How do you usually share a Google Sheets file? You might be sharing Google Sheets files in Edit, Comment, or View mode. However, there are two more custom options that you can choose from. You can share Google Sheets files in Copy mode or Template mode.

In this tutorial, we will discuss how to create a “Make a copy” link for a Google Sheets file and share it.

What is Copy mode?

It is a custom mode where you copy and paste the edited link to an email or any other place you want to share it.

When someone clicks on the link, they will be prompted to copy the shared file before viewing it. They may see a message similar to the following:

Would you like to make a copy of this Google Sheets file?

If they click Make a copy, the file will be copied to their own Google Drive account. They will then be able to edit and collaborate on the file without affecting the original file.

What are the benefits of sharing a Google Sheets file in copy mode?

For example, I sometimes share my sample Google Sheets files in tutorials. Sharing my sample Google Sheets files in copy mode gives me peace of mind.

In copy mode, users are prompted to make a copy of the file before they can view it. This ensures that they are working with a copy of the file and that their changes will not affect the original file.

How to Share Google Sheets File Link in Copy Mode?

Before coming to this Google Sheets tip, here is a brief description of the three available file-sharing options in Google Sheets.

Three Available File Sharing Options

1. Edit Mode (Editor): Users with the Edit Mode link can open and edit the file, change permissions, and share the file with others.
2. View Mode (Viewer): Users with the View Mode link can open the file. They cannot edit the file, change permissions, or share the file with others. However, they can download, print, and copy the file. You can disable it before sharing your file in Viewer mode.
3. Comment Mode (Commenter): This mode is not a popular sharing option. Users with the Comment Mode link can open the file and make their comments on the file. They cannot edit the file content, change permissions, or share the file with others. However, they can download, print, and copy the file. Of course, you can disable it similarly in View mode.

Here is how to copy a Google Sheets URL in one of the above modes applied.

Click the Share button near your profile picture in Google Sheets to see the above sharing options.

To disable the permission to copy, download, or print, click the Settings icon in the Sharing window pane that opened when you clicked the Share button.

The above three are the available sharing options in Google Sheets. Now the fourth one is the make a copy Custom Sharing Mode in Google Sheets.

The custom sharing mode in Google Sheets will force the user with the link to copy the file. This sharing mode is not a Google Sheet default sharing option.

How to Activate the Copy Mode in Google Sheets?

1. Open the file that you want to send or share in copy mode.
2. Click Share in the top right corner.
3. Under General access, change the Link sharing settings to Anyone with the link.
4. Under Permissions, select Viewer or Commenter. Please see the image above.
5. Click Copy link.
6. Paste the link in any cell in your Sheet.
7. Replace the last part of the URL, edit?usp=sharing, with the text copy.
8. You can now share this link. Once the recipient clicks the link, it will force them to make a copy of the file.

That’s all about how to share Google Sheets files in copy mode.

Conclusion

One of the advantages of Google Sheets is that it is a cloud-based application.

This means that we can collaborate on our Google Sheets file with co-workers in different parts of the world and work together to complete a task or achieve a goal.

The application also works smoothly on the web, even though it has almost all the tools/functions one expects from a spreadsheet app, such as Query, Lambda, Pivot Table, Duplicate removal, Named functions, etc.

Please, feel free to browse my articles and learn some advanced Google Sheets tips today.