Google Drive 'rate limit was exceeded' or can't share with more people? Why, and the fix

First, work out which limit you hit

Google's end-user Drive help doesn't explain the rate limit message, as far as we could find. The wording above comes from a sample in its developer documentation, under the error name 'sharingRateLimitExceeded', so the words on your screen may differ slightly. Use this to narrow it down:

• The message mentions a rate limit, or you were sharing a lot in a short time: this is the sharing rate limit. Go to the next section.
• One file has hundreds of named people on it and won't accept more: you are probably at the per-file limit. See 'The file already has too many people'.
• The message is 'This shared drive's settings prevent sharing with non-members', or the sharing option isn't available to you: this is a permission setting, not a limit. See 'It may not be a limit at all'.
• People can't open a file because 'Too many users have viewed or downloaded this file recently': this is a limit on views and downloads, and it has nothing to do with adding people. See 'Sharing by link instead'.

The sharing rate limit: stop, then send less email

Google describes this error in one sentence: 'This error occurs when the user reaches a sharing limit and is often linked with an email limit.' Its first listed fix is equally short: 'Don't send emails when sharing large amounts of files.'

Google doesn't publish the threshold, or how long the limit lasts, in the help and developer pages we checked. So be wary of anyone quoting an exact number of shares per hour or a guaranteed reset time. The practical order is:

• Stop for a while. Repeating the same share straight away is unlikely to help.
• When you try again, start with one file and a short list, so you can see whether it goes through.
• In the Share box, untick 'Notify people' for recipients who are expecting the file. Google's wording is: 'Check Notify people to send an email alert, or uncheck it if you do not want to notify them.'
• Tell those people yourself, because they won't get Google's email alert. One message from you, with the link, does the job.
• If you are sharing many files with the same people, consider putting them in one folder and sharing that. Google says all files and subfolders in a shared folder inherit its sharing permissions. Remember that this also gives people access to anything you add to the folder later.
• If a script or app is doing the sharing, you will see a 403 with the reason 'sharingRateLimitExceeded' and the message 'Rate Limit Exceeded'. Set 'sendNotificationEmail' to false on bulk shares (it can't be turned off for ownership transfers), and make permission changes to the same item one at a time, because Google says 'Concurrent permission modifications on the same file, folder, or shared drive aren't supported'. Google's general advice for rate limit responses is to 'use an exponential backoff algorithm and try again later'.

The file already has too many people

Google's published limit for a regular file is exact: 'You can share a single file with up to 600 individual email addresses.' We couldn't find the message for reaching it documented, so if the file has a long list, count it before you assume something else is wrong.

A separate number often gets mixed up with this one: 'A Google file can only be actively edited on up to 100 open tabs or devices at the same time.' That doesn't limit who the file can be shared with. Google says that beyond it, only the owner and some users with edit permissions can make changes.

If the list is full, you have three real options. Remove people who no longer need the file, move the audience into a group, or switch to a link. To remove someone, open the Share menu, click the Down arrow next to their name, choose 'Remove access' and click 'Save'.

Sharing with a Google Group instead

Google's help says that with Google Groups 'you can share content with multiple people via a single email address.' You share the file with the group's address the same way you would with a person: enter it in the Share box and pick 'Viewer', 'Commenter' or 'Editor'. After that, you manage the audience in the group rather than on each file.

Google doesn't say how a group counts against the 600-address limit on a regular file, so we won't guess. The practical benefits it does list are changing access for everyone at once, and removing someone from the group to take away their access to content shared with it. Some details to know before you switch:

• People added to the group later can open earlier files through their URLs, but those files won't automatically appear in their 'Shared with me' view. Google says you need to reshare with the group, or share with those members individually, for that.
• If your administrator prohibits external sharing, only group members inside your organization can access what you share with the group.
• Shared drives have their own group limits. Google says: 'A file in a shared drive can be directly shared with a maximum of 100 groups.'
• A shared drive itself allows 600 members, of which at most 100 can be groups, and 50,000 individuals in total.

Sharing by link instead

If the file isn't private and you don't need to know exactly who has it, a link replaces the guest list altogether. Google's description of the setting is: 'Anyone on the internet who has the link can open the file without signing in to a Google Account.' That includes whoever the link gets forwarded to, so don't use it for anything sensitive.

A link can run into its own limit. Google's download help says the 'Too many users have viewed or downloaded this file recently' error 'occurs when a file receives high view or download volume over a short period', and that it 'is temporary and typically resets within 24 hours.' Note that this 24-hour figure applies to views and downloads, not to the sharing rate limit above.

For owners, Google's tips point the other way from a public link: 'Share access directly with specific Google Groups rather than using public links.' For large files such as ZIP archives, media files or installers, it suggests Google Cloud Storage or dedicated hosting rather than public Drive links. For Docs, Sheets and Slides read by a broad audience, you can also use 'File', then 'Share', then 'Publish to web', which gives readers a version they can't edit. Google's warning there is: 'Be careful when publishing private or sensitive info.'

To set up the link:

• Select the item and click 'Share +'.
• Under 'General access', click the Down arrow.
• Choose 'Anyone with the link'. On a work or school account you may see 'Your Organization' as well, and your administrator may restrict external link sharing.
• Select the role, click 'Copy link' and click 'Done'.

It may not be a limit at all

Some 'can't share' problems are permissions that only look like limits. Check these before you spend time trimming lists:

• You only have 'Viewer' or 'Commenter' access. Google says viewers can't share the item and commenters can't share items in a shared folder. Ask the owner or an editor to do it.
• The owner stopped editors sharing. Google says editors can change permissions and share by default, but that can be switched off by unticking 'Allow editors to change permissions and share' in the Share settings. If it is off, ask the owner to share it.
• You see 'This shared drive's settings prevent sharing with non-members.' Google's advice is to contact one of the shared drive's managers.
• You can't add a member to a shared drive. Right-click the drive, choose 'View members', and check the list is within the membership limits above.
• You are on a work or school account. Google says 'Your administrator might not allow you to share with certain people.' Only your administrator can change that, so ask them rather than looking for another route.

Prevent it next time

The right response to a limit is to share less noisily, not to look for a way past it. Don't spread the job across extra accounts or keep retrying in a loop. Google's Drive program policies apply to all shared content and say 'Do not spam', including 'anything that appears to be a mass solicitation'. Only share files with people who expect them.

• Set up a Google Group for any audience you share with repeatedly, before the list gets long.
• Untick 'Notify people' for large batches, and send one message of your own instead.
• Limit edit access on widely shared documents. Google suggests reducing the number of users with edit access, or creating 'a new, access-only document to share broadly'.
• Clear people off old files once they are finished with them. On work and school accounts, 'Add expiration' can end someone's access on a set date, up to a year ahead.

If you just need to hand someone a file

If the goal is one delivery rather than a file people keep returning to, OneSol Send may be simpler: it takes files up to 5 GB and the recipient doesn't need to sign in. Files are kept for 3 days and the sender needs a free OneSol account, so Drive is still the better home for anything long-term.