Sharing a folder with a client or contractor who doesn't use your Google Workspace? Here's what works, what doesn't, and a simpler approach.

The Quick Answer

Sharing a Google Drive folder with someone outside your organisation is possible, but comes with real limitations that catch people out — especially after Google's 2025 permission changes.

Here's the complete guide.

Method 1: Share the Folder With "Anyone with the Link"

  1. Right-click the folder in Google Drive
  2. Click Share
  3. Change from "Restricted" to "Anyone with the link"
  4. Set permission level (Viewer, Commenter, or Editor)
  5. Click Copy link
  6. Send it to your external recipient

This works for individual files inside the folder. However: non-Google users cannot download the entire folder as a zip. They can only download individual files from within it.

If your client needs to download everything in one click, this method fails them.

Method 2: Share the Folder Directly to Their Email

  1. Right-click the folder → Share
  2. Type their email address in the "Add people" field
  3. Set their permission level
  4. Click Send

They'll receive an email with a link. If they have a Google account, they can access the folder normally. If they don't have a Google account, they may be prompted to create one — which defeats the purpose if you're trying to make it frictionless.

What the 2025 Changes Broke

In September 2025, Google changed how permission inheritance works in Drive. Files inside shared folders no longer reliably inherit the folder's "Anyone with the link" setting in the same way. Some files inside your shared folder may still show as restricted to specific users even after you've changed the folder setting.

If you're finding that some files inside a shared folder work and others don't, this is likely why. The fix is to check individual file permissions inside the folder — but for large folders this quickly becomes unworkable.

The Real Limitation: Folder Downloads

This is the one that catches people most often.

Non-Google users cannot download Google Drive folders. They can browse files inside the folder and download individual files one by one, but the "Download" button that creates a zip of the whole folder only works for users signed into a Google account.

If your client needs to download a complete set of deliverables in one action, Google Drive shared folders don't support this for non-Google users.

A Cleaner Approach for Client Deliverables

If you regularly need to share sets of files with clients who aren't in your Google ecosystem, Google Drive shared folders are the wrong tool for the job.

SimpleDrop handles this cleanly. You sign up, drop the files, share the link. Your client clicks it and accesses everything — no Google account, no folder download limitations, no permission inheritance issues.

Recipients can also interact with the files using built-in AI — asking questions about documents, getting summaries, finding specific information — without downloading anything first.

Use Google Drive for your internal organisation. Use SimpleDrop for the moment files need to leave your Google world and reach clients cleanly.

Try it at simpledrop.zip.

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