Share, archive, delete, and restore Docs

Docs can be shared, restricted, archived, deleted, and restored. These actions affect who can see the Doc and whether it appears in active Collections.

Review sharing and recovery behavior before changing access or removing a Doc.

Before you start

• You need view access to inspect the Doc.
• Sharing and private access changes require settings access.
• Archive, unarchive, delete, and restore require delete or restore access.
• Public links depend on Space settings, plan availability, and online state.

Sharing Reference

Sharing option	What it means	Use it when
Signed-in app link	Opens the Doc for users who already have access.	Share with teammates who are in the correct Space.
Public link	Opens a read-only public Doc page when public sharing is enabled.	Share with people who should view without signing into the app.
Make Private	Restricts access to explicitly selected users.	Limit sensitive written context to a smaller group.
Shared-with users	Controls who can access a private Doc.	Add or remove collaborators for private Docs.
Owner	Shows who owns the Doc.	Ask this person or a Space admin for access changes.

Share a Doc Safely

1. Open the Doc.
2. Select the title or the more actions menu.
3. Open Settings or Share.
4. Choose the correct sharing method:
   • Use a public link only for read-only external viewing.
   • Use private sharing for signed-in collaborators.
   • Use a signed-in app link only when the recipient already has access.
5. Copy or send the link after access is confirmed.

Archive, Delete, And Restore Reference

Action	What happens	Safer use
Archive	Removes the Doc from active Collections without treating it as deleted.	Use for inactive Docs you may need later.
Unarchive	Returns an archived Doc to active visibility.	Use when work resumes.
Delete	Removes the Doc and may send it to Recently Deleted.	Use only when the Doc should be removed.
Restore	Brings back a deleted Doc when recovery is available.	Use from Recently Deleted before retention expires.
Version restore	Restores older Doc content.	Use when the Doc exists but the content needs to roll back.

Recover a Doc

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Archived if the Doc was archived, or Recently Deleted if it was deleted.
3. Search by the Doc title.
4. Choose Unarchive or Restore.
5. Reopen the expected Collection/folder and confirm the Doc is visible.

Public Read-Only Doc Behavior

• Public Doc viewers are for reading, not editing.
• Public viewers do not expose Doc guide triggers, private sharing controls, version restore, archive, or delete actions.
• If the public link is inactive, outdated, or the Doc is removed, the viewer can show a missing-content state.
• For public link issues, use Troubleshoot public access.

Troubleshooting

Someone cannot open a Doc link

• Symptom: The recipient sees no access, not found, or a read-only page they did not expect.
• Cause: They may have a signed-in app link without access, a public link that is inactive, or the wrong account/Space.
• Resolution:
  1. Confirm whether the link is public or signed-in app only.
  2. Ask the recipient to sign in with the expected account.
  3. Check the Doc sharing settings.
  4. Create or reactivate a public link only when external read-only viewing is intended.

Archive or Delete is disabled

• Symptom: The action is visible but disabled, or not visible at all.
• Cause: You may not have delete access, the Doc may be protected, or the app may be offline.
• Resolution:
  1. Confirm your access with the owner or Space admin.
  2. Reconnect if offline.
  3. Ask an admin to archive, delete, or restore the Doc if needed.

Version restore did not work

• Symptom: The selected version was not restored.
• Cause: The version data could not be applied, the Doc was not editable, or the save failed.
• Resolution:
  1. Confirm edit access.
  2. Try restoring again while online.
  3. Copy important content before retrying if the Doc is business-critical.