When to "Lock" vs. "View Only" in Google Docs

When to "Lock" vs. "View Only" in Google Docs

Special shout-out to Jenny Boothroyd for inspiring this week's post with a great question about document protection!

Google Workspace is wonderful for collaboration, but shared editing access can present its own set of challenges. Whether it's an accidental formatting error, or unintended edits on a finalized document, protecting your work without locking down files completely can be tricky.

Most of us rely on setting View Only permissions to protect files. Google Docs has a simple, lesser-known tool: the Lock feature. 

Understanding when to freeze a file with Lock versus restricting permissions with View Only can save your documents from editing headaches while keeping your work moving forward. 

The difference: Lock vs. View Only

• View Only (access control): Restrict permission levels long term via the Share menu. Use this when sharing to external audiences, and where people should never have editing rights.
• Lock (content freeze): Places a temporary read-only freeze on the document itself without altering sharing permissions. Edits, comments, and suggestions are disabled for everyone to prevent accidental edits. Anyone with Edit access can unlock it to make changes as needed.

How to lock your document

1. Open your document in Google Docs
2. Click File and select Lock
3. Confirm by clicking Lock in the pop-up box

Tip: You can also right-click on a file in Google Drive, hover over File information and click Lock.

Article by Karen Matthes, Extension Learning Technologies, klm@umn.edu