Upload and organise files

This page shows you how to get your files into Drive and keep them organised, so that you find everything in an instant.

Upload files

You have two ways to upload files, and both accept any type of file:

  • Drag and drop — drag one or more files from your computer straight onto the Drive list.
  • File picker — click Upload file in the top bar and choose the files you want.

Files are uploaded to the folder you are currently in. Uploads count towards your storage quota, which you can check in Drive.

Create and organise folders

Use folders to group related files. You can create folders inside other folders, building whatever structure makes most sense to you.

  1. Click New Folder in the top bar.
  2. Type a name and confirm.
  3. Click a folder once to open it.

The path to the current folder appears at the top, in the navigation bar. Click any level to go back.

Move and rename

  • Move — drag a file onto a folder, or select it and choose Move to send it to another folder.
  • Rename — select the file and choose Rename; type the new name and confirm. Only the owner can rename.

You can also select several files at once with the checkboxes and move them together.

Start typing in the Search box to find files by name. The results are filtered as you type. You can also use the Filter by button to narrow things down by type: folders, documents, presentations, spreadsheets, video, audio, PDF, image or ZIP.

Preview files

You don’t need to download a file to see it:

  • PDFs and images — open in your browser’s viewer.
  • Video — plays straight away, without downloading everything first.
  • ZIP archives — a window shows the contents as a tree and lets you download individual files.