University IT
Google Workspace Optimization for Students
What to Know About Upcoming Google Storage Limits
Google Workspace has a 5 terabytes (TB) storage limit. My Drives or shared drives exceeding 5 TB will switch to read-only mode unless a change request is submitted to move the drive to the premium storage option. Learn more.
Impacted by the limit? Start here
Each Google My Drive and shared drive has a 5 TB storage limit. If your drive exceeds this limit (view your My Drive usage), it may switch to "read-only" mode. In this mode, you can access and view the stored data but not edit or add new files to the drive. To avoid "read-only" mode, you can reduce your storage below 5 TB or purchase more storage.
Trying to reduce the amount of stored data in Google Workspace by cleaning up your drive is a good place to begin. Depending upon your needs, it may be cost effective to move your data. Just remember, institutional files should remain in a Stanford-approved solution.
How to remove unneeded files from My Drive
If you aim to reduce your usage to under the limit — or just want to de-clutter your digital space— these resources can help.
How to organize and manage a shared drive
Explore these resources to increase the efficiency of a shared drive or delete one that's no longer needed. Or, if you are no longer responsible for a shared drive, learn how to assign a new manager and remove yourself from the drive.
How to compare other Stanford-approved solutions
If real-time collaboration in Google Workspace isn't essential, consider alternative storage solutions supported by the university. For research storage, Oak, GCP, and AWS Glacier are the preferred choices of many at Stanford. Assess your needs and review features and pricing.
What to know about prioritizing data security
Institutional files stored in your Stanford accounts should remain in a Stanford-approved solution.
- Moving Stanford data to a personal storage account or purchasing local data storage significantly increases risk.
- View guidance from Stanford's Information Security Office.
When more than 5 TB of storage is needed, extra space can purchased through the university. If your data is research-related, talk to your PI, faculty member, or a representative from your department. They should be aware of the storage limit and can talk to you about moving data or funding options to buy more storage.
The cost for storage over 5 TB is $12.50 per TB billed monthly based on actual usage.
Think about My Drive vs shared drive
When using Google Workspace, consider whether institutional files should be in My Drive or shared drive.
Remember that My Drive is your personal storage space, while shared drives are designed for team collaboration and support business continuity. Shared drives provide a centralized location where teams, units, departments, or official student groups can create, store, and search for files. The key advantage of shared drives is that they ensure continued access to institutional data, even as team members change.
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