How to Share a Google Doc

With Google Docs, it's easy to share files, such as documents, images, and PDFs.

To share a Google Doc, click on the Drive tab at the top, or go to drive.google.com. You can check the box next to the file(s) or folder(s) you wish to share, then click the Share icon at the top, or you can share it within the actual file.

After you've opened the Google Doc, you can click File and Share, or click the blue Share button in the top right. Here we see the Sharing Settings with the visibility options.

To change who has access, click Change and you can select your new visibility settings: Public on the web, Anyone with the link can access, People at your organization can find and access (if you have Google Apps), People at your company who have the link can access (if you have Google Apps), and Private. After you choose your option, click Save.

You can also invite specific people via email and grant them the ability to edit, comment, or view. After you make that decision, choose if you'd like to notify them via email and include a message. You can send a copy to yourself and paste the item into the email as well. After you decide, click Share & Save.

To send the link of the Google Doc in an email you are composing or in chat, make sure the sharing settings let you share the link with others, and choose whether they can edit, comment, or just view. Then just cut and paste the link into your email or chat.

Lastly, while Google eliminates the need to send files as an email attachment, you can by clicking Insert Files Using Google Drive, then click My Drive, select the document you'd like to share, and click Insert.