Information technology's easy to make a copy of whatsoever document within your own Google Drive business relationship. But what if you want your collaborators to automatically make a copy of a Google Doctor when they receive a share link?

Attempt these tips which utilize a minor tweak to the shared URL.

The utility of this neat Google Bulldoze hack isn't quite clear from the title but try it out in one case and you will see the firsthand benefit when collaborating with others on Google Drive.

This method is handy when you want to preserve the original certificate while giving others the space to edit a re-create of the document in their own Drive folder.

It will save them a trip to the File > Brand a Re-create command and share a re-create of a Google Physician in the usual way. Hither's how it works.

A typical case is a Google Doc that needs to exist filled out individually by each respondent. Collaborators can enter the details in their own copy of the document without corrupting the original.

You lot won't take to ask them to make a copy. Simply follow these steps and the re-create will exist made automatically for them.

This hack works on Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides.

  1. Open the Google Drive document you lot want to share.
  2. Click the blue Share button on the top-right of the document.
    Google Drive Share Button
  3. In the Share with people and groups dialog, click anywhere on the Become link box as indicated past the prompt.
    Google Drive Share Dialog Settings
  4. Take hold of the certificate link with a click on Copy link. Yous can send this link to anyone via email or whatsoever other medium and then can view, comment, or edit the document. You can set the access by choosing between Viewer, Commenter, or Editor with a click on the footling downward pointer on the right.
    Copy Google Docs Link
  5. Copy-paste the shared link in an electronic mail. Now, delete everything after the forward-slash in the link and insert "re-create". Edit this little part of the unabridged link only part. If you brand any other edits, it will show upwardly as an error folio for your recipient.
    Copied Google Drive URL in email
    This is how the new link looks at present:
    Add "Copy" at the end of a Google Doc sharing URL
  6. Transport the email and your work is done. When the recipient clicks on the link, it takes them to their Google Drive screen that prompts them to brand a copy of your document.
    Make a Copy in Google Docs

When they click Make a copy, a local copy of the certificate is saved on their Google Drive. Also, the copy is received without the comments if any in the original. If you desire to ship a file with the comments, read the next tip below.

At that place are a few more variations you can force on the shared links depending on what you want your collaborator to do with it. Let's go through these four URL tweaks.

Google Dive Sharing URL Example

Sometimes you want your comments to carry over to the copy and then that your team members can use it to work on their version. You can do information technology in ii ways:

  • Supercede 
                  /edit
    with 
                  /copy?copyComments=true
    in the file URL.
  • Replace 
                  /edit
    with 
                  includeResolvedCommentsOnCopy=false
    to avoid copying resolved comments.
Google Dive Sharing URL Example

The Preview mode is different than the View option considering it displays the certificate in an uncluttered interface without menu bars and buttons. For instance, you can share a Sheet or a Slide presentation to anyone exterior your collaborating team.

Use the Preview mode by replacing 

          /edit

in the Google Bulldoze file URL with 

          /preview

.

Do annotation that a Preview link removes menus. Then recipients volition not exist able to use the File > Make a Copy option to add a copy to their ain Google Drive.

To bypass that brake, recipients can go to the address bar in their browser and replace 

          /preview

with 

          /edit

again to brand a copy for their ain drive.

Google Dive Sharing URL Example

You can share a Google document as a template. The recipient gets a clutter-free copy of your document minus the Google Drive menus. They tin can too brand a re-create of the document for their drive with a click on the bluish Use Template button.

Replace 

          /edit

 with 

          /template/preview

This method combines the Preview choice with the option to "Make a Copy".

Google Dive Sharing URL Example

A direct download link works equally it says. Your team member just has to click the link and the file will exist downloaded to their desktop.

Replace 

          /edit

with 

          /export?format=FORMAT

Add the file format (similar PDF or CSV) that the document should be saved every bit, and your download link is ready. The PDF or CSV pick is ideal considering information technology is a universal format and the recipient does not need a Google business relationship to open up and view the file.

Also, the receiver gets a print-ready file they can instantly send to the printer. This works with Google Docs and Google Sheets, but non Google Slides.

Keep an Center on Google Bulldoze'southward Sharing Settings

Google Drive is built around collaboration. But information technology's always a good idea to rails who you are sharing your files with. It's like shooting fish in a barrel to lose rails when y'all are working in a large team.

The to a higher place examples evidence that it is easy to tweak the shared URLs and access the files if your sharing permissions are not set up with security in mind. Spend some time in managing your shared files in Google Drive and you lot won't take to worry about files falling into the wrong hands.

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About The Author

Saikat Basu (1525 Articles Published)

Saikat Basu is the Deputy Editor for Internet, Windows, and Productivity. Later on removing the crud of an MBA and a ten year long marketing career, he is now passionate about helping others amend their storytelling skills. He looks out for the missing Oxford comma and hates bad screenshots. But Photography, Photoshop, and Productivity ideas soothe his soul.

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