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IntegrationsProductivityGoogle Drive

Google Drive Integration

The Google Drive integration connects your Google Drive account to Wakflo, enabling you to automate file management, folder organization, and content synchronization workflows.

Authentication Method: OAuth 2.0

Account Requirements:

  • Active Google account
  • Google Workspace or personal Google account
  • Sufficient storage space
  • Appropriate file/folder permissions

Google Drive Triggers

File & Folder Triggers

  • New File: Triggered when a new file is uploaded or created in Google Drive
  • New Folder: Triggered when a new folder is created in Google Drive

Google Drive Actions

File Actions

  • Upload File: Upload a file to Google Drive
  • Create File: Create a new file in Google Drive
  • Duplicate File: Create a copy of an existing file
  • Get File: Retrieve file metadata and download link
  • Read File Content: Get the content of text-based files
  • List Files: Retrieve a list of files with filtering options

Folder Actions

  • Create Folder: Create a new folder in Google Drive
  • List Folders: Retrieve a list of folders with filtering options

Google Drive Setup Guide

Connect to Google Drive

From the Integrations page, select Google Drive and click “Connect”

Wakflo-connect-google-drive

Sign in to Google

Log in to your Google account when prompted

Wakflo-signin-google-drive

Approve Permissions

Review and grant the requested permissions for Wakflo to access your Google Drive

Wakflo-permissions-google-drive

Complete Setup

Finish the connection process and start building file management workflows

Wakflo-permissions-google-drive

Shared Drives: If you’re using Google Workspace, ensure you have appropriate permissions for shared drives you want to access through the integration.

Trigger Configuration

New File Trigger

Monitors Google Drive for new files added to specified locations.

Configuration Options:

  • folder (optional): Monitor specific folder only
  • fileType (optional): Filter by file type (docs, sheets, images, etc.)
  • sharedDrives (optional): Include shared drives in monitoring

Trigger Data:

  • File ID
  • File name
  • File type
  • Created date
  • Owner information
  • Parent folder

New Folder Trigger

Detects when new folders are created in Google Drive.

Configuration Options:

  • parentFolder (optional): Monitor specific parent folder only
  • sharedDrives (optional): Include shared drives in monitoring

Trigger Data:

  • Folder ID
  • Folder name
  • Created date
  • Parent folder
  • Owner information

Action Details

Upload File

Uploads a file from a URL or base64 content to Google Drive.

Parameters:

  • fileName (required): Name for the uploaded file
  • fileContent (required): File URL or base64 encoded content
  • folderId (optional): Destination folder ID
  • mimeType (optional): File MIME type

Returns:

  • File ID
  • Web view link
  • Download link
  • File size

Create File

Creates a new file directly in Google Drive.

Parameters:

  • fileName (required): Name of the file
  • content (required): File content
  • mimeType (required): File type (text/plain, application/json, etc.)
  • folderId (optional): Parent folder ID

Returns:

  • File ID
  • File URL
  • Created timestamp

Duplicate File

Creates a copy of an existing file.

Parameters:

  • fileId (required): ID of file to duplicate
  • newName (required): Name for the duplicate
  • folderId (optional): Destination folder for copy

Returns:

  • New file ID
  • File URL
  • Copy timestamp

Get File

Retrieves metadata and download information for a specific file.

Parameters:

  • fileId (required): The ID of the file

Returns:

  • File metadata
  • Download URL
  • File size
  • Modified date
  • Sharing permissions

Read File Content

Reads the content of text-based files.

Parameters:

  • fileId (required): ID of the file to read

Returns:

  • File content as text
  • File metadata

File Size Limit: Read File Content works best with text files under 10MB. For larger files, use Get File to obtain a download link.

List Files

Retrieves a list of files based on search criteria.

Parameters:

  • query (optional): Search query
  • folderId (optional): Limit to specific folder
  • pageSize (optional): Number of results (max 1000)
  • orderBy (optional): Sort order

Returns:

  • Array of files with metadata
  • Next page token (if applicable)

Create Folder

Creates a new folder in Google Drive.

Parameters:

  • folderName (required): Name of the folder
  • parentFolderId (optional): Parent folder ID

Returns:

  • Folder ID
  • Folder URL
  • Created timestamp

List Folders

Retrieves a list of folders.

Parameters:

  • parentFolderId (optional): List only subfolders of specific folder
  • pageSize (optional): Number of results
  • includeShared (optional): Include shared folders

Returns:

  • Array of folders with metadata
  • Next page token (if applicable)

Field Mapping

When working with Google Drive:

  • File/Folder IDs can be found in the URL after /folders/ or /file/d/
  • MIME types determine how Google Drive handles files
  • Use ‘root’ as folder ID to reference the main Drive folder
  • Shared items require appropriate permissions

API Limits & Best Practices

Limit TypeValueNotes
Queries per day1,000,000,000Per project
Queries per 100 seconds20,000Per user
Upload size5 TBMaximum file size
List page size1000Maximum items per request

Example Workflow: Retrieve and Process Files

Add Google Drive node

Search for Google Drive and add the “Get File” action to your workflow

Add Google Drive node

Configure connection

Select or create a Google Drive connection

Configure connection

Enter file ID

Input the file ID or map it from a previous workflow step

Enter file ID

Test the action

Click “Test Step” to retrieve the file metadata and download link

Test action

Advanced Features

Working with Shared Drives

When working with Google Workspace shared drives:

  1. Ensure the connected account has access to the shared drive
  2. Click thr checkboc to include team drives

Troubleshooting

Permission Denied Errors

  • Verify the connected account has access to the file/folder
  • Check if the item is in a shared drive requiring additional permissions
  • Ensure OAuth scopes include necessary Drive permissions
  • For shared items, confirm you have edit (not just view) access

File Not Found

  • Verify the file ID is correct
  • Check if the file has been moved to trash
  • Ensure the file is in the connected account’s Drive
  • Use List Files to search if ID is unknown

Upload Failures

  • Check available storage space in Google Drive
  • Verify file size is within limits
  • Ensure proper MIME type is specified
  • For base64 uploads, verify encoding is correct

Trigger Not Firing

  • Confirm webhook is properly registered
  • Check if changes are in monitored folder
  • Verify trigger filters aren’t too restrictive
  • Allow up to 1 minute for trigger detection

Best Practices

  1. File Organization

    • Use consistent naming conventions
    • Create a logical folder hierarchy
    • Implement automated cleanup for old files
    • Use metadata and descriptions for better searchability

  2. Performance Optimization

    • Use batch operations when possible
    • Implement pagination for large file lists
    • Cache frequently accessed file IDs
    • Avoid recursive folder operations

  3. Security Considerations

    • Regularly audit sharing permissions
    • Use least-privilege access principles
    • Implement file encryption for sensitive data
    • Monitor unusual access patterns

  4. Error Handling

    • Implement retry logic for transient failures
    • Log all file operations for audit trails
    • Set up alerts for failed uploads
    • Handle quota exceeded errors gracefully

Additional Resources

Last updated on
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