Google Workspace shared drives: how to organise company files
In many small businesses, company files live in one person's My Drive and are shared out to everyone else. It works until that person leaves, runs out of storage, or nobody can find the latest version. Shared drives fix that by making the business the owner.
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The short answer
Use shared drives for anything that belongs to the business, and keep My Drive for personal working files. Create a small number of shared drives by team or function (for example Admin, Sales, Projects), give people access through groups rather than one by one, and move existing company files out of personal drives. Files in a shared drive stay with the business when staff leave.
Shared drive or My Drive?
Files in My Drive are owned by the person who created them, even when shared. Files in a shared drive are owned by the business. Shared drives are included in Google Workspace business plans, with fewer controls on Business Starter than on Standard and Plus.
A simple structure that works
A few drives, not dozens
Start with drives by function: Admin, Finance, Sales, Operations, Projects. Add more only when access genuinely differs.
Access by group
Give a group access to a drive, then add or remove people from the group. Much easier than per-file sharing.
Right permission levels
Most staff need Contributor. Keep Manager for the one or two people who organise the drive.
Clear folder names
Agree a naming pattern for folders and files so search works and versions are obvious.
External sharing rules
Decide which drives may share with outsiders, and turn it off where it is not needed.
Move old files in
Move company files out of personal drives so ownership transfers to the business.
Who this is for
- Businesses whose files live in one person's Google Drive.
- Teams that cannot find the latest version of a document.
- Owners worried about losing files when staff leave.
How to move to shared drives
- Map what you have. List the main folders and who owns them.
- Create the drives and groups. Set up the drives and the groups that need access to each.
- Move the files. Move company folders from personal drives into the matching shared drive.
- Tell the team. Show people where things now live and stop new company files going into My Drive.
How WaTo can help
- We design shared drives and access groups for Adelaide businesses that run on Google Workspace.
- We move company files out of personal drives into the right shared drive without disrupting your team.
- Book a one-off Drive tidy-up, or have us manage drives and groups as part of ongoing Workspace support.
Shared drive questions
What is the difference between a shared drive and My Drive?
My Drive files belong to the person who created them. Shared drive files belong to the business, so they stay when that person leaves.
Which Google Workspace plans include shared drives?
The business plans include them. Business Starter has fewer shared drive controls than Standard and Plus, so check the current plan details if you are on Starter.
Do files keep their links when moved into a shared drive?
Generally yes, links keep working, but sharing settings can change because the shared drive's access now applies.
How many shared drives should a small business have?
Usually between three and eight. More drives mean more access to manage, so add them only when different people need different access.
How WaTo can help with this
WaTo Consulting. Last reviewed 2026-10-05. Review when Google changes Workspace plans, prices or admin settings.
Want your Google Drive sorted out?
We can design the drives, set up the groups and move the files without disrupting your team.
Mon to Fri, 8:30am to 5pm
