Shared Drives, formerly known as Team Drives, provide organizations with a centralized place to store and manage team files.
In this guide, we’ll explain how this storage option differs from individual My Drive storage, along with key features, best practices, and considerations for Google Workspace administrators.
Introducing Shared Drives
Google’s team-based storage solution provides a centralized approach to file storage and collaboration in Google Drive. Teams can use it to organize files for a specific department, project, or group.
Unlike files stored in an individual user’s My Drive, content stored in a team drive is owned by the organization. As a result, files remain in place even when employees leave the team or company.
For additional information, see Google’s official guide to Shared drives.
Google introduced this functionality to address several common challenges associated with individual file storage.
Better Content Discoverability
When employees are added to a Google Group, they may have access to files shared with that group. However, those files aren’t always easy to find within the Google Drive interface.
As a result, new employees can spend unnecessary time searching for the information they need during onboarding.
Centralized team storage gives employees a dedicated location where they can find the files they need.
Files Stay With the Organization
When files are stored in an employee’s My Drive, administrators may need to transfer ownership or move files when that employee leaves the organization.
This process can be time-consuming, particularly for larger organizations.
With organizational storage, files belong to the company rather than an individual user. Therefore, important team files remain available even when employees join or leave the company.
Consistent Access and Organization
Another challenge with My Drive is that two employees can potentially see different files within the same shared folder because individual file permissions may vary.
A centralized structure can provide a more consistent approach to team collaboration. Organizations can establish clear policies around what information belongs in team storage and what should remain in an individual user’s Drive.
In short, Shared Drives are designed for centralized team collaboration and storage, while My Drive is better suited for individual work.
Key Features and Differences from My Drive
This storage model offers several features that make it different from individual Google Drive storage.
Access Permissions
Team members can have different levels of access, including:
Full Access
Edit Access
Comment Access
View Access
These permissions allow administrators and managers to control how team members interact with shared content.
External Sharing Considerations
There are also some important limitations to keep in mind when sharing content externally.
For example, files shared with external users cannot be added to a non-member’s My Drive. Instead, those files are available through locations such as Shared with me, Recent, Starred, and Search.
These files also display a distinct icon next to the file name.
Additionally, some right-click options, including Move to and Remove, are unavailable for these files.
Individual files can be shared externally. However, folders and subfolders cannot be shared externally in the same way. If external collaboration requires an entire folder structure, you may need to create a separate drive specifically for that purpose.
Content Remains Available
One of the biggest advantages of organizational file storage is that content stays with the company.
Even when an employee leaves, files remain available to the team. This makes the solution especially useful for departments and projects that need long-term access to their content.
For more information, see How to Offboard Employees in Google Workspace.
Consistent Team Access
Centralized storage also helps standardize how teams access and organize files.
Because content is stored in one location, team members can work from the same set of files rather than maintaining separate copies.
However, keep in mind that members generally share access to the content within the drive. Certain files and folders cannot be hidden from other members simply through individual permissions.
Each drive also has its own Trash folder, which is separate from a user’s regular Google Drive Trash.
When Should You Use Shared Drives?
This type of storage is designed primarily for team, department, and project-based collaboration.
For example, a marketing team could create a drive for campaign materials, while a project team could use another one for project documents and resources.
On the other hand, work that is primarily individual or personal is generally better suited for My Drive.
A simple way to think about the difference is:
Shared Drive: Content owned and managed by a team or organization.
My Drive: Content primarily owned and managed by an individual user.
Establishing clear guidelines around these two storage options can help your organization keep files organized and make collaboration easier.
Best Practices for Shared Drives
Before rolling out centralized team storage across your organization, consider establishing a few basic guidelines.
First, determine what types of content belong in team drives and what should remain in My Drive.
Next, create a consistent naming structure so employees can easily identify the correct location.
In addition, review membership and access permissions regularly. Removing users who no longer need access can help keep sensitive information protected.
Finally, make sure employees understand how the storage system works before migrating large amounts of content. Clear training and communication can make the transition much easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a Shared Drive and My Drive?
My Drive is primarily designed for individual file storage, while Shared Drives are designed for team-based collaboration. Files stored in this environment belong to the organization rather than a single employee.
What happens to files when an employee leaves?
Files stored in a Shared Drive remain available to the organization. Therefore, administrators don’t need to transfer ownership of those files when an employee leaves.
Can I share files in a Shared Drive with external users?
Yes, individual files can be shared externally, depending on your organization’s sharing settings. However, there are additional restrictions around sharing folders and subfolders externally.
Questions About Shared Drives?
Centralized team storage can make it easier for organizations to centralize files, improve collaboration, and maintain access to important content over time.
HiView Solutions is a Google Cloud Premier Partner providing Google Workspace licenses, technical services, and change management. Our team can help your organization with Google Workspace, Google Cloud Platform, Google Voice, and other Google Cloud technologies.
If you have questions about Shared Drives or need help managing your Google Workspace environment, contact the HiView team.
