.
Tip: If you use your Google account for work or school, you can choose to only share files and folders with a specific audience, like your department. You might find a description of each audience when you hover over the group name.
To decide what role people will have with your file, select Viewer, Commenter, or Editor.
Click Done.
4) Share files with a team using shared drives
4) Share files with a team using shared drives
Shared drives are shared spaces where teams can easily store, search, and access their files anywhere, from any device. Unlike files in My Drive, files in a shared drive belong to the team instead of an individual. Even if members leave, the files stay exactly where they are so your team can continue to share information and get work done.
Common uses for shared drives include:
Projects—For people involved in the same project.
Events—For people working for a defined period on a specific event or deliverable.
Templates—For files that people can copy and reuse.
Company-wide files—For files everyone needs access to, such as training files.
Sensitive files—For highly sensitive files, where you can add extra security to limit access.
Collaborate on files with your team
Collaborate on files with your team
2) Add comments and assign action items
2) Add comments and assign action items
Add a comment
On your computer, open a document, spreadsheet, or presentation.
Highlight the text, images, cells, or slides you want to comment on.
To add a comment, in the toolbar, click Add comment .
Type your comment.
Click Comment.
Learn more at the Google Docs Editors Help Center
Assign an action item
Use comments to assign tasks or action items with your work or school account. You can assign a comment to a co-worker, or if someone assigns an action item to you, you can mark it as done.
3) Set up comment notifications
3) Set up comment notifications
You can change how often you receive email notifications for comments in Google Docs, Drawings, Sheets, or Slides. In Google Docs and Sheets, you can also change notification settings for edits. You can choose whether to receive notifications through email or on your browser.
4) Add and review suggested edits
4) Add and review suggested edits
You can propose changes directly in a document without editing the text by suggesting an edit. Your suggestions won’t change the original text until the document owner approves them. You must have edit or comment access to the document to suggest changes.
In the top corner, make sure you’re in Suggesting mode, which may also appear as .
To suggest an edit, simply begin typing where you think the edit should be made in the document. Your suggestions appear in a new color, and text you mark to delete or replace is crossed out (but not actually deleted until the document owner approves the suggestion).
The document’s owner will receive an email with your suggestions. When they click any suggestion, they can Accept ✓ or Reject ⛌ it.
5) Chat within Docs files
5) Chat within Docs files
If you're working in a file that other people have opened, too, you can collaborate with them directly by opening a group chat. Chat within documents, spreadsheets, or presentations. Get instant feedback without ever leaving your file.
On your computer, open a document, spreadsheet, or presentation.
At the top right, click Show chat. This feature won't be available if you're the only one in the file.
Tip: If there are many collaborators in the file, at the top right, to the right of the avatars, there will be a blue circle showing the number of additional collaborators. Click the blue circle > Join chat .
Enter your message in the chat box.
When you’re finished, at the top right of the chat window, click Close .
Note: All chats in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides include anyone viewing the file. The chats aren't saved.
6) See who changed your files
6) See who changed your files
See who commented, edited, moved, or shared a file
On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
On the left click My Drive.
In the upper right, click Info 🛈.
To access recent changes, click Activity.
To access the activity of a specific file or folder, click the file or folder.
To access recent changes, scroll down on the right side.
View or revert to a previous version
In Drive, open your file.
Click File > Version history > See version history.
Click a timestamp to see a previous version of the file. Below the timestamp, you’ll see:
Names of people who edited the document.
A color next to each person’s name. The edits they made appear in that color.
(Optional) To revert to this version, click Restore this version.
7) Create surveys and quizzes
7) Create surveys and quizzes
Use Google. Forms to manage event registrations, create quizzes, analyze responses, and more.
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