Make a Copy of a File

With large data sets, creators often do not want to grant Edit permissions to very many people in order to maintain the integrity and accuracy of the data. In order to use a data set or file that is View only, you must first Make a Copy. When you make a copy, you become the Owner of the new file and therefore have full editing capabilities.

To make a copy of a file, follow the steps below:

1. Open the file you want to make a copy of

2. Click File → Make a Copy

3. Change the name of the spreadsheet in the pop-up window and click Make a Copy

4. A new file will be created. You are the owner of this file and therefore have the ability to make changes. The file is located in your Google Drive.

Watch the video below to see how to make a copy of a file.