Google Drive MCP

"Files are the atoms of digital work." — Unknown

TL;DR

Manages Google Drive directly from Claude Code via the Google Workspace MCP server. Upload, download, search, organize, move, copy, rename, and share files and folders — including Shared Drives. Supports path-based navigation (/Work/Projects/file.doc). [EXPLICIT]

Prerequisites

• Google Workspace MCP server configured (see docs/google-workspace-mcp-setup.md)
• Google Drive API enabled in Google Cloud Console
• OAuth2 credentials authenticated

Procedure

Step 1: Navigate & Search

• Browse files using path notation (/My Drive/Projects/)
• Search across Drive with keywords, file types, date ranges
• List contents of folders and Shared Drives

Step 2: File Operations

• Upload files from local workspace to Drive
• Download files from Drive to local workspace
• Create new folders with organized structure
• Move, copy, rename files between folders

Step 3: Share & Collaborate

• Share files/folders with specific users or teams
• Set permissions (viewer, commenter, editor)
• Access Shared Drives for team collaboration

Step 4: Organize

• Create folder hierarchies for project organization
• Move completed work to archive folders
• Clean up duplicates and outdated files

Quality Criteria

• File paths validated before operations
• Permissions set to minimum necessary access
• Large file uploads handled with progress tracking
• Shared Drive access confirmed before operations
• Evidence tags on all claims

Anti-Patterns

• Deleting files without user confirmation
• Sharing files with overly broad permissions ("anyone with link")
• Uploading sensitive files (credentials, .env) to Drive
• Deep recursive folder operations without size check

Related Skills

• google-docs-mcp — edit Google Docs content
• google-sheets-mcp — read/write spreadsheet data
• google-slides-mcp — create presentations
• google-workspace-apis — programmatic Drive API patterns

Usage

• /google-drive-mcp — interactive Drive management
• "upload the report to my Drive in /Projects/Q2"
• "search Drive for presentation files from last month"
• "share the proposal folder with ana@company.com as editor"

Assumptions & Limits

• Requires authenticated Google Workspace MCP server [EXPLICIT]
• Path navigation uses / as separator [EXPLICIT]
• Large files may take time to upload/download [EXPLICIT]
• Cannot access drives from non-authenticated accounts [EXPLICIT]