How do I share a folder so people can view files but not edit them?
Quick answer
In Google Drive, share the folder with the intended audience and assign the Viewer role. Viewers can open the folder and its files without editing them.[S1] Folder permissions also apply to files and subfolders added later, but someone separately given higher access to an individual file may retain it.[S1] Check for such exceptions, and, when practical, ask an intended recipient to confirm the expected access. That recipient check is a practical suggestion, not a step verified by the cited guidance.
The question, the details, the next step.
I need to share a folder of files, but people should only be able to look at them. What setting should I use?
For a Google Drive folder, assign the intended people the Viewer role. Google’s guidance distinguishes Viewer, Commenter, and Editor; Viewers can open the folder and its files without editing them.[S1] When you share, choose the audience—specific people or anyone with the link—and make sure the role is Viewer.[S1]
First decide who needs access, then choose the audience scope that fits. That choice is separate from the permission level: you can select an audience and assign it Viewer access.
If I set the folder to Viewer, does that automatically take care of everything inside it?
Folder permissions are inherited by the files and subfolders inside it, including items added later.[S1] There is an exception to check: someone who was separately given higher access to an individual file can retain that access.[S1]
For example, if you share a project folder with a group as Viewers but one person previously received higher access to a particular document, don’t assume the folder setting removes that separate permission. Check files that may have been shared individually. The supplied guidance explains the inheritance and exception, but not a complete procedure for finding every separately shared item.
How can I check that the people I’m sharing with really see it as view-only?
Before sharing widely, confirm the intended audience and Viewer role in the folder’s sharing settings. If practical, ask an intended recipient to open the folder and confirm the access they have. That recipient check is a sensible verification step, but it is not described by the supplied Google guidance, so treat it as a practical suggestion rather than a source-verified Drive feature.
If you can’t ask a recipient, review the settings yourself, while remembering that this does not confirm what the recipient sees. If a particular file may have separate access, check that file’s sharing as well.
Can you show me a simple plan I can follow before sending the link?
Assuming you’re sharing a Google Drive folder with a project group, use this plan:
- Audience: the specific people who need the folder, or anyone with the link if that is appropriate.
- Folder permission: Viewer.
- Individual-file check: review files that may have been shared separately for higher access that should not remain.
- Practical test: if possible, ask an intended recipient to confirm they have the expected view-only access.
- Sending note: “Here is the folder for viewing. Please tell me if you cannot open it.”
The Viewer role, permission inheritance, and separate-file exception are covered by Google’s guidance.[S1] The recipient check and sending note are practical planning suggestions, not steps the cited page requires or verifies. Before sending, make sure the audience scope matches the people you intend to include.
A practical checklist
Choose the intended audience: specific people or anyone with the link.
Set the folder permission to Viewer, not Commenter or Editor.[S1]
Remember that folder permissions apply to files and subfolders, including items added later.[S1]
Check files that may have been shared separately for higher individual access.[S1]
When practical, ask an intended recipient to confirm the expected access; treat this as a practical check, not a source-verified step.
A few more useful answers
Does Viewer access apply to files added to the folder later?
Can I share with anyone who has the link and still choose Viewer?
Google’s guidance describes both specific-people sharing and access for anyone with the link, and identifies Viewer as the role that allows opening without editing.[S1] Choose the audience scope deliberately, then assign Viewer.
Does setting a folder to Viewer prove every recipient has no higher access to any file?
No. The guidance notes that separately granted higher access to an individual file can remain.[S1] Check files that may have been shared separately rather than assuming the folder setting resolves every exception.
Sources
References used for this guide.
- [S1] Share folders in Google Drive support.google.com · Checked