How to Collaborate Outside Your Business in Google Workspace

Without 3rd Party Software or Data Leaks

If you need to work with someone outside your business who doesn’t have a Google account, and you don’t want to download extra software, don’t worry – Google Workspace has you covered.

Google Workspace offers two built-in ways to handle external collaboration securely: Visitor Sharing and Workspace Guests.

This guide breaks down when to use each option, how to configure them in your Admin console in under 10 minutes, and how to safely revoke access when the project is done.

Option 1: Visitor Sharing (Best for One-Off Files & Folders)

Visitor sharing is designed for situations where an external contact only needs temporary access to specific files or folders in your Google Drive.

When business owners hit this hurdle, they often default to changing file settings to “Anyone with the link can view.”

The problem? Anyone who receives that link can forward it to third parties without your knowledge, causing you to lose total control of your business data.

With Visitor Sharing, you send an invite directly to the other person’s existing email address (even if that’s an Outlook or custom domain email).

Google sends them a single-use PIN code to verify identity. Once entered, they can view, edit, or comment based on the exact permissions you grant.

Step 1: Enable Visitor Sharing in the Admin Console

Before sharing files externally, make sure the feature is active for your organization:

1. Log into admin.google.com.
2. From the left-hand side menu, go to Apps > Google Workspace > Drive and Docs.
3. Click on Sharing settings, then click Sharing options.
4. Confirm the box next to “Allow users or shared drives to share items with guest accounts” is checked.
5. Select “Warn when files owned by users or shared drives are shared outside your organization”. This provides a helpful confirmation prompt to your team whenever they send a file externally.

Step 2: How to Share a File or Folder

1. Open Google Drive in a browser tab.
2. Select the file or folder you want to share and click the Share button.
3. Enter the external person’s email address.
4. Select their permission level (Viewer, Commenter, or Editor) and click Send.

Key Rules for Visitor Access

• 7-Day Verification Window: Visitors can collaborate on your file for 7 days after entering their PIN code. If they need access longer, they simply re-verify using the original link in their email.
• Shared Drives: Visitors can view, edit, or create files inside shared folders within a Shared Drive, but they cannot be added as full members of a Shared Drive.

How to Revoke Visitor Access

Revoking access takes seconds and won’t delete any comments or edits the visitor made:

1. In Google Drive, click the shared file or folder.
2. Click Share. Next to the visitor’s email, click the drop-down menu and select Remove. Click Done.

Can’t remember which files were shared?

In the Google Drive search bar, type sharedwith: followed by their exact email address (e.g., sharedwith:client@example.com) and hit search. Drive will instantly show you every file shared with that address so you can revoke access safely.

Option 2: Workspace Guests (Best for Ongoing Communication)

Workspace Guests are designed for ongoing collaboration where you need to chat, hold Google Meet calls, and share files with external people on an active project.

When an external user is invited to a Google Chat space, Google automatically creates a managed guest account for them. Once they accept the Google Workspace Terms of Service, they can communicate and collaborate directly inside your team’s workspace.

Step 1: Allow Guest Invitations

1. Log into admin.google.com.
2. From the left-hand menu, click Security > Access and data control > External sharing.
3. Ensure “Allow users to send guest invitations” is checked.

Step 2: Enable External Chat Settings

Guests gain access by being invited to a Google Chat space, so external chatting must be enabled:

1. From the left-hand menu, go to Apps > Google Workspace > Google Chat.
2. Scroll down and click External chat settings.
3. Ensure ON is selected next to “Users can chat with people outside [your organisation]”.

How Workspace Guests Work in Practice

• Teal Badge Identification: External guests display a visible teal badge next to their name in Chat, making them easily distinguishable from internal staff.
• Collaboration: Guests can participate in Chat spaces, join Meet sessions, and edit documents shared inside the chat workspace.

How to Delete a Guest Account

When a project finishes and access is no longer required, deleting the guest takes a few clicks and will not delete their chat or document history:

1. Log into admin.google.com.
2. From the left-hand menu, click Directory > Guests.
3. Select the guest’s name from the list.
4. Click Delete user, and click Delete user again to confirm.

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