Google Drive makes it possible for you to move items from My Drive to a Shared Drive. This can be especially useful if you need to share a large number of files with your colleagues or if you need to collaborate on a project.

But there are a few things to keep in mind:

• To allow users within your company to move files they don't own, you need to enable the option "Allow users to migrate files to Shared Drives".
• Files or folders belonging to an external user cannot be moved, even by an administrator. When you attempt to move a folder containing files owned by external users, Google will instead generate shortcuts for those folders/files.
• File access might be altered during the move process.

Moving a folder to a Shared Drive should be simple. But in Google Drive, permissions, ownership rules, and unmovable files can quickly make the process more complicated than expected.

Google Drive is a great place to store, share, and collaborate on files. Shared Drives make it even better for teams, because content belongs to the organization instead of a single user. This is especially useful when teams change, employees leave, or important folders need to stay accessible over time. But moving folders from My Drive to a Shared Drive is not always easy. Files can have different owners, permissions can block the move, and some content may not be movable without extra steps.

• Ask file owners or admins for help when some files are blocked by ownership or permission limits.
• Use Google Drive’s built-in move option for simple folders you own and can move without restrictions.‍
• Use Folgo to move folders more easily, directly from Google Drive, even when permission restrictions make the process difficult.

With Folgo, you can move folders to Shared Drives in a clearer, safer, and more scalable way. This article will show you how.

An admin role is necessary if you want to allow users to move files they don’t own to Shared Drives

To perform this task:

1. In the admin console, go to Apps > Google Workspace > Settings for Drive and Docs > Migration Settings
2. Enable Allow users to migrate files to shared drives

💡 This setting can be applied across the whole domain, or only to specific organizational units or groups.

⚠️ Important: If this setting is enabled, editors may be able to move files they do not own into a Shared Drive, as long as they have the required access to the destination Shared Drive.

Learn more.

In a Shared Drive, users can have different roles, such as Viewer, Contributor, Content manager, or Manager. Google allows users with the Manager role to move folders from My Drive to a Shared Drive. However, this option is still limited. Some files may not move if there are ownership, permission, or access restrictions. To become a Shared Drive manager, you need to ask someone who already has the Manager role, or contact your Google Workspace admin.

Once you are a manager, you can move a folder by opening Google Drive, selecting the folder, clicking Move to, and choosing the destination Shared Drive.

-Nested folder limits

Shared Drives also have folder depth limits. If your folder structure contains too many nested levels, some folders may not be moved correctly.

Folgo checks your folder structure before the move and warns you if the structure may exceed Shared Drive limits. This helps you fix the issue before starting the migration.

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-Unmovable Items

Some files cannot be moved directly to a Shared Drive. This usually happens when a file is owned by an external user, owned by another account, or has permission restrictions that prevent the move. In these cases, Google Drive may block the move or create a shortcut instead, while the original file stays in the owner’s My Drive.

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Here's a recap of what you can/can't do with Google when moving an item:

* A shortcut will be created.

** Only if the option “Allow users to migrate files to Shared Drives” is enabled.

If you are not a Google Workspace admin or a Shared Drive manager, moving folders to a Shared Drive can be difficult. Folgo’s Move to Shared Drive feature helps make this process easier. It lets you move folders directly from Google Drive and gives you options when some files cannot be moved normally.

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The process contains 5 simple steps:

• Install and open Folgo from Google Drive.
• Select Move to Shared Drive.
• Choose the folder you want to move.
• Select the destination Shared Drive.
• Start the move and let Folgo handle the process. Easy as that!

If needed, Folgo gives you several options to handle unmovable items: create a shortcut, create a copy of the file or send a move request to the owner!

The last option even works with external owners, meaning that with Folgo all files are movable to Shared Drives, without restriction. With Folgo, a move is never rejected, even if the quantity of unmovable items exceeds 25 or 10%. You do not need to ba a manager of the Shared Drive. Folgo also provides an email report before moving a folder with the list of file owners and the number of files that are not directly movable by you.

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For a full step-by-step tutorial, read our Help Center article on moving folders to Shared Drives with Folgo.

Folgo is fully integrated with Google Drive and Google Workspace. There is no external platform to set up, no complex technical configuration, and no need to move your work into a third-party workspace.

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You can launch the process directly from Google Drive, let Folgo run in the background, and receive a report when the operation is complete. Folgo is designed to be simple for end users and useful for Google Workspace admins who need to manage Drive content at scale.

Folgo only uses the permissions needed to run the action you choose. Your data is not sold, used for advertising, or shared with third parties. Because Folgo works within your Google environment, it gives you a safer and more practical way to manage Drive content while keeping your workflows inside Google Workspace.

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For more information, visit our Privacy Policy page.

Folgo is free to try for 30 days. During the free trial, you can test Move to Shared Drive and explore other powerful Google Drive management features.

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Depending on your needs, you can choose a Folgo plan adapted to your usage level. For heavier usage, advanced requirements, or enterprise needs, you can contact the Folgo team at support@folgo.app.

Moving folders to Shared Drives manually can be difficult when ownership, permissions, and file restrictions get in the way. Workarounds exist, but they can be time-consuming, hard to track, and prone to errors.

Folgo makes the process easier by helping you prepare the move, manage blocked files, and keep a clear report of the operation. It gives you a simple, secure, and Google Workspace-friendly way to move Drive content into the right shared space. And Move to Shared Drive is only one of many Folgo features designed to help you manage, organize, secure, and scale your Google Drive workflows.