How to create a copy of a Google Doc with 1 click

It happens a bit too often. You have prepared a Google Doc, Sheet or slide deck that is formatted really well, has great images and everything looks fabulous. If you share it with editing permissions, there is a very high chance that all your work will get messed up. If you share it with your students then you are nearly guaranteed that something will be ruined! Of course, you can always share it with view only permissions and ask students to make a copy. However, I have found adding any more steps than is absolutely necessary when sharing docs with students slows the learning down and adds too many hurdles for younger students.

Wouldn’t it be handy to be able to force students to make a copy and remove the hurdles? The good news is that there are two ways you can do this.

Method 1 : Edit the URL and send it via email.

This process, even though a bit long, works really well.

1. Finish creating your document, sheet or slide deck.
2. Click on the Share button and choose Get shareable link
3. Make sure that the shareable link is on. You may want to have it as anyone in your domain can view. This is good for security within your school. If you wish to share it wider than your school then set the link to ‘anyone with the link can view’
4. Save the settings
5. Copy the URL in the address bar and paste it in a doc where you can change the last part of the URL
6. Change the last part of URL from ‘edit’ to ‘copy’
7. Send this link to your students.

Method 2:Use a Google Chrome extension

1. Add the extension GAFE Force Copy from the Chrome Web Store.
2. Finish creating your document, sheet or slide deck
3. Click on the Share button and choose Get shareable link
4. You may want to have it as anyone in your domain can view. This is good for security within your school. If you wish to share it wider than your school then set the link to ‘anyone with the link can view’
5. Save the settings.
6. Click on the extension button at the top of Google Chrome. It will automatically generate a URL with ‘copy’ at the end.
7. Copy this URL and paste it in an email and send it to your students.

Either method prompts the person clicking on the link to make a copy of the document before opening. Your formatting is preserved, everyone has a copy they can edit and the workflow simple!