# Who can edit an Office document

Who can edit, comment, review or only view a Word, Excel or PowerPoint file in Drime, and why a share link never gives edit rights on an Office file.

Updated: 2026-10-21  
Source: https://drime.cloud/support/more-apps/who-can-edit-office-documents

To edit a Word, Excel or PowerPoint file in Drime, you need edit rights on it. Without them, the document opens read-only, but you can still comment.

## What each person can do

| Who | Open and read | Comment | Track changes | Edit | Download, print, copy |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| The owner | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| A person invited with **Can edit**, or a workspace member whose role can edit | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| A person invited with **Can Download** | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| A person invited with **Can view** | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| A visitor through a share link | Yes | Yes | No | No | If the link allows downloads |

## Share links never allow editing

A share link (**Get link**) never gives edit rights on an Office file. Its panel always reads **Anyone with this link can view**. Visitors can read the document, comment, and download it if the link allows downloads.

To let someone edit, invite them by email with **Can edit**: see [Share a file or folder with people](https://drime.cloud/support/sharing-and-collaboration/share-files-and-folders).

![Link settings of a demo Office document: Send & Track, Link expiration and Password protect, with no option to let link visitors edit](https://drime.cloud/media/01M5DTPGDWJFCB9AY2CGFP1D5Y/e1acb353fe22-web-office-link-settings.png)

![The share dialog of a demo Word document with a demo member invited with Can edit](https://drime.cloud/media/01M5ET49Y1EXZBAWNDJQ7CNZNT/b5188ff5a750-web-share-dialog-can-edit.png)

## In a workspace

Members of a workspace edit its Office files when their role allows editing files. See [Workspace roles and permissions](https://drime.cloud/support/workspaces/roles-and-permissions).

## Backup files

Files in your backups always open read-only, whoever opens them.

## If it doesn't work

| What you see | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| The document opens but you cannot change anything | You do not have edit rights. Ask the owner to invite you with **Can edit**. |
| Someone with the link cannot edit | That is expected: links are view-only for Office files. Invite the person with **Can edit**. |
| A backup file cannot be edited | Backup files are read-only. Download it, or restore it from your backups, to work on a copy. |

## Next steps

- [Edit a Word, Excel or PowerPoint file with others](https://drime.cloud/support/more-apps/co-edit-office-documents)
- [Sharing permissions explained](https://drime.cloud/support/sharing-and-collaboration/sharing-permissions)
- [Share a file or folder with people](https://drime.cloud/support/sharing-and-collaboration/share-files-and-folders)