--- title: "How to force a copy of a Google Doc" description: "Learn how to force a copy of a Google Doc, Google Sheet, Google Slide, or other Google Drive file by simply changing the sharing permissions and the URL." image: "https://images.ctfassets.net/lzny33ho1g45/3urLV9YzMIQnSNGDnmNP3z/f86b36ace401972e7eb185b888fcf57f/google-drive-hero-green.png" --- # How to force a copy of a Google Doc Learn how to force a copy of a Google Doc, Google Sheet, Google Slide, or other Google Drive file by simply changing the sharing permissions and the URL. As a child of the '90s, I have fond memories of "[Don't Copy That Floppy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up863eQKGUI)," the Software Publishers Association's attempt to use rap to convince kids that copyright law was cool. Nowadays, it's not only impossible to explain to kids what a "floppy" was, but it's becoming equally impossible to get people to do the _opposite_ of what the video demanded: copy my files. Please, I am begging you: copy my files.  ## How to force a copy of a Google Doc or other Google file Anyone can make a copy of a Google Doc or other Google file by going to **File > Make a copy**. But I refuse to trust people with my files, so I insist on _forcing_ a copy. There are two things you need to do to force a copy of a Google file: 1. Make sure the people you're [sharing the file](https://zapier.com/blog/how-to-use-google-drive/#share) with only have _Viewer_ or _Commenter_ permissions. 2. When you share the link, change `/edit` at the end of the URL to `/copy`. It's really that simple. When you copy the share link that Google gives you, the URL will end in `/edit`. For example, here's a spreadsheet from [an article I wrote](https://zapier.com/blog/google-sheets-browser-homepage/). [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ 16qfk6DL22LpoilIdaDXCUoGC4NlIs1Xzx3Mrelbtg9s**/edit**](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16qfk6DL22LpoilIdaDXCUoGC4NlIs1Xzx3Mrelbtg9s/edit)**** When you click that, you'll be taken to the spreadsheet itself, and you can copy it from the File menu. But if I change `/edit` to `/copy`, this is the new URL. [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ 16qfk6DL22LpoilIdaDXCUoGC4NlIs1Xzx3Mrelbtg9s**/copy**](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16qfk6DL22LpoilIdaDXCUoGC4NlIs1Xzx3Mrelbtg9s/copy)**** When you open the link that ends in `/copy`, you'll see this: You only have the option to copy.  No more panicking about whether you accidentally gave someone editing permissions, or having to explain to coworkers, "It's a template! Stop making changes!" or saving "Go to _File > Make a copy_" as a snippet in your text expander because you type it eight thousand times a day.  Now it's all right there, and it's beautiful. ## Automate the process of forcing a copy of a Google Doc If you have a Zap (Zapier's word for an automated workflow) with a Google Drive step, you can automatically change the link it provides by adding a Formatter action with the [Replace](https://zapier.com/help/create/format/modify-text-formats-in-zaps) transform function. The action's output can then be sent via email, SMS, or direct message, and the link will take the recipients to the hassle-free "Make a copy" page.  Want to remove the human element entirely, and let automation do all the copying for you? [Zapier can help with that, too](https://zapier.com/blog/stop-copy-paste-with-automation/). ## Why are people still requesting edit access to my file? So you've shared the `/copy` link, and you're still getting access request emails in your inbox. What's happening? Honestly, I'm not sure. My best guess is that people are seeing the "Make a copy" page and not liking it for some reason. Maybe they think they won't be able to edit it? Maybe they think they're copying the "Make a copy" page itself? Either way, I have to assume they're changing `copy` to `edit` in the URL. Do I have too much faith in people's abilities to try to find workarounds for simple app actions? Maybe. But if your link only exists in the wild using the `/copy` version, I can't come up with any other possible answer. Please tell me if you figure it out. In the words of [MC Double Def DP himself](https://youtu.be/up863eQKGUI?t=453): _See ya, I'm out of here_. **Related reading:** - [Google Docs features to improve your workflows](https://zapier.com/blog/google-docs-features/) - [How to add a dropdown list in Google Sheets](https://zapier.com/blog/how-to-add-dropdown-list-google-sheets/) - [Power up your Google apps using automation](https://zapier.com/blog/google-apps-automations/) - [How to recover deleted files from Google Drive](https://zapier.com/blog/recover-deleted-files-google-drive/) - [How to convert a Word doc to a Google Doc](https://zapier.com/blog/how-to-convert-word-to-google-doc) _This article was originally published in February 2021. The most recent update was in May 2025._