Share a file with the right person
Give a named teammate the access they need without opening the file to a wider audience.
Share a file with the right person
Before you start: Know which person needs the file and what they need to do with it. You need permission to manage that file’s sharing.
Review the existing audience
1. Find the exact file in Files. Open its three-dot menu, choose Share, and confirm the filename in the dialog.
2. On People, read direct and inherited access separately. A person may already have access through the folder or a broader role. If the intended person already has the access they need, skip steps 4–6 and confirm the existing access in step 7.
3. Open Link Sharing and check whether access is enabled for anyone with the link or for all workroom members. A named-person handoff does not require a public link.
Add the person deliberately
4. Return to People. Check the role selector beside Search users by name or email. Choose the role needed for the work: for a reading handoff, start with Viewer, rather than Editor or Owner.
5. Search for the intended person and confirm the matching account before selecting it. Selecting a search result can grant access immediately; do not expect a separate Save confirmation.
6. Select the correct person once. Check that they appear under Direct access with the intended role.
7. Close and reopen Share for the same file. Confirm the person and role, then check inherited access and link settings again.
Check the result
The named person should have a retained access entry on the intended file. Ask them to open the file from their own account when you hand it over.
A direct Viewer entry does not make someone view-only if they also have Editor or Owner access elsewhere. If their access is broader than intended, resolve that source rather than adding another Viewer entry.
If you selected the wrong person, have the file owner correct the actual saved access promptly. Closing the dialog does not undo an immediate grant.
Continue learning
In this series: Organise and share files — guide 4 of 6.
Turn what you learned into the way the team works.
Mark this lesson complete once the workflow exists in your workspace—not simply when you reach the bottom.