Share a Google Drive file with the people who need it and the smallest suitable permission. A customer reviewing a proposal normally needs less access than a colleague editing it. Your organisation can restrict external sharing even when the file owner wants to enable it.
IN THIS ARTICLE
01 Share and verify
- Open Drive with the business account and select the intended file or folder.
- Choose Share and add the customer's exact email address.
- Select an appropriate viewing, commenting or editing role. Review any available restrictions relevant to the task.
- Check the general-access setting. Keep it restricted unless a broader link is deliberately required.
- Send the invitation or approved link and ask the recipient to open it using the intended account.
- Review the access list after the task is complete and remove permissions no longer needed.
02 Check folder inheritance
A file inside a shared folder or shared drive can inherit access from that location. Review the containing folder when the access list seems broader than expected. Moving a file can change the people who can reach it.
What should I check if a customer sees Access denied in Google Drive?
Confirm the email address and which account they are signed into. Check organisation restrictions and whether the link points to the correct file. Avoid changing the whole folder to public as the first response to one person's sign-in mismatch.
03 Choose links or attachments deliberately
A shared link can point to the current working file, while an attachment is a separate copy that can become outdated. Revoking a link does not necessarily recover copies someone already downloaded. Share only the information intended for the recipient.
For team-owned business material, consider an eligible shared drive so ownership does not depend on one employee. Keep important customer records in the organisation's approved storage and review links during staff departures and project closure.