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Workspace Essentials Posts
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Google Drive
| #241

Google Drive: 3 features most of its 2 billion users miss

Hey friends - Google Drive has over 2 billion users, and fun fact, 99% of them aren’t going to know these features I’m about to talk about below (putting you in the top 1% 😏). Let's dive in!

Tip #1: Tag Your Files in Secret

Let's say your manager names a shared document "Project Fire Everyone 2030" but your brain works differently (you'd start with the year, or the project name, or literally anything more logical). Unfortunately you can't rename the file because it's not yours.

Here's what you can do instead: add invisible tags using the file's description field.

  1. Select any file or folder in Google Drive
  2. Click the ⓘ icon (top right) to open the Details panel
  3. Scroll down and type whatever you want in the Description field (e.g., "holy crap" or "fire away 2030")

The best part? Google Drive indexes the description field in search. So when you search for "holy crap" in the search bar, that weirdly-named file your manager created shows up in your results.

Think of it as your own private labeling system that nobody else can see.

Tip #2: Find Where Any File Actually Lives

So let’s say you’re searching for a file and you find it, open it, and then realize you have no idea which folder it's in. Maybe you need to find related files in the same folder, or maybe you just want to know where your past self decided to put it (we've all questioned our own filing decisions, not me though I’m perfect).

Here’s what to do:

  1. Search for your file in the Google Drive search bar
  2. Right-click the file in the search results
  3. Select “File Information” > "Show file location"
  4. Drive navigates you directly to the parent folder!

💡 Pro tip: You can also Star your most-used project folders. Click the three dots next to any folder → "Organize" → "Add to Starred." Your starred folders show up in the left sidebar under "Starred" for one-click access (no searching required).

Tip #3: Search Someone Else's Drive for Them

This one's a little sneaky (but in a good way, obviously). Let's say an stupid endearing colleague asks you: "Hey, can you find that presentation we worked on last quarter?" Instead of telling them to go search their own Drive, you can do it for them.

Here's how:

  1. Search for the file in your Google Drive
  2. Copy the URL from your browser's address bar
  3. Send the link to your colleague

When they open it, Google Drive runs the same search query in their Drive. They'll see all the matching files they have access to, without you having to describe what to search for.

This is especially useful for managers sending team members to find specific documents, or when you're on a call and someone needs a file you both have access to but can't locate.

Bonus: My favorite keyboard shortcuts

/ = Focus the search bar instantly

S = Star or unstar the selected file

CTRL+Shift+V (Windows) / CMD+Shift+V (Mac) = Paste a copied file into the current folder

Try one of these this week and let me know how it goes! 😁

Whenever you're ready, here are some other ways I can help you:

💻 The Workspace Academy: Never lose a file, task, or note again with my CORE workflow for Google Workspace. Adopted by over 10,000 Googlers.

✅ Build Your Command Center in Notion: Plug-and-play dashboard that surfaces today’s priorities automatically and organizes your life in seconds. #1 rated Notion Course globally.