Adding someone to a Shared Drive (Non-google account)

[Dave_Burek]

I have a Shared Drive that we need to add some outside people as members. I know I have done this in the past since there are existing outside accounts in there. But when we go to add someone from outside our domain with a non-google account as a member it gives us an error that it is not supported.
I am hoping this is some stupid dimple thing I am just forgetting how to do but everything easy I look at (like the sharing setting) says it should be OK.

[Kim_Nilsson]

Hiya @Dave_Burek 

You can't add the non-google user to the root of the Shared Drive, only to folders inside the SD.

[icrew]

The person who you are adding needs to create a Google account corresponding to their email address. See https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/27441?hl=en#existingemail for all the details. (This is just like how you'd set up a Zoom or Slack or Facebook or whatever account using your email address if you wanted to be able to access their services.)

Cheers,

Ian

[Kim_Nilsson]

Even though this is perfectly true, I'd avoid it simply on the base of that external account will then not be a Workspace account, and thereby not covered by the Workspace legal agreements. Yes, same reason why avoiding sharing with gmail_com users should be avoided.

[Dave_Burek]

How about using "visitor sharing"? I do understand the desire to not allow outside accounts. But, in this instance, and probably others, it is really very important to be able to share this particular information. 

[Kim_Nilsson]

Like I said, put the information inside a folder on the Shared Drive. The external user can then be added to the folder.