Managing your files

After you’ve been using Google Drive for a while, you might find yourself having a difficult time keeping track of all of your files. Fortunately, Drive offers several features to help you manage and organize them. Watch the video below to learn more.

Searching for files

Searching lets you look for specific files using words contained within the file or file name. To do this, locate the search bar, then enter the word or file name you’re looking for. A list of suggested searches and files will appear as you type. Simply click a file to open it directly from the search results. You can also press the Enter key to see a full list of search results.

Sorting files

By default, your files are already sorted from newest to oldest. However, you can apply other sorts to put your files in a different order. To sort by name, click the Name button just above the list of files. To sort by date, click the Last modified button, then choose the desired sort option.

To apply a filter:

Filters let you hide unimportant files and focus only on the ones you’re interested in. For example, if you were looking for a presentation, you could use a filter to narrow down your visible files so you would only see presentations.

1. Locate and select the Search options arrow in the search bar.
   
2. Choose the filter you want to use. In our example, we’ll set a filter for file type.
   
3. Choose the desired filter. In our example, we’ll select Text documents.
   
4. Click the Search button or press the Enter key to apply the filter.
   
5. Only files that match the filter will appear.
   

To clear a filter, select the text in search bar, then press the Backspace or Delete key.

Organizing your files

Once you start adding files to Google Drive, you can use folders to help organize and group them. Folders in Google Drive work just like the folders on your computer.

To create a folder:

1. From Google Drive, click the New button, then select Folder from the drop-down menu.
   
2. A dialog box will appear. Enter a name for your folder, then click Create.
   
3. Your folder will appear on the left below My Drive. You may need to click the drop-down arrow to see your folders.
   

To move files into folders:

1. Click and drag the file to the desired folder.
   
2. The file will appear in the selected folder.
   

To add multiple files to the same folder, press and hold the Ctrl key (or Command on a Mac), then click to select each desired file. When you’re ready, click and drag the files to the desired folder.

To delete a file:

Deleting a file from your Google Drive is similar to deleting a file from your computer. You will have to move the file to the Trash folder and then delete it permanently, just like you would delete a file from the Trash or Recycle Bin on your computer.

1. Select the file you want to delete, then click the Remove button to move the file to the Trash folder.
   
2. Select Trash in the left navigation pane.
   
3. The Trash folder will appear. Click Trash near the top of the screen, then select Empty Trash. The files will be permanently deleted.
   

To preview a file:

Previewing files is a great way to make sure you’re opening the right version of a file or to take a quick look at files without opening them.

1. Select the file you want to preview, then click the Preview button.
   
2. A preview of the file will appear.
   

Right-clicking

Right-clicking allows you to access the full list of actions for any file. Most of the actions listed here are accessible in other places on Google Drive, but it serves as a great shortcut.

Practice with a project

Ready for an additional challenge? The following resource from Google will help you practice organizing and sharing files:

Applied Digital Skills: Organize Files in Drive: In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use Google Drive to store, access, and share files such as documents, presentations, forms, and photos in one central place. The lesson takes 45-90 minutes to complete.

Challenge!

1. Open our example file. Make sure you’re signed in to Google, then click File > Make a copy. For now, do not rename the copy.
2. Open Google Drive, create a folder, and name it Practice Documents.
3. Locate our example file in your drive.
4. Add our example file to the folder you created in step 2.
5. Open the folder and preview the example file.
6. Close the preview.
7. When you’re finished, your screen should look something like this:

Sharing and collaborating on files

Google Drive makes sharing your files simple. It also allows multiple people to edit the same file, allowing for real-time collaboration. Watch the video below to learn more about these features.

Sharing files

Whenever you share a file from your Google Drive, you can let others view and even edit that same file. While you can share any file stored on your Google Drive, it’s important to note that you can only use the collaboration features for files created within your Drive.

Let’s look at the example of Olenna, an art teacher who uses her Google Drive to organize letters, lesson plans, and more. Olenna’s files include:

• Files she keeps private, like her spreadsheet with classroom expenses
• Files she lets others edit, like the lesson-planning documents she creates with her co-teacher
• Files she shares publicly and doesn’t let others edit, like the newsletters and announcements she shares with her students and their parents
• Files others share with her, including ones she can edit, like her co-teacher’s supply inventory; and ones she can’t, like a schedule sent to her by the principal

As you can tell, no single sharing setting would be right for all of Olenna’s files. The settings you choose for each of your shared files will probably depend on why you’re sharing it in the first place.

When you share a file with a limited group of people, your collaborators must sign in with a Google account to view or edit the file. However, when you share with a larger group or make the file public, your collaborators will not need a Google account to access the file.

To share a file with a limited group of people:

1. Locate and select the file you want to share, then click the Share button.
   
2. A dialog box will appear. In the People box, type the email addresses of the people you’d like to share the file with. If you want, you can add a message that will be emailed to the people you share the file with.
3. Click Send. Your file will be shared.
   

For more control over your files, you can click the drop-down arrow to decide whether people can edit, comment on, or simply view the file.

Sharing with a link

You can easily share a file with a larger group of people by providing a link to any file in your Google Drive. A link is basically a URL or web address for any file you want to share. This can be especially helpful for files that would be too large to send as an email attachment, like music or video files. You can also share a file by posting the link to a public webpage. Anyone who clicks the link will be redirected to the file.

To share a link:

1. Locate and select the file you want to share, then click the Share button.
   
2. A dialog box will appear. Click Get shareable link.
   
3. A link to the file will be copied to your web clipboard. You can then paste the link in an email message or on the Web to share the file. When you’re finished, click Done.
   

Files shared with you

People can also choose to share files with you. These files will appear in your Shared with Me folder. However, if you’d prefer to access a file from your Google Drive without switching to this view, you can move it. To do this, navigate to your Shared with Me folder, hover the mouse over the desired file, then select Add to My Drive.

Collaboration tools

Whenever you share a file in a Google Drive format, you’ll have the option to allow your co-editors to change and edit the file. Google Drive offers several tools that enhance collaboration by making it easier to communicate with your co-editors and to see which changes have been made and by whom.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn about the collaboration features in Google Drive.

Suggesting mode

Google Drive also has a feature called Suggesting mode, which is similar to the Track Changes feature in Microsoft Office. This allows each collaborator to make changes, while giving the other collaborators a chance to review the changes before making them permanent. This page has more information about how to make suggested edits and accept or reject other people’s changes.

Challenge!

1. Open our example file. Make sure you’re signed in to Google, then click File > Make a copy.
2. Change to suggesting mode.
3. Select the first three lines of the letter and center align them.
4. Select the name Melissa Vaughn and add a comment that says Double check the spelling.
5. When you’re finished, your document should look something like this:
   
6. Optional: Try sharing your document with someone.

Menu

© 2020-2025. All Rights Reserved.