Read the Video Transcription (Note: this link will open in a new window.)

Download this tutorial as an MP3 audio file

Skip to the written instructions that accompany this video.

4.1 Sharing documents and folders

4.2 Access permissions

4.1 Sharing documents and folders

From Google Drive, you can share an item so that other people can view, comment, or edit the item. The Sharing settings dialog is where you specify the visibility options for the item you're sharing, add collaborators, and send notifications.

If you're starting from your Google Drive list, follow these steps:

  1. In a list of files and folders, select the item that you'd like to share.
  2. Press . (period) to open Sharing settings.

An alternate method in Google Drive is to use the Actions menu. To use this method, follow these steps:

  1. In a list of files and folders, select the item that you'd like to share.
  2. Press a to open the Actions menu.
  3. Press the down arrow to select Share, then press Enter.

If you're starting from within the file, follow these steps:

  1. Open the File menu: Press Alt + Shift + F.
  2. Press S to select Share.

Once you've opened the Sharing settings dialog, you have several options for how to share your item, communicate with collaborators, and set the visibility of the item.

The first field in the Sharing settings dialog contains the link to share. Copy the link by pressing Control + C. You can then paste the link text into an email or chat message.

You might also have the option to share the link via Gmail, Google+, Facebook, or Twitter. (This option isn't available for items created within an organization's domain.) If these options are available, you can press Tab to hear the options, then press Enter to select. You might be prompted to change the visibility settings of your item to ensure that recipients are able to access it.

4.2 Access permissions

After the link sharing options, the dialog has a section called "Who has access." Here you can choose who can find and view your item. To set the overall access level for your item, follow these steps:

  1. Press Tab until you reach the Change link.
  2. Press Enter to bring up the visibility options dialog.
  3. Press Tab to focus on the visibility options, and choose one of the available options with the down or up arrow. The options vary based on whether your item was created within a domain, and the sharing policies that your domain administrator has set. If you choose an option like "Public on the web" or "Anyone with the link can access," you can tab to an access level selector. Here you can use the down or up arrow to choose the permission level granted to users.
  4. Press Tab to the Save button, then press Enter.

After the "Who has access" section, the Sharing settings dialog has a section where you can share your item with specific people and determine their level of access.

  1. Press Tab to navigate to the “Invite people" text box.
  2. Type the names, email addresses, or group names of the people you want to add.
  3. When you finish adding everyone, press Tab once to navigate to the permission levels and press Enter to open the drop-down list.

  4. Use the down or up arrow to choose the permission level. The options for permission level vary depending on the type of item that you're sharing. Options might include the following:

    • Can edit: Collaborators can add and edit content in your item, or add comments.
    • Can comment: Collaborators can add comments, but they can't edit the content.
    • Can view: People can view your item, but they can't edit the item or add comments.

  5. Press Enter to set the permission level.

  6. The next step is to notify your newly added viewers or collaborators that you've added them. You have several options for this step:
    • To send a standard notification to everyone, press Tab to the Send button and press Enter.
    • To add your own message to everyone, navigate to the Add message link and press Enter. Type your message. When you're finished, press Tab to the Send button and press Enter.
    • To add people without notifying them, navigate to the Notify people via email checkbox and deselect it by pressing Space. press Tab to the OK button, then press Enter.

When you share an item with someone, you can set that person's level of access to it. The Sharing settings dialog provides a list of collaborators and allows you to change their permission levels.

  1. In the Sharing settings dialog, press Tab to navigate to the “Who has access” section of the dialog, where you'll find the list of people who have access to the item, their emails, and their permission levels.
  2. To change someone's permission level, press Tab to navigate to the collapsed list box after that person's email address. Press the down arrow to open the menu and choose the new permission level. press Enter to set the level.
  3. To remove a person from the list, navigate to the Remove button and press Enter.
  4. Navigate to the Save changes button and press Enter.

To close the dialog, press Escape or navigate to the Done button and press Enter.

Next Module 5: Google Docs Orientation and Basic Navigation