Sharing

Google Workspace has several methods for sharing files and folders

Sharing can be done on the Drive level, with individual users, or with Groups. Files can also be set to be accessed by anyone with a link.

Sharing with Groups

Groups are simply groups of users. They can be used for quickly sharing files, sending emails, adding to Chat spaces, and more.

Using Groups simplifies sharing files, folders, and drives, as Groups can quickly be added instead of choosing each user individually.

A file in a shared drive can be shared with a maximum of 100 Groups.

My Drive file ownership and unreachable content

Objects created in a User's My Drive belong to the user, while objects created in a shared Drive belong to the organization.

Because of these default Sharing structures, there is a chance of files becoming"orphaned" with no owner. Google My Drive sharing allows owners of folders located in shared folders, to adjust the permissions and hide content from the original user. This can lead to unorganized data in no folder as the data becomes orphaned.

Trust rules

Trust rules are available in Enterprise and Education plans on Standard tier and above. When enabled, Trust rules replace standard drive sharing settings, and any sharing settings will be converted to Trust rules.

Trust rules provide granular control over access, including access controls that can include or exclude external parties. Trust rules include settings such as whitelisting domains, excluding external organizations, and more. Multiple Trust Rules can be active at one time for additional control over access.