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New Google Drive: Saving a Document in Multiple Folders

Posted on July 11, 2014January 2, 2018 by Alice Keeler

Shift Z

Moving one file into multiple folders is a hidden feature of Google Drive. It’s a bit of a paradigm shift because unlike paper you are not putting your files in actual folders in a filing cabinet. You are actually giving it a label disguised as a folder icon. The document is NOT copied when it is in multiple folders. It is the same document with multiple labels.

Move to a Folder

Click once on a file to select the file in Google Drive. The more icon looks like 3 dots along the top of the files. It is located next to the trash can icon. Selecting the more icon gives you the option to move the file into a folder.
more icon

Choose the folder you want to move the file into.

Go to the Folder

Find the file you just moved to the folder. Select the file by clicking on it.

Shift Z

Hold down the shift key and strike the Z key. Notice you are now given the option to “Add to” instead of move. You an add the file to a second folder. Repeat with shift Z to add to additional folders.
Add to




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Related Alice Keeler Blog Posts:

  1. Sharing a Google Drive Folder in 5 easy steps
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  4. Your Google Drive is a Hot Mess

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New Google Drive: Selecting Multiple Files
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Google Drive: Link to a File

61 thoughts on “New Google Drive: Saving a Document in Multiple Folders”

  1. Pingback: New Google Drive: Saving a Document in Multiple Folders - Educacion enpildoras.com
  2. Hogar says:
    July 13, 2014 at 10:51 pm

    This is great, thanks for the help. But in the old google drive, you could add one documents to multiple folders all at the same time. Do you think they will eliminate this feature?

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    1. admin says:
      July 15, 2014 at 5:52 am

      You can still do this by opening the document and clicking on the folder icon.

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  3. Josh Harris (@TeachJDH) says:
    July 14, 2014 at 1:23 pm

    Thanks for the heads up, Alice. Until I got into the new drive this was a little confusing. Once in there, it’s clear as day.

    I wish Google handt changed this so much; I am not a fan of having to do this many steps to put things in multiple folders. I put my files in 2 or 3 folders regularly, this will be an impediment.

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  4. Pingback: New Google Drive: Saving a Document in Multiple Folders | InKleined-To-Teach
  5. Josh Harris (@TeachJDH) says:
    July 18, 2014 at 2:21 am

    I just figured out that, from the Docs List, you can also ctrl + drag into each additional folder you want to add the file to. Still more cumbersome than in the prior version, or from the open doc, but it can be a little quicker depending on your preference.

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  6. Troy says:
    July 18, 2014 at 10:13 am

    I also noticed that, if you want to organize what folders a file is in, the old interface is still available when viewing the document opened in its own tab/window (using the little folder icon to the right of the file name).

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    1. admin says:
      July 19, 2014 at 10:10 am

      Absolutely true. I found that first, but really wanted to be able to do it from Drive.

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      1. nrolland says:
        October 18, 2014 at 7:44 am

        Can’t see that famous folder icon when I view a pdf or a png. when I view, I have a black background, and on top from left to right I see an icon for the file type, then the name, then in the middle, “open with” and some other icons, none of which looks like a folder.

        Why did they change the way it worked, I fail to see the benefit…

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        1. admin says:
          October 18, 2014 at 1:54 pm

          That is preview mode. If you click on the file in drive and look at the toolbar that appears, it is under the vertical triple dots.

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  7. Eizy Meizy says:
    July 21, 2014 at 1:30 pm

    I am really not happy about this change. They have made it worse in several ways.

    First of all, you cannot put a folder into multiple folders simultaneously – as you have stated, you have to do it one by one.

    Secondly, the old Drive showed whether folders you were looking at were also in other folders. You could see it in plan sight. With the new Drive, you are “blind” – only when you click on a folder and open its information box do you see if it is also in other folders.

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  8. Ed says:
    July 29, 2014 at 3:47 am

    Thanks for finding and publishing these workarounds. I too regularly put files in multiple folders and have really been struggling. Sticking my head in the sand and using the old interface doesn’t work any more. I can no longer select multiple files in order to add them to a folder when some or other of them are already in different folder combinations.

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  9. krsnendu108 says:
    August 6, 2014 at 5:52 pm

    This doesn’t work for me. Shift-z doesn’t change to add for me.

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    1. admin says:
      August 7, 2014 at 6:53 pm

      Are you using Google Chrome?

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    2. Eizy Meizy says:
      November 6, 2014 at 10:26 am

      Same here.. I believe it is because we are on European keyboards or something, Drive shortcut keys have never worked well for me.

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  10. Matthias says:
    August 19, 2014 at 2:07 am

    Thanks for the tip.
    How can I move a folder, not a file, in several folders?
    Background: Someone shared a folder containing a subfolder. This subfolder I would like to move into a different folder in my drive without disturbing the shared folder.

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    1. admin says:
      August 20, 2014 at 10:25 am

      Currently, you can not.

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      1. Ruza Roos (@RuzaRoos) says:
        August 22, 2014 at 1:13 pm

        The ctrl+drag method works with folders too; so you can have a folder exist in multiple places. I don’t know if it being a shared sub-folder is why you said no though.

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        1. Henrique Abreu says:
          August 23, 2014 at 12:40 pm

          If you want a file or folder under multiple folders you have to repeat the process for each parent folder. Either using shift+z or ctrl+drag (i.e. you have to drag it one time for each parent). On the old drive this process was easier.

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  11. Pingback: Adding files to more than one folder in Drive – Why? | My Math Adventures
  12. Sylvia Duckworth (@sylviaduckworth) says:
    September 7, 2014 at 10:51 am

    HI Alice, have you ever had an issue of not being able to move one of your own documents because someone else had put it into a shared folder with a “View only” option? This came up recently and I really struggled to find a solution. I finally figured it out: http://mmeduckworth.blogspot.ca/2014/09/how-to-move-google-document-that-has.html

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    1. admin says:
      September 7, 2014 at 6:31 pm

      Not sure… I have definitely run into some wonky things at times.

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  13. Erin Schmitz says:
    September 8, 2014 at 12:47 am

    I could only get your method to work early on in August right after the change over, but I figured out another work around too where you can do both folders and documents:
    1. Select the file or folder you would like to have in multiple locations or use the Command option to select more than one file or folder
    2. Then hold down the Option Key while dragging the file(s)/folder(s) to the additional locations
    3. If you click on the 3 vertical dots that give you more options, click on the “i” (view details); you should be able to view now the multiple locations that the file/folder is in. If you want to delete it from one folder, just click on the “x” next to the corresponding folder

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  14. John says:
    September 15, 2014 at 12:59 pm

    How about for a Mac? Does Shift+Z work the same?

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    1. admin says:
      September 17, 2014 at 10:45 am

      I use a Mac 🙂

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      1. John says:
        September 17, 2014 at 11:08 am

        I figured it out. You have to simply select the document so its highlighted and then do the Shift Z

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  15. Suzi says:
    October 24, 2014 at 10:08 am

    We have a PBL project at our school where students from 3 different classes are collaborating in shared folders different students assigned to different folders. Our team used SHIFT + Z to copy a set of empty subfolders into the multiple project folders to create the stucture for the students. It appeared as though it worked great. Then, I added 1 document to 1 of the subfolders, and it added it to all of the folders. Then, when I deleted it, it deleted it from all, so it behaves as though it makes LINKED copies. Do you know if there is a way to copy documents or folders into multiple locations without them being linked?

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    1. admin says:
      October 25, 2014 at 5:58 am

      It does not COPY, they are all the same file. It files them in multiple places.

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      1. Jerker Andersson says:
        November 4, 2014 at 5:44 am

        And what about deleting a file which is stored in several folders. Is there a way of NOT deleting it from all places just one of the folders?

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        1. admin says:
          November 7, 2014 at 6:17 am

          Yes, go to the file and click on the file folder icon in the top left. Hold down ctrl on a PC or Command on a Mac and uncheck the folder you want to remove it from.

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          1. Jerker Andersson says:
            November 7, 2014 at 6:50 am

            Sorry but I don’t get it and I consider myself as a quite experienced drive user. Where is the file folder icon? What does it look like? I have tried all icons there are and nowhere comes a list where I can uncheck folders.

            Is there a mismatch between languages of Google drive? Or revisions of the interface?

  16. John Macuk says:
    October 30, 2014 at 1:11 pm

    Thanks! I was at wit’s end trying to figure out how to do this. However, you can call up the “Add to” menu at once by selecting a file and then pressing shift-Z: there is no need to move the file somewhere else first!

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  17. Julia says:
    November 7, 2014 at 8:15 am

    Thank you!!! I rely on using multiple folders for files and reverted back from the new Drive because of this. Your instructions and the feedback from others is a godsend!

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  18. Matthew Miller says:
    November 15, 2014 at 1:48 pm

    @John ~ thanks for sharing that tip. If you try to MOVE first the shift Z doesn’t seem to work anymore. It appears that you have to select a document or folder and just hit Shift Z now. phew… i got scared for a minute.

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  19. Sky says:
    November 18, 2014 at 2:05 pm

    As of 11/18/2014 this Shift Z method did not work for me at all in the New Drive version using Firefox or Chrome on Mac OSX.

    I was able to grab and drag folders from one folder to another folder on the right side of the docs view by holding down the option key (no other keys) I got a white + symbol on a green circle, which allowed me to add folders to other folders, and when I added files it updated all the folders. So I can add folders to multiple places, but just not as described above.

    Not sure why my version is different.

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  20. Tim Mortensen says:
    December 5, 2014 at 11:41 am

    Just wondering if anyone has figured out how to unselect a file out of multiple places once it has been added there? I agree that this is not a very Googley upgrade.

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    1. admin says:
      December 6, 2014 at 8:45 am

      Sure, open the file and click on the file folder icon next to the document title. Hold down Control on a PC and click on the selected folder to UNSELECT.

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  21. Dulce says:
    December 13, 2014 at 11:48 am

    HI! I am wondering if anyone knows how to do this: how to make one edit on one document in one folder so it shows up on another document in another folder in google drive

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    1. admin says:
      December 13, 2014 at 10:12 pm

      That does already automatically happen. A document in multiple folders is the SAME document.

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  22. Kevin Brookhouser says:
    December 17, 2014 at 8:41 am

    Awesome, Alice. How does the desktop client handle this?

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  23. Gene Vachon says:
    December 17, 2014 at 1:12 pm

    Thanks to all. This has been very helpful.

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  24. inalansworld says:
    January 15, 2015 at 1:53 pm

    I use Google Chrome and the Shift Z doesn’t work. What are my options and is there an alternative to shift z like there is an alternative to copy and paste where you click on the screen instead of using the keys?

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    1. admin says:
      January 16, 2015 at 12:32 pm

      I use shift Z all the time. In the new Google Drive I single click on a file or folder and hold down shift and strike the Z key. It asks me to add it to a folder. Not sure why it would not work for you.

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    2. Urban Sandström says:
      February 24, 2015 at 11:22 am

      I had the same problem as you and was ripping my hair off. But alas! I found out why and how now!
      The shift-Z thing must be done outside the Move-To dialogue, not inside it.
      After selecting a file in GDrive you can choose keyboard shortcut “Z” to bring up the “Move-to” dialogue, and “shift-Z” to bring up the “Add-to” dialogue.
      Like Magic. Undocumented? No it is all there when I look up “shortcuts” in the GDrive online help. No shame, just happy. =)

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      1. inalansworld says:
        June 7, 2015 at 6:55 am

        You are an absolute Star! Thank You

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  25. Valérie says:
    January 22, 2015 at 2:16 pm

    I Alice ! I wonder, once you “add to” a document, it seems like you can’t delete the added document anymore without deleting the document at his “original location”. Have you found out how to go back to only one location ? Wish my question is clear enough ! 😉

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    1. admin says:
      January 23, 2015 at 5:27 am

      You can absolutely go back to a single location. Open the info pane in Google Drive and you can x out the extra folder.

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      1. Valérie says:
        January 23, 2015 at 6:00 am

        Wow thank for being so fast ! Have a good day !

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  26. renee says:
    April 25, 2015 at 9:48 am

    I need to change the format of the doc from gdoc to a word doc. I am trying to upload my resume on some job site and they are not excepting the google drive format

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    1. admin says:
      April 25, 2015 at 7:45 pm

      From the File menu choose “Download As”

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  27. Roberta says:
    August 27, 2015 at 6:39 am

    Thanks for the great information. I have a problem I don’t see here – I have folders that are shared with multiple folders, and now I want to “unshare” them one from just one of those folders it appears in. I can use Shift Z to “Add to” yet another folder, but I can’t find a way to remove a folder from just one foler or a screen for organizing like the one for files (where you can select which folders you want a filed shared with from a hierarchy). Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

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    1. admin says:
      August 28, 2015 at 3:15 pm

      Click on the folder, use the info pane in Google Drive to X out of the folders you wish to remove it from.

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  28. Dan Whalen says:
    September 18, 2015 at 9:11 am

    I’m working with files that are in a folder I own and then using shift-z to put them in a shared folder. My question is: If the owner of the shared folder (not me) deletes the folder, but I am the owner of the files that I put in the folder, Will it affect the files in my own personal folder?

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    1. admin says:
      September 20, 2015 at 10:04 pm

      If you are the owner, your files will not be deleted. They may now be in “My Drive”

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  29. Pingback: Eksperttip: Spar plads på din computer ved kun at synkronisere enkelte filer i Google Drive | Kim Hornung
  30. Shahryar says:
    February 18, 2016 at 10:30 pm

    How can you add a file to multiple folders within Finder with Google Drive installed? Or must you log in to Google Drive?

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    1. admin says:
      March 23, 2016 at 8:50 pm

      You can do multiple files to a folder but not mass one file to multiple folders. You shift z and then shift z again and then shift z again.

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  31. jstratten@planalytics.com says:
    April 14, 2016 at 10:32 am

    What if we upload a new version of a doc in one folder, will it automatically update the file in the other?

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    1. admin says:
      April 14, 2016 at 7:46 pm

      They are the same document

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  32. Donna says:
    January 7, 2017 at 11:12 pm

    Does the file need to be a google doc or can it be for instance an microsoft excel file?

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    1. admin says:
      January 15, 2017 at 3:02 pm

      Any file

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Alice Keeler is a mom of 5. Current High School math teacher. Developer for Schoolytics.com. Google Certified Innovator, Microsoft Innovative Educator, Google Cloud Innovator Champion, and Google Developer Expert. Founder of #coffeeEDU
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