Tech Tip - A Fondness For Folder Functionality

Now that you have been using Google Drive for a while you may have realized a need for organizing all those files so that you can actually find what you are looking for.  The beauty of folders in Google Drive goes beyond just organization.  It allows you to organize your sharing of those files.

Creating and Organizing Folders

Creating a folder is as simple as creating a document.  You can either click on the Red Create Button and select Folder or click on the Folder Icon above the list of documents.  Once you have done that, then give your folder a name and click on the Blue Create Button

If you don't see your folder in the menu on the left, be sure to click on the little arrow next to My Drive to see all of the folders you have created.  Viewing your folders in the left menu also allows you to easily nest folders for organizational purposes and allows you to drag and drop files into your folders.  

Once you have created your folder you can add things to it two different ways - either drag and drop, or select the item and use the Move To button at the top of the page.

Organizing your folders works in the same way - either drag and drop them into the folder you want to nest that folder into, or select that folder and click on the Move To button at the top of the Page.

Sharing Folders

You can share your folders in the same way that you documents.  The benefit of sharing a folder is that anything that is either created in or moved to that folder takes on the sharing settings of that folder.  In that way, you don't have to share each individual document with your colleagues or your students.  Whether it is editing, just comments or only view rights you give to someone for a folder, those rights apply to everything in that folder.  To share a folder you need to select the drop-down arrow to the right of the folder as it appears in the lefthand menu when you mouseover that folder and add that person to the folder the same way you would for a document.