Share with a public link, password and expiry
Create a link anyone can open, add a password or an expiry time, and stop people downloading.
A public link lets anyone view a file or folder without signing in, which is handy for clients and suppliers who are not in your workspace. You stay in control with a password, an expiry time and a download restriction.
Create a public link
- In Drive, select a file or folder and choose Share.
- Scroll to the Anyone with the link section.
- Optionally set a Password and an Expires date and time.
- Optionally tick Viewers can't download, print or copy.
- Choose Create link.
- Choose Copy public link straight away.
Note: The link is shown only once, when you make it. If you lose it, choose New link: that creates a fresh link, and the old one stops working.
Anyone with the link can view. They cannot edit.
Password protection
A visitor to a password-protected link is asked for the password before they see anything. Share the password separately from the link, for example by phone or in a different message.
Expiry
When an expiry is set, the shared page tells the visitor when the link expires, and it stops working after that time. For anything sensitive, choose a short expiry. Times follow your browser's time zone.
Limit downloading
Downloads, printing and copying off for this link hides those options from viewers where the browser allows it to be enforced. It is a deterrent, not a guarantee: anyone who can see a file on screen can still photograph it.
You can switch this on or off later for an existing link with the checkbox under the link details.
Turn a link off
In Share, choose Turn off next to Anyone with the link. The link stops working for everyone straight away.
Sharing with one person outside the workspace
If you add an outside email address under Add people or groups, they can view the item after confirming their email with a code. Choose this instead of a public link when you know exactly who needs access.
If the option is missing
If you see "Your workspace doesn't allow public links", an administrator has turned them off. They can change this in Admin, Security. Likewise, "Your workspace doesn't allow sharing outside it" means external sharing is blocked.
Tips
- Prefer password plus expiry for contracts, quotes and invoices.
- Review People with access from time to time and remove anything old.
- Use a team folder for material that many colleagues will keep sharing.