When you share a file in Google Drive and grant someone “Editor” permissions, you are giving them the ability to change the contents of the document. However, by default, Google Drive also gives Editors the administrative power to share the file with completely new people and permanently alter the access permissions for everyone else.
If you are sharing a highly sensitive financial spreadsheet or a confidential HR document, this default behaviour is incredibly risky. You want your team to be able to edit the text, but you absolutely do not want them inviting unauthorised third parties to view the file.
How to Restrict Editors from Changing Permissions
As the owner of the document, you can easily strip this administrative privilege away from your Editors, locking down the sharing settings.
- Open your web browser and navigate to Google Drive (or open the specific file directly in Google Docs/Sheets).
- Click the blue Share button in the top right corner of the screen.
- The sharing dialogue box will appear, showing a list of everyone who has access. Look in the top right corner of this small pop-up box and click the Settings (gear icon).
- You will see a checkbox labelled: Editors can change permissions and share.
- Uncheck this box to disable the feature.
- Click the back arrow to return to the main sharing menu, and then click Done.
What Happens Next?
The change takes effect instantly. Any user with “Editor” access can still type, delete, and format data inside the document exactly as before. However, if they click the “Share” button, the sharing options will be entirely greyed out and locked.
They can no longer add new email addresses to the document, and they cannot change a “Viewer” into an “Editor.” Only you—the designated Owner of the file—retain the administrative authority to manage who is allowed to access the document.