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Google Workspace Resource

Google Workspace Shared Drive Review Checklist

Shared drives can keep business files organized, but only when ownership, permissions, and external sharing are reviewed.

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Why this matters

Shared drives can become cluttered with old folders, unclear owners, external links, and former employee access. A review helps keep business files easier to trust.

Use this resource when

  • Your team uses Google shared drives.
  • External file sharing is common.
  • Employees have left or changed roles.
  • You want to clean up folder structure and permissions.

What to review

  • Shared drive names and business owners.
  • Managers, content managers, contributors, and viewers.
  • External members and shared links.
  • Sensitive folders such as finance, human resources, and customer records.
  • Former employee access.
  • Duplicate or abandoned shared drives.
Step by step

Practical checklist

  1. List every shared drive and its business purpose.
  2. Assign an owner for each shared drive.
  3. Review members and permission levels.
  4. Remove former employees and old vendors.
  5. Check external sharing and public links.
  6. Document cleanup actions and schedule the next review.
Avoid these issues

Common mistakes

  • Letting everyone become a manager of a shared drive.
  • Using shared drives with unclear business purpose.
  • Not checking external members.
  • Keeping former employees as owners or managers.
  • Creating new drives instead of cleaning old ones.

Need help turning this into a working process?

J3 Systems Group can help review Google Workspace shared drives, permissions, external sharing, and file ownership.

Schedule a consultation

Related resources

Microsoft 365 Security Checklist for Small Businesses

Use this checklist to review the Microsoft 365 settings that most small businesses depend on every day. It is designed for business owners and office managers who need a practical way to reduce account, email, and access risk.