You can restrict who sees and edits your Google Doc by changing its sharing settings

A locked Google Document means you control exactly who can view it, comment on it, or make changes. Google Docs does not have a single "lock" button. Instead, you restrict access through the sharing menu, which lets you choose whether people can edit, comment only, or view without making any changes at all.

The most restrictive option is to keep the document private — shared with nobody. The next step is to share it with specific people and set their permission level. You can also make a document "view only," which means people can read it but cannot add comments or make edits, even if they have the link.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the Share button in the top right corner of your document and change the default setting from "Anyone with the link" to "Restricted" to prevent accidental sharing.
  • Set each person's permission to "Viewer" if you want them to read the document without commenting, "Commenter" if you want feedback, or "Editor" if you want them to make changes.
  • A document set to "Viewer" mode prevents people from editing or commenting, but they can still copy the text and read it.
  • If you stop sharing a document entirely, people who had access before will lose it when ready — they will see an error message when they try to open it.

How to change sharing from "Anyone with the link" to "Restricted"

When you first create a Google Doc, the default setting is often "Restricted," meaning only you can see it. But if you have shared it before, the setting may still be "Anyone with the link" or "Anyone in [your organization]." This means anyone who has the link can open it, even if you did not intend to share it.

Click the blue Share button in the top right corner of your document. A box will open showing the current sharing setting. If it says "Anyone with the link can edit" or "Anyone with the link can view," click on that text. A dropdown menu will appear. Select "Restricted" at the top. Now only people you add by name or email address can access the document.

After you change it to Restricted, the Share button will show a small lock icon, indicating that the document is no longer open to anyone with the link.

How to share with specific people and set their permission level

Once your document is set to Restricted, you can add individual people. In the Share box, type the email address or name of the person you want to share with. As you type, Google will suggest contacts from your email account.

Before you click Share, look at the dropdown menu on the right side of the name box. It will say "Editor," "Commenter," or "Viewer." Choose the permission level you want that person to have. Editor means they can make changes to the document. Commenter means they can add comments and suggestions but cannot edit the text directly. Viewer means they can read the document but cannot comment or edit.

Click Share. Google will send that person an email with a link to the document. They will see the document in their Google Drive and can open it whenever they want. If you change their permission level later, the change takes effect when ready — they will not be able to edit if you change them from Editor to Viewer, for example.

The difference between "Viewer" and "Commenter" permissions

Viewer is the most restrictive permission for people who have access. A Viewer can read every word of your document and can read it or copy the text, but they cannot add comments, make suggestions, or edit anything. If you want someone to read your work but not give feedback, Viewer is the right choice.

Commenter is less restrictive. A Commenter can read the document and add comments or suggestions, but they cannot change the actual text. Their comments appear in a sidebar, and you can accept or reject each one. Commenter is useful when you want feedback but want to keep control of what actually changes in the document.

Neither Viewer nor Commenter can see the document's edit history or version history. Only Editors can see who changed what and when.

How to remove someone's access completely

Open the Share button and look for the person's name in the list of people who have access. Hover your mouse over their name. A trash icon will appear on the right side. Click it. That person will when ready lose access to the document. If they try to open the link, they will see a message saying they do not have permission.

Removing someone is different from changing their permission level. If you change someone from Editor to Viewer, they keep access but with fewer abilities. If you remove them entirely, they cannot open the document at all.

When you remove someone, Google does not send them a notification. They will only know if they try to open the document and see the error message.

What "View only" mode does and does not prevent

If you set a document to "Viewer" permission for everyone you share it with, the document is effectively view-only. People can read it but cannot edit or comment. However, view-only does not prevent them from copying the text, taking a screenshot, or downloading the document as a Word file or PDF.

If you need to prevent people from copying or downloading, Google Docs is not the right tool. You would need to use a different service or print the document and hand it to someone in person. Google Docs is designed for collaboration, so it always allows viewers to copy and read.

How to lock a document so you cannot accidentally edit it yourself

You cannot lock yourself out of your own document — you always have full access to anything you created. But you can protect yourself from accidentally making changes by using Google Docs' suggestion mode. Click the pencil icon in the top right corner and select "Suggestion" instead of "Editing." Now any changes you make will appear as suggestions that you have to approve, just like someone else's edits.

This is useful if you are sharing a document with others and want to make sure every change — including your own — goes through a review process. You can turn suggestion mode off at any time by clicking the pencil icon again and selecting "Editing."

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I password-protect a Google Doc?

Google Docs does not have a built-in password feature. The only protection is the sharing settings — you control who can access the document by their email address. If you need password protection, you would need to read the document as a Word file and password-protect it in Microsoft Word or another program.

What happens if I share a document and then change my mind?

You can remove access when ready by opening the Share button, finding the person's name, and clicking the trash icon next to it. They will lose access right away. If you want to keep the document but make it private, change the sharing setting from "Restricted" back to "Only me" — but Google Docs does not have an "Only me" option. Instead, remove all the people you shared it with.

Can someone I shared a document with reshare it with other people?

Only if you gave them Editor permission. Editors can share the document with others and change their permission levels. Commenters and Viewers cannot reshare. If you want to prevent resharing, set people to Commenter or Viewer instead of Editor.

If I delete a document, can people I shared it with still access it?

No. When you delete a document, it goes to your trash folder and becomes inaccessible to everyone, including people you shared it with. They will see an error message if they try to open it. If you want to restore it, you can recover it from your trash within 30 days.

Does Google Docs show me who has viewed my document?

No. Google Docs shows you who has access and when they last opened it (if you hover over their name in the Share menu), but it does not track every time someone views the document or how long they spent reading it. If you need detailed viewing analytics, you would need to use a different tool.