Business guide

Share a business file with a colleague

Use a business workspace for organization content. Business sharing and the Personal download-link feature are separate flows; this guide covers sharing with a colleague inside your organization.

1. Create or upload a sample file

Open Files in your business workspace. Create or upload a non-sensitive sample file. Give it a recognizable name so both people can find it. Docs, Sheets, and Slides content is stored as files too.

2. Choose who can access it

Choose Share beside the file. Enter the colleague’s business address and choose the permission offered by the sharing dialog.

Use Viewer when the colleague only needs to read, and Editor when they should be able to change the content. Share with the intended account, not a personal address belonging to the same person.

3. Verify the result as that colleague

Have the colleague sign in to the same organization and look under Shared with me in Files. Open the file. For a Viewer, confirm that editing is unavailable. For an Editor, make a small test change and reopen the file to check it was saved.

A screenshot from the owner’s account does not prove that another person has the right access. Test using the recipient’s own account.

4. Review and remove access

Return to the sharing controls when the collaboration ends or someone changes roles. Remove access that is no longer needed, then ask the colleague to reopen the file to check the result. Folder sharing can affect the files inside it, so check the containing folder as well.

If a file does not open

Confirm the selected business workspace, recipient address, licence access, and the file or folder permission. Avoid giving broad roles as a workaround. Send the error text through Send feedback without including private file contents or password links.