# How to Check How Much Data You Have in Google Drive

> Find your company's Google Drive storage, file counts and oldest files using Admin console reports that show totals, not anyone's files.

Source: https://sellmydata.com/guides/how-to-check-google-drive-data-volume/
Published: 2026-10-27

## Key takeaways

- A Google Workspace admin can see total Drive storage, storage per user and storage per shared drive under Menu > Apps > Storage in the Admin console. Admins see only totals, never the files.
- For file counts, open Reporting > User Reports > Apps usage. It shows Drive storage used and files added per user, broken down by Docs, Sheets, Slides and other types, for up to six months.
- To see how far back your files go, search Drive with createdbefore:YYYY-MM-DD and move the date back until results stop.
- Write down four numbers: total storage, file counts by type, number of users and shared drives, and the year of your oldest files. Volume and years of history are two of the four drivers of a dataset's price.

The fastest way to see how much data your company holds in Google Drive is the **Storage** page in the Google Admin console. It shows total storage, storage per person and storage per shared drive in one place. Add file counts from the **Apps usage** report and the date of your oldest files from Drive search, and you have the numbers anyone pricing your data will ask for.

None of these steps open anyone's files. The Admin console shows [only a summary of storage use, never users' files](https://support.google.com/a/answer/12002268?hl=en), and you don't need to export anything.

## Why the size and age of your Drive matter

Volume and years of history are two of the four things that set the price of a dataset; the other two are data type and current demand ([how pricing works](/pricing/)). A company with eight years of proposals, specs and reports in Drive has a deeper dataset than one that started using Drive last year, even if both have the same headcount.

So you need two kinds of numbers: **how much** (storage and file counts) and **how far back** (the year of your oldest files).

## Step 1: See total Drive storage in the Admin console

You need a Google Workspace admin account with the **Storage administrator** privilege ([Google's guide](https://support.google.com/a/answer/12002268?hl=en)).

1. Sign in to the Google Admin console.
2. Go to **Menu > Apps > Storage**.
3. At the top, read your organization's total storage use.
4. Point to each service to see how much **Google Drive**, **Gmail** and **Google Photos** each use. Write down the Drive figure.

Changes can take up to 24 hours to show on this page, so don't worry if a recent upload isn't counted yet.

## Step 2: See storage per user and per shared drive

On the same Storage page:

- Under **Users using the most storage**, select **View all users** for everyone ranked by storage use.
- Under **Shared drives using the most storage**, select **View all shared drives** for every shared drive ranked the same way.

Count how many people and shared drives hold meaningful amounts of data. A dataset spread across 40 active users and 12 project drives tells a different story from one person's archive.

Two details to keep in mind ([Google](https://support.google.com/a/answer/12002268?hl=en), [Google Drive Help](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/6374270?hl=en)):

- Files count toward their **owner's** storage only, not toward everyone they're shared with.
- People using more than 0 but less than 1 MB show as 0 MB, though their storage still counts toward the total.

## Step 3: Count files by type with the Apps usage report

Storage size alone can mislead: a handful of videos can outweigh years of written documents. File counts by type give a truer picture of written material.

You need the **Reports administrator** privilege ([Google's guide](https://support.google.com/a/answer/4579578?hl=en)).

1. In the Admin console, go to **Menu > Reporting > User Reports > Apps usage**.
2. Look at the **Drive** columns:
   - **Drive storage used (MB)**
   - **Files added**: files a person created, uploaded, took ownership of or restored
   - **Google Docs added**, **Google Sheets added**, **Google Slides added**, **Google Forms added** and **Other types added**
3. Download the report and add up the columns.

Many of these metrics cover the past six months, and data isn't complete up to today. The report also **doesn't include changes made in shared drives**, so rely on Step 2 for those.

Treat these counts as your recent rate of activity. Step 4 tells you how far back the archive goes.

## Step 4: Find out how far back your files go

The Admin console doesn't show file dates, but Drive search does. Drive supports these operators ([Google Drive Help](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2375114?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop)):

- `createdbefore:2020-01-01` finds files created before that date.
- `createdafter:2018-01-01` finds files created after that date.
- `before:2021-05-02` and `after:2021-05-02` find files last edited before or after that date.
- `type:document` limits results to one kind of file, such as documents or spreadsheets.
- `owner:name@yourcompany.com` finds files owned by one person.

Start with `createdbefore:` set a few years back, then keep moving the date earlier until no results come back. The last year with results is roughly where your Drive history starts. Combine operators to check a single kind of file, for example `type:document createdbefore:2019-01-01`.

Search only covers files you can access. For a fuller picture, ask the owner of each large shared drive to run the same search.

## What to write down

| Measure | Where to find it |
| --- | --- |
| Total Drive storage | Admin console > Apps > Storage |
| Storage per user and per shared drive | Same page: View all users, View all shared drives |
| Files added in the last six months, by type | Reporting > User Reports > Apps usage |
| Number of people and shared drives with real activity | Storage page and Apps usage report |
| Year of your oldest files | Drive search with `createdbefore:` |

Rounded numbers are fine. A hypothetical note like "about 300 GB, mostly Docs and Sheets, 45 active users, files back to 2017" is exactly the level of detail an estimate needs.

## What to leave out at this stage

Counting is not sharing. You don't need to open, export or send any files to take this inventory. When a company does decide to sell, it exports only the folders and date ranges it chooses, and data about people is [de-identified](/de-identification/) before any buyer sees it.

Some Drive content may be off limits regardless of size, such as files covered by customer confidentiality terms. Our [rights check](/rights/) covers what to review, and you should confirm anything you're unsure about with counsel.

## Next steps

- Check your other tools: [Microsoft OneDrive and SharePoint](/guides/how-to-check-onedrive-sharepoint-data-volume/), [Slack](/guides/how-to-check-slack-data-volume/) and [Microsoft Teams](/guides/how-to-check-microsoft-teams-data-volume/).
- List every business tool your company uses with the copy-and-paste prompt on [Take inventory](/inventory/).
- Read [how to sell your company's data to AI labs](/guides/how-to-sell-company-data-to-ai-labs/) for the whole process, then [request an estimate](/#estimate).

## Frequently asked questions

### Can a Google Workspace admin see how much data each user has in Drive?

Yes. In the Admin console, go to Menu > Apps > Storage and select View all users for a list ranked by storage use. Admins with the Storage administrator privilege see storage totals only, not the files themselves.

### Does Google Drive storage include shared drives?

Shared drives are listed separately on the same Storage page under Shared drives using the most storage. The Apps usage report doesn't include changes made in shared drives, so check shared drives on the Storage page.

### How do I find the oldest files in Google Drive?

Use Drive search operators. createdbefore:2020-01-01 shows files created before that date; move the date back until no results appear. Search only covers files you can access, so an admin or each team lead should run it.

### Do I need to export my Google Drive to check how much data I have?

No. The Admin console reports and Drive search give you the totals without exporting or sharing anything. An export only comes later, if you decide to sell, and you choose what goes into it.

## Sources

- [Review storage use across your organization](https://support.google.com/a/answer/12002268?hl=en)
- [User reports: Apps usage](https://support.google.com/a/answer/4579578?hl=en)
- [Search for files in Google Drive](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2375114?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop)
- [Manage your storage in Drive, Gmail & Photos](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/6374270?hl=en)
- [How pricing works](https://sellmydata.com/pricing/)