The simplest way to reduce exposure, without going through every file manually.
1. The Problem: Google Drive Makes It Easy to Share — Sometimes Too Easy
Google Drive is one of the most convenient tools in our day-to-day work life. In just a couple of clicks, you can create, collaborate, and share almost anything — from docs and decks to strategy files and campaign assets.
But that same convenience comes with a catch. Over time, Drive becomes messy. And risky.
You forget who has access to what. You share something quickly and move on. Teams change. Vendors churn. People leave. But the access? It lingers.
Here's what we've seen time and again:
- Docs that were meant to be shared internally now accessible to anyone with the link
- Files still shared with ex-employees or external vendors who left the project months ago
- Sensitive folders shared with "Anyone at company can view" — because it's easier
- Multiple versions of the same file floating around, each with different access levels
And the worst part? Google gives you no easy way to audit this at scale.
Sure, you can open a file and check who it's shared with. You can scroll through the "Shared with me" tab. But if you're trying to understand access across hundreds (or thousands) of files, it's simply not practical.
You're flying blind.
2. The Tool: Drive Guard by 8apps
That's exactly why we built Drive Guard — a simple, secure Google Workspace Add-on that helps you:
- Scan your entire Drive or shared folders to check who has access
- See which files are publicly accessible, externally shared, or over-shared internally
- Export a clean audit report you can share with your team or use for cleanup
- Run audits on demand or set them to recur, so you never fall behind again
It's designed for people like us — team leads, ops managers, IT folks, consultants, agency owners, and startup founders — people who want to protect their documents, without needing admin rights or separate security tools.
3. Step-by-Step: How to Audit Google Drive Access in Minutes
Here's how the process works — start to finish.
Step 1: Open Drive Guard from Google Sheets
Once you install Drive Guard, you can access it right from inside Google Sheets.
Go to: Extensions → Drive Guard by 8apps → Open App
[Screenshot Placeholder: Google Sheets → Extensions → Drive Guard → Open App]
This opens a sidebar — no new windows, no switching tools. Just Sheets and Drive working together.
Step 2: Create a New Task (One-Time or Recurring)
Click the "+" icon in the Drive Guard sidebar to create a new scan task.
Here, you'll choose:
- What you want to scan — your entire My Drive, a specific folder, or a shared drive
- How often the task should run — once for a quick audit, or on a recurring basis (hourly / daily / weekly)
You can also filter by:
- File types (Docs, Sheets, Slides, PDFs, etc.)
- Shared Drives vs personal My Drive
- Specific folders
[Screenshot Placeholder: Drive Guard sidebar — new task creation]
This level of control means you can audit everything… or just the stuff that matters most.
Step 3: Run the Scan and Review the Access Summary
Click "Run Task" and within seconds, Drive Guard analyses all the files under the selected scope.
What you get is a simple, powerful access breakdown:
| Access Level | What it means |
|---|---|
| 🔓 Public | Shared with "Anyone with the link" |
| 🌐 External | Shared with emails outside your domain |
| 🧍 Internal-Wide | Open to "Anyone in your company" |
| 👤 Restricted | Locked to specific people — no risk |
[Screenshot Placeholder: Drive Guard access summary view]
This summary tells you exactly where to focus. No digging through Drive. No manual checks. Just instant visibility.
Step 4: Export the Report for Review or Action
Want to share your findings with your team or manager? Want to archive the access state for compliance?
Just click "Export" and Drive Guard pastes a structured report into your Google Sheet.
The report includes:
- File name & link
- Access level
- Who has access
- File type
- Shared date
- Owner
[Screenshot Placeholder: Exported Drive Guard report in Google Sheets]
It's clean, readable, and ready for follow-up.
Step 5: Take Action (Manually or via Other Tools)
For now, Drive Guard doesn't automatically revoke access — and that's intentional.
We believe you should stay in control of what's shared and what's not. Drive Guard is designed to shine a light on risk — not change permissions behind your back.
(That said, we're working on optional power-user features like bulk revoking in the future.)
4. Bonus: Set It and Forget It with Recurring Scans
Drive Guard isn't just a one-time audit tool — it can be your ongoing watchtower.
You can create tasks that run automatically:
- ✅ Hourly for high-risk shared folders
- ✅ Daily for dynamic shared drives
- ✅ Weekly for general compliance reviews
Perfect for agencies working with clients, project folders shared across teams, or HR/legal folders that require ongoing access governance.
5. Why Teams Love Using Drive Guard
Here's what our early users tell us:
💬 "We were able to find 6 publicly shared pitch decks we didn't even know existed."
💬 "It helped us clean up old vendor folders before the end of quarter security review."
💬 "We now include a Drive Guard scan in every offboarding checklist."
Drive Guard is simple, lightweight, and effective — because it doesn't try to replace your Drive. It just makes it smarter, safer, and easier to manage.
6. Security Matters: Your Data Stays With You
Drive Guard was built with privacy in mind from Day 1.
- ✅ Verified by Google
- 🔒 Runs inside Google Sheets with your Google Workspace permissions
- 🚫 No external logins, no syncing, no hidden exports
- 🧘 Everything stays where it belongs — inside your Drive
When you're working with sensitive docs — from contracts to creative briefs — that peace of mind matters.
7. Ready to Run Your First Audit?
Whether you're a founder, team lead, agency ops manager, or IT pro — Drive Guard gives you a clear, reliable view of who has access to what in your Google Drive.
It only takes a couple of minutes to set up — and can save you from messy surprises down the road.