Some work and school Google Drive accounts can set an expiration date on another person’s access. This is useful for time-limited collaboration, but it is not available for every account or role, and it does not recall copies already taken.
Check whether expiration is offered
Open the correct file’s Share dialog and find the intended recipient. Open the menu beside their name and look for Add expiration. Google’s current sharing guide identifies this as a work or school feature and limits folder expiration to Viewer roles.
If the action is missing, check the account type, your authority over the item, and the selected role. Do not promise that purchasing a particular subscription or changing the person’s role will automatically make the feature appear.
Choose and save the intended date
When supported, select an allowed date and save. Google documents a date within one year. Verify the saved setting in the sharing dialog and tell the collaborator when access is expected to end. Use your organization’s agreed time conventions when scheduling a deadline.
Do not rely on an expiration for one direct permission if the person also has access through a parent folder, group, or broad link setting. Review those paths as part of the temporary-access plan.
Review the end of the collaboration
After the deadline, check that the intended access has ended and remove unnecessary alternative permissions where authorized. If expiration is unavailable, schedule a manual owner review through an existing process rather than broadening access. Downloaded, printed, or captured material is not retrieved by expiration. For confidential information, agree handling and retention requirements with the recipient separately, and retain the original project record as your policy requires.
References
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.