Google are making an improvement to how sharing links from Google Drive work. A security update is being applied to sharing links for older files in Google Drive to make them more secure by adding a resource key. Newer files already have this key as part of their link.
This update will automatically add a resource key to sharing links for these older files. Once the update has been applied to a file, anyone who hasn’t previously viewed the file will have to use the new URL containing this resource key to gain access. Anyone who has viewed these files before or has direct access (i.e. signed into a Google account that the document is directly shared with) will not need the new url with the resource key included to access the file and will be unaffected.
Google will begin work from 13th September to automatically update these links. The update should finish by the end of September 2021.
Following these updates, if someone attempts to use an old link they can request access and the owner will get an alert to inform them of this. File owners will have the opportunity to remove the update through an option in the notification email from Google. This means that if a link is widely shared, for example a form for parents that is used every year, the update could be removed so that new visitors or anyone else without direct access could use the old link without having to issue an update to all to give the url with the resource key included. If a user does not take any action following the notification, they can still change sharing settings at a later date, reissuing the new link or directly sharing with other users.
We would therefore recommend that users check any previously shared files to ensure they are shared appropriately. As mentioned this only affects older files for anyone that does not have direct access and has not previously used the link so this update is not expected to have a significant operational impact.
