A limited-access Google Drive folder can separate sensitive material from a parent folder shared with a larger group. Configure the folder’s actual access list and check alternative permissions; a nested location or confidential name alone does not protect its contents.
Use an authorized web account
On Drive’s computer web interface, right-click the folder and open Share, then Settings. Where your role permits it, turn on Limit access. Return to the sharing dialog and add or remove the people who should open the folder.
My Drive owners and permitted editors can manage this setting according to the sharing configuration. Shared-drive managers control limited access there. Drive for desktop does not offer the same management controls, so use the web interface for this change.
Review the effective audience
Google states that People with access and General access can override an Access removed entry. A person may still enter through a permitted group or general setting. Owners in My Drive and shared-drive managers also retain access that ordinary members cannot remove.
Manually limited folders can appear grayed out to excluded parent-folder members. Some restrictions applied automatically by Drive can hide the item instead. Do not promise that every restricted folder name is invisible.
Protect individual files through a folder boundary
Users can apply limited access to folders; automatically restricted individual files are a separate system behavior. For a specific sensitive file, create an appropriate dedicated folder, move it carefully, and configure that folder’s audience. Check the file’s direct sharing and intended recipient access afterward. Avoid turning off an automatically applied file restriction casually, because Google warns that you may not be able to add that individual-file setting back.
References
- Learn about limited access to files and folders in Google Drive
- Share and manage access to files and folders in Google Drive
Reviewed against the linked official product guidance on November 3, 2026. Features, limits, screen labels, and access can vary by account, platform, region, and organization policy.