What is a shared drive in Google Drive?
Quick answer
A shared drive is a Google Drive space owned by a team or organization instead of one person. Members get one of several access levels, every member can see the files by default, and files stay in place when the person who added them leaves. Shared drives need a work or school account.
Last updated
Updated · By Robert Breen
Why it matters
In My Drive, the person who creates a file owns it. When that person leaves and their account is deleted, their files can go with it unless someone transfers them in time. Shared drives remove that risk, because the organization owns everything inside.
They also simplify access. Add a group of people to the drive once and they can reach everything in it, instead of sharing folder by folder and wondering who has what.
A worked example
A 12-person marketing agency creates a shared drive per client. The account lead and designers are members with Content manager access; the client contact is added only to one "Deliverables" folder as a Viewer.
When a designer moves to another agency, the admin suspends his account. The 340 files he created stay in the client drives, links in old emails still work for the team, and nobody has to ask him to transfer ownership on his last day.
Often confused with
Shared drive vs a shared folder
A shared folder in My Drive is still owned by a person. A shared drive is owned by the organization.
Shared drive vs "Shared with me"
"Shared with me" lists files other people own and gave you access to. A shared drive is a separate space in the left-hand menu of Drive.
Shared drive vs a SharePoint library
They solve the same problem. SharePoint is Microsoft 365’s version of team-owned storage.
Tips
- Make one shared drive per team or client, not one giant drive.
- Add Google Groups as members so access follows team changes.
- Give most people Contributor or Content manager access and keep Manager for a few.
Related terms
Learn it in a free lesson
- Google Workspace Explained: Apps, Drive, Sharing, Free vs Paid (about 8 minutes)
Related in the AI glossary
Sources
Written from these official help pages. Menus change, so if a button has moved, the help page has the current wording.
- Google Workspace Learning Center: What are shared drives?
- Google Workspace Learning Center: How file access works in shared drives
Frequently asked questions
- Can I create a shared drive with a free Gmail account?
- No. Shared drives are only available with work or school Workspace accounts.
- Who can see files in a shared drive?
- All members can see all files by default. Files or folders can also be shared individually with non-members.
- Can I move a file from My Drive to a shared drive?
- Yes, if you have the right access on both. Once moved, the file belongs to the shared drive, not to you.
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