A shortcut in Google Drive is a link to a file or folder that lets it appear in more than one place without making a copy. It’s the best way to keep a shared folder in your own My Drive, or to put one file in several project folders. Changes made to the original show up everywhere, because there’s only one real file. This guide shows how to add shortcuts on a computer and phone, and how they work with sharing and deleting.
Quick answer
In Google Drive, right-click the file or folder and choose Organize > Add shortcut (or press Shift + Z). Pick the folder where the shortcut should go, then click Add.
Add a shortcut on a computer
- Go to Google Drive in your web browser.
- Find the file or folder. Check Shared with me for items other people shared with you.
- Right-click it and choose Organize > Add shortcut. On some layouts, the option is listed directly as Add shortcut to Drive.
- Choose a location, such as My Drive or a specific folder.
- Click Add.
Shortcuts show a small curved arrow on the icon so you can tell them apart from the original.
Keyboard shortcut
Select the item and press Shift + Z. The same location menu opens, so you can add a shortcut without right-clicking.
Add a shortcut on iPhone, iPad, or Android
- Open the Google Drive app.
- Tap the three dots next to the file or folder.
- Tap Add shortcut (sometimes under Organize).
- Choose where to put it and tap Add.
How shortcuts behave
| Action | What happens |
|---|---|
| Edit the file through the shortcut | Changes the original file |
| Delete the shortcut | Only the shortcut is removed; the original stays |
| Delete the original | The shortcut stops working |
| Share the shortcut’s folder | Others see the shortcut but still need permission to open the original |
Shortcuts don’t use any of your storage, because the original file stays where it is and counts against its owner’s storage.
Shortcuts vs. copies
A copy creates a separate file that can be edited independently, and it uses your storage. A shortcut always points to the same file. Use a shortcut when you want everyone working from one version, and a copy when you need your own version to change. If you need to copy a whole folder, see how to duplicate a folder in Google Drive.
Items in Shared with me don’t appear in My Drive or sync to your computer automatically. Adding a shortcut to My Drive solves both: the shared folder shows up alongside your own files, and if you use Google Drive for desktop, it appears in your Drive folder on your computer too.
Organize projects with shortcuts
Shortcuts make it easy to organize the same files in different ways. For example, a budget spreadsheet can live in a “Finance” folder while shortcuts to it sit in each project folder that needs it. A team can keep its official files in a shared drive while each person adds shortcuts to the folders they use most into their own My Drive. Because there’s only one real file, nobody ends up editing an outdated copy.
If your organization uses shared drives, you can add shortcuts there too, and people with access to the shared drive will see them. They still need permission to the original file to open it. Shortcuts are also the recommended way to reference a file in more than one place, since Google Drive no longer lets a single file live in multiple folders at once.
If a shortcut doesn’t work
- “Can’t open” or access errors: The original was deleted, moved to trash, or your access was removed. Ask the owner.
- Add shortcut is missing: Make sure you’re signed in to the right account, and update the Drive app or refresh the browser.
- Shortcut not syncing to your PC: Check that Google Drive for desktop is running and signed in.
Find the original file
Right-click a shortcut and choose File information > Details (or Show file location) to see where the original lives. Our guide to finding a file path in Google Drive explains more.
Remove a shortcut
Right-click the shortcut and choose Remove (or Move to trash). Only the shortcut is deleted. The original file and anyone else’s access to it are unaffected.
Related: How to lock a folder in Google Drive.
Frequently asked questions
Can I add a shortcut to a file I don’t own?
Yes. You can add shortcuts to anything you can view, including files shared with you.
Why can’t someone open my shortcut?
They don’t have access to the original file. Share the original with them.
Can I put a Google Drive shortcut on my desktop?
With Google Drive for desktop installed, your Drive appears in File Explorer or Finder, and you can create a normal desktop shortcut to any file there.
Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He is an IT specialist with over 20 years of experience, from a university help desk to small-business IT, IT management and his own consulting practice, and has written tech guides full time since 2020. Steps are checked against the current software on a real device or the maker’s official documentation. More about Kermit.