Google Drive can't copy a folder someone has shared with you. Make a copy only works on files, and the two buttons that look like they might help (Add shortcut and Move) don't make a copy at all.
You can still copy a shared folder into your own My Drive, including subfolders and files. A folder-copying tool like FolderPal helps you duplicate all your subfolders in one go. If you only need to copy a small folder, doing it by hand might be enough.
Shared folder or Shared Drive? A shared folder is a folder someone has shared with you, and it shows up under the Shared with me tab. A Shared Drive is a team space owned by an organization, listed under Shared drives. Copying into a Shared Drive at work? Find out how.
Choose a method to copy the shared folder
Here's how each method handles a shared folder with subfolders and Google Docs inside:
| Method | Subfolders | Google Docs and Sheets | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| FolderPal | Kept | Stay as Google files | Folders with subfolders and Google files |
| By hand in Drive | You rebuild them | Stay as Google files | A few files, no subfolders |
| Download and upload | Kept | Converted to Word, Excel, PowerPoint | PDFs, images, Office files |
You can copy a shared folder with FolderPal for free, or work through the manual options below.
Copy a shared folder with FolderPal
FolderPal rebuilds the folder in your Drive and copies everything inside it, including Google Docs and Sheets, without downloading anything. The original folder isn't touched.
1. Pick the shared folder
Connect your Google account and open Copy Folder in the sidebar. Under the Source folder field, open the Shared with me tab and select your folder.
2. Choose where your copy goes
Under Copy To, pick a folder in My Drive, or in a Shared Drive if you're copying for a team.
In Options, leave Copy permissions from the source folder unticked. You can share your copy separately afterwards.
3. Check the preview and run the copy
The preview shows the whole folder tree before anything is created. Rename folders or files, or remove anything you don't need, then click Run copy.
4. Open your copy in Drive
When it's done, open the new folder in Drive. Everything in it is your own copy.
What you get
- Every subfolder and file, at every level.
- Google files kept as Google files. Docs stay Docs, Sheets stay Sheets.
- Names copied exactly, with no "Copy of" or "(1)" added.
- The owner's sharing left off, unless you choose to copy it.
- Your copy in My Drive or a Shared Drive.
The limitations: you need at least view access to the shared folder. If the owner has blocked copying on some files, no tool can copy them. FolderPal skips them, shows an error, and copies the rest. Your copies count against your Google storage, not the owner's. Have a look at our plans for folder size limits.
Before connecting a work account, you can read how FolderPal handles your Drive access. The copy-folder walkthrough covers the rest of the Copy Folder screen.
Copy the files by hand in Drive
This works without installing anything, and it's fine for a folder with a handful of files and no subfolders.
- In My Drive, create a new folder for your copy.
- Open the shared folder from Shared with me.
- Select the files you want. Leave any subfolders out, or Make a copy disappears.
- Right-click and choose Make a copy.
- Drive puts the copies at the top of My Drive, not in your new folder. Select them there and choose Organize → Move to put them in your new folder.
- For each subfolder, create a matching folder in your copy and repeat steps 3–5 inside it.
The limitation: you're rebuilding the folder structure yourself, one level at a time. That's fine for three files, and a slog for three levels of subfolders. Files the owner has blocked from copying won't show Make a copy at all.
Download the shared folder and upload it again
If the folder is mostly PDFs, images or Office files, downloading it keeps the whole structure in one step.
- In Shared with me, right-click the folder and choose Download. Drive zips it up.
- Extract the ZIP on your computer.
- In My Drive, choose New → Folder upload and pick the extracted folder.
The copy guide has the full download and upload steps with screenshots.
The limitation: downloading converts Google Docs, Sheets and Slides to Word, Excel and PowerPoint. You get a copy of the structure, but not of the Google files as they were. If the owner has blocked downloading on some files, those won't download.
Copying into a Shared Drive at work
At work or school, you might want a folder from your My Drive, or one a colleague shared, inside a Shared Drive. Drive lets you move it there, within these rules:
- Only Shared Drive managers can move folders in. Files you own can always be moved. Editors can move files only if your admin allows it.
- Files owned by people outside your organization can't be moved.
- A folder move fails if 25 items, or 10% of items, can't move, and a single move is capped at 100,000 items.
When those rules get in the way, or you want the original left where it is, copying is the simpler path.
| Move into the Shared Drive | Copy into the Shared Drive | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can do it | Shared Drive managers (folders) | Anyone who can add files to the Shared Drive |
| Original | Leaves its old location | Stays where it was |
| Links people already have | Same file, same link (who can open it may change) | Point to the original, not the copy |
| Files owned outside your org | Can't be moved | Copied, if you can open them and the owner allows copying |
FolderPal copies into Shared Drives the same way as into My Drive: pick the Shared Drive under Copy To. If the team is setting up a Shared Drive from scratch, it's worth planning the folder structure first.
Common questions about copying shared folders to My Drive
Can I add or move a shared folder to My Drive?
Not as a copy. Add shortcut puts a link to the owner's folder in your My Drive. The files are still theirs, and the link breaks if they delete or unshare the folder. Move needs edit access and takes the folder away from everyone else. To get a folder that's yours, copy it using one of the methods above.
Why can't I make a copy of a shared folder in Google Drive?
Drive doesn't have a Make a copy option for any folder, shared or not. If Make a copy is also missing on the files inside, the owner (or your organization) has stopped viewers and commenters from copying them.
Can you copy an entire shared folder in Google Drive?
Not in one step with Drive's standard features. FolderPal is a folder-copying tool that helps you clone the whole folder tree. Otherwise, you can copy the files by hand and rebuild the subfolders, download and re-upload the folder, or write a Google Apps Script.
Does a copy of a shared folder use my storage?
Yes. Shared files count against the owner's storage, but copies you make are yours, so they count against your storage.
What happens to my copy if the owner deletes the original?
Nothing. A copy is a separate set of files that you own, so it stays put. A shortcut is the one that breaks.
Getting the same folder every term or project?
A one-off copy is all most people need. But if you're the one sending out the same folder every term, project or client, it's easier to turn it into a template and generate a fresh copy, already named, each time.
A teacher might keep one class folder and generate a copy for each new class. See the teacher folder template example and the client-onboarding folder example.
To copy a shared folder now, sign in to FolderPal and choose Copy Folder. It's free to start.