

The most secure way required that each collaborator sign in with an email address associated with a Google account. Historically, you had two options when you wanted to collaborate with others in Google Docs. Visitor sharing means there’s no need for collaborators to sign up for a Google account. TechRepublic Premium editorial calendar: IT policies, checklists, toolkits, and research for download Top TechRepublic Academy training courses and software offerings of 2022 The new system, which relies on email to receive a Google validation code, allows people to collaborate on Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Sites, Google Drive folders, images, and PDFs, as well as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files stored on Google Drive. This also will help keep the Access control list limited to those who need access.Google recently launched visitor sharing to allow secure collaboration with anyone with an email address. One benefit of the new method is that external users will no longer be required to have a Google account in order to collaborate on documents. This new feature is presently in the Beta stages, and the announcement link and links to apply can be found here. This is the current workflow, however, Google is working on a new method based on using a PIN code to access the document you are sending over. If the invitation permission is not revoked within 14 days, it will automatically expire.

Revoking access to the invitation will prevent any new users from using it to gain access to your files while maintaining access to those previously granted access. Each time a new user uses the invitation link, they are granted access to the document and permanently added to the individuals that the file is shared with, as shown below. Anyone who receives the generated link within the next 14 days will be able to claim the invitation. Google Workspace users will soon be able to invite Non-Google Workspace users to collaborate on files as visitors Next, users see a confirmation that the recipient does not have a Google Account and tells them what will happen. When an email address is entered in the Share dialog, rather than having the person’s avatar or the first letter of their name, a graphic of an envelope shows up.

But what happens when the people you’re sharing drive files don’t have Google Accounts? First off, Google has set up multiple indicators to the person sharing the file that the individual they are attempting to share with doesn’t have a Google Account. You can control how documents are shared externally within the Admin Console under Apps > Google Workspace > Drive and Docs > Sharing Settings, and typically Staff members are permitted to share outside the organization. Collaboration is a big factor in Google Workspace, both within the organization and without.
