The fastest way to share a document

Open the document you want to share. In the top right corner, click the blue Share button. A box will pop up asking for email addresses. Type in the email of the person you want to share with, then click Share again. That person will get an email with a link to your document.

You can add multiple people at once by typing their email addresses separated by commas. Each person will receive their own notification email with the link.

Before you click Share, you will see a dropdown menu that says Editor, Commenter, or Viewer. This controls what that person can do with your document. Editor means they can make changes. Commenter means they can leave notes but not edit the text. Viewer means they can only read it.

Key Takeaways

  • Click the blue Share button in the top right, type email addresses, and choose whether people can edit, comment, or view only.
  • Anyone with the link can open your document if you change the sharing setting to "Anyone with the link" — this is faster than typing individual emails but less private.
  • You can change someone's permission level or remove them from the document at any time by clicking Share again and adjusting their access.
  • If you share with someone who does not have a Google account, they can still open the document in their web browser using the link in the email.

Sharing with a link instead of email addresses

If you want to share with many people or do not have all their email addresses, use the link method instead. Click the blue Share button, then look for the box that shows the current sharing setting — it usually says Restricted at first.

Click on that box. A menu will open with options. Select Anyone with the link. Now a link appears that you can copy and send to anyone — through email, text, Slack, or any other way. Anyone who clicks that link can open your document without needing to ask permission first.

Before you switch to "Anyone with the link," decide what permission level you want those people to have. Use the dropdown next to the link setting to choose Editor, Commenter, or Viewer. Everyone who uses that link will have the same level of access.

Changing permissions after you share

You can change what someone can do with your document at any time. Click the blue Share button again. You will see a list of everyone who has access. Next to each person's name is their current permission level.

Click on that permission level to change it. You can switch someone from Editor to Viewer, or from Commenter to Editor. You can also click the trash icon next to their name to remove their access entirely. They will no longer be able to open the document.

If you shared using a link, you can also change the permission level for everyone with that link at once. Click the link setting box and choose a new permission level from the dropdown. This change takes effect immediately for all people using that link.

What happens when you stop sharing

If you remove someone's access, they cannot open the document anymore. The link they have will no longer work. They will not receive a notification that you removed them — they will only learn about they try to open the document and see an error message.

If you change the sharing setting from "Anyone with the link" back to "Restricted," all the links you shared stop working. Only the people you added by email address will still have access. This is useful if you shared a link publicly by mistake and want to lock it down quickly.

Sharing with people outside your organization

Google Docs works the same way whether you are sharing with people in your company or with people outside it. Type their email address into the Share box just like you would for anyone else. They will receive an email with the link, and they can open the document in any web browser.

They do not need a Google account to view or comment on your document. If you give them Editor access, they will need a Google account to make changes — Google will prompt them to create one if they do not have one already.

Troubleshooting sharing problems

If someone says they cannot open a document you shared, the most common reason is that you shared it with the wrong email address. Ask them what email address they use for Google, and add that address to the Share list. Remove the old email address if you added it by mistake.

If you shared a link and someone cannot open it, check the permission setting. Click the link setting box and make sure it does not say Restricted. If it does, change it back to Anyone with the link. Also check that you copied the full link correctly — links are long and easy to cut off by accident.

If someone has access but says they cannot see recent changes, ask them to refresh their browser or close and reopen the document. Google Docs sometimes takes a few seconds to sync changes across all open copies of a document.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I share a document with someone if I do not know their email address?

Yes. Use the "Anyone with the link" setting instead of typing email addresses. Copy the link and send it to them however you want — text message, social media, in person. They do not need to tell you their email address to open it.

What is the difference between Commenter and Viewer?

Viewers can only read the document. Commenters can read it and leave notes in the margins, but they cannot change the actual text. Editors can do everything — read, comment, and make changes to the document itself.

If I share a document with someone, can they share it with other people?

Only if you give them Editor access. Editors can share the document with others. Commenters and Viewers cannot share it — they can only access it themselves. If you want to control who sees the document, give people Viewer or Commenter access instead.

What if I want to unshare a document with everyone?

Click the Share button and change the setting from "Anyone with the link" back to "Restricted." Then remove all the individual people you added by clicking the trash icon next to their names. Now only you can access the document.

Can I see who has opened my shared document?

Google Docs does not show you a list of who has opened a document or when they opened it. You can see who has access by clicking Share, but not whether they actually read it. You can see if someone is currently editing it — their cursor and name appear in the document in real time.