--- title: Google Drive File operations description: Documentation for the File operations in Google Drive node in n8n, a workflow automation platform. Includes details of operations and configuration, and links to examples and credentials information. contentType: [integration, reference] priority: high --- # Google Drive File operations Use this operation to create, delete, change, and manage files in Google Drive. Refer to [Google Drive](/integrations/builtin/app-nodes/n8n-nodes-base.googledrive/index.md) for more information on the Google Drive node itself. --8<-- "_snippets/integrations/builtin/app-nodes/ai-tools.md" ## Copy a file Use this operation to copy a file to a drive. Enter these parameters: - **Credential to connect with**: Create or select an existing [Google Drive credentials](/integrations/builtin/credentials/google/index.md). - **Resource**: Select **File**. - **Operation**: Select **Copy**. - **File**: Choose a file you want to copy. - Select **From list** to choose the title from the dropdown list, **By URL** to enter the URL of the file, or **By ID** to enter the `fileId`. - You can find the `fileId` in a shareable Google Drive file URL: `https://docs.google.com/document/d/fileId/edit#gid=0`. In your Google Drive, select **Share > Copy link** to get the shareable file URL. - **File Name**: The name to use for the new copy of the file. - **Copy In The Same Folder**: Choose whether to copy the file to the same folder. If disabled, set the following: - **Parent Drive**: Select **From list** to choose the drive from the dropdown list, **By URL** to enter the URL of the drive, or **By ID** to enter the `driveId`. - **Parent Folder**: Select **From list** to choose the folder from the dropdown list, **By URL** to enter the URL of the folder, or **By ID** to enter the `folderId`. - You can find the `driveId` and `folderID` by visiting the shared drive or folder in your browser and copying the last URL component: `https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/driveId`. ### Options - **Copy Requires Writer Permissions**: Select whether to enable readers and commenters to copy, print, or download the new file. - **Description**: A short description of the file. Refer to the [Method: files.copy | Google Drive](https://developers.google.com/drive/api/reference/rest/v2/files/copy) API documentation for more information. ## Create from text Use this operation to create a new file in a drive from provided text. Enter these parameters: - **Credential to connect with**: Create or select an existing [Google Drive credentials](/integrations/builtin/credentials/google/index.md). - **Resource**: Select **File**. - **Operation**: Select **Create From Text**. - **File Content**: Enter the file content to use to create the new file. - **File Name**: The name to use for the new file. - **Parent Drive**: Select **From list** to choose the drive from the dropdown list, **By URL** to enter the URL of the drive, or **By ID** to enter the `driveId`. - **Parent Folder**: Select **From list** to choose the folder from the dropdown list, **By URL** to enter the URL of the folder, or **By ID** to enter the `folderId`. You can find the `driveId` and `folderID` by visiting the shared drive or folder in your browser and copying the last URL component: `https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/driveId`. ### Options - **APP Properties**: A bundle of arbitrary key-value pairs which are private to the requesting app. - **Properties**: A bundle of arbitrary key-value pairs which are visible to all apps. - **Keep Revision Forever**: Choose whether to set the `keepForever` field in the new head revision. This only applies to files with binary content. You can keep a maximum of 200 revisions, after which you must delete the pinned revisions. - **OCR Language**: An [ISO 639-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_639-1) language code to help the OCR interpret the content during import. - **Use Content As Indexable Text**: Choose whether to mark the uploaded content as indexable text. - **Convert to Google Document**: Choose whether to create a Google Document instead of the default `.txt` format. You must enable the Google Docs API in the [Google API Console](https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/library/docs.googleapis.com) for this to work. Refer to the [Method: files.insert | Google Drive](https://developers.google.com/drive/api/reference/rest/v2/files/insert) API documentation for more information. ## Delete a file Use this operation to delete a file from a drive. Enter these parameters: - **Credential to connect with**: Create or select an existing [Google Drive credentials](/integrations/builtin/credentials/google/index.md). - **Resource**: Select **File**. - **Operation**: Select **Delete**. - **File**: Choose a file you want to delete. - Select **From list** to choose the title from the dropdown list, **By URL** to enter the URL of the file, or **By ID** to enter the `fileId`. - You can find the `fileId` in a shareable Google Drive file URL: `https://docs.google.com/document/d/fileId/edit#gid=0`. In your Google Drive, select **Share > Copy link** to get the shareable file URL. ### Options - **Delete Permanently**: Choose whether to delete the file now instead of moving it to the trash. Refer to the [Method: files.delete | Google Drive](https://developers.google.com/drive/api/reference/rest/v2/files/delete) API documentation for more information. ## Download a file Use this operation to download a file from a drive. Enter these parameters: - **Credential to connect with**: Create or select an existing [Google Drive credentials](/integrations/builtin/credentials/google/index.md). - **Resource**: Select **File**. - **Operation**: Select **Download**. - **File**: Choose a file you want to download. - Select **From list** to choose the title from the dropdown list, **By URL** to enter the URL of the file, or **By ID** to enter the `fileId`. - You can find the `fileId` in a shareable Google Drive file URL: `https://docs.google.com/document/d/fileId/edit#gid=0`. In your Google Drive, select **Share > Copy link** to get the shareable file URL. ### Options - **Put Output File in Field**: Choose the field name to place the binary file contents to make it available to following nodes. - **Google File Conversion**: Choose the formats to export as when downloading Google Files: * **Google Docs**: Choose the export format to use when downloading Google Docs files: **HTML**, **MS Word Document**, **Open Office Document**, **PDF**, **Rich Text (rtf)**, or **Text (txt)**. * **Google Drawings**: Choose the export format to use when downloading Google Drawing files: **JPEG**, **PDF**, **PNG**, or **SVG**. * **Google Slides**: Choose the export format to use when downloading Google Slides files: **MS PowerPoint**, **OpenOffice Presentation**, or **PDF**. * **Google Sheets**: Choose the export format to use when downloading Google Sheets files: **CSV**, **MS Excel**, **Open Office Sheet**, or **PDF**. - **File Name**: The name to use for the downloaded file. Refer to the [Method: files.get | Google Drive](https://developers.google.com/drive/api/reference/rest/v2/files/get) API documentation for more information. ## Move a file Use this operation to move a file to a different location in a drive. Enter these parameters: - **Credential to connect with**: Create or select an existing [Google Drive credentials](/integrations/builtin/credentials/google/index.md). - **Resource**: Select **File**. - **Operation**: Select **Move**. - **File**: Choose a file you want to move. - Select **From list** to choose the title from the dropdown list, **By URL** to enter the URL of the file, or **By ID** to enter the `fileId`. - You can find the `fileId` in a shareable Google Drive file URL: `https://docs.google.com/document/d/fileId/edit#gid=0`. In your Google Drive, select **Share > Copy link** to get the shareable file URL. - **Parent Drive**: Select **From list** to choose the drive from the dropdown list, **By URL** to enter the URL of the drive, or **By ID** to enter the `driveId`. - **Parent Folder**: Select **From list** to choose the folder from the dropdown list, **By URL** to enter the URL of the folder, or **By ID** to enter the `folderId`. You can find the `driveId` and `folderID` by visiting the shared drive or folder in your browser and copying the last URL component: `https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/driveId`. Refer to the [Method: parents.insert | Google Drive](https://developers.google.com/drive/api/reference/rest/v2/parents/insert) API documentation for more information. ## Share a file Use this operation to add sharing permissions to a file. Enter these parameters: - **Credential to connect with**: Create or select an existing [Google Drive credentials](/integrations/builtin/credentials/google/index.md). - **Resource**: Select **File**. - **Operation**: Select **Share**. - **File**: Choose a file you want to share. - Select **From list** to choose the title from the dropdown list, **By URL** to enter the URL of the file, or **By ID** to enter the `fileId`. - You can find the `fileId` in a shareable Google Drive file URL: `https://docs.google.com/document/d/fileId/edit#gid=0`. In your Google Drive, select **Share > Copy link** to get the shareable file URL. - **Permissions**: The permissions to add to the file: - **Role**: Select what users can do with the file. Can be one of **Commenter**, **File Organizer**, **Organizer**, **Owner**, **Reader**, **Writer**. - **Type**: Select the scope of the new permission: - **User**: Grant permission to a specific user, defined by entering their **Email Address**. - **Group**: Grant permission to a specific group, defined by entering its **Email Address**. - **Domain**: Grant permission to a complete domain, defined by the **Domain**. - **Anyone**: Grant permission to anyone. Can optionally **Allow File Discovery** to make the file discoverable through search. ### Options - **Email Message**: A plain text custom message to include in the notification email. - **Move to New Owners Root**: Available when trying to transfer ownership while sharing an item not in a shared drive. When enabled, moves the file to the new owner's My Drive root folder. - **Send Notification Email**: Whether to send a notification email when sharing to users or groups. - **Transfer Ownership**: Whether to transfer ownership to the specified user and downgrade the current owner to writer permissions. - **Use Domain Admin Access**: Whether to perform the action as a domain administrator. Refer to the [REST Resources: files | Google Drive](https://developers.google.com/drive/api/reference/rest/v2/files) API documentation for more information. ## Update a file Use this operation to update a file. Enter these parameters: - **Credential to connect with**: Create or select an existing [Google Drive credentials](/integrations/builtin/credentials/google/index.md). - **Resource**: Select **File**. - **Operation**: Select **Update**. - **File to Update**: Choose a file you want to update. - Select **From list** to choose the title from the dropdown list, **By URL** to enter the URL of the file, or **By ID** to enter the `fileId`. - You can find the `fileId` in a shareable Google Drive file URL: `https://docs.google.com/document/d/fileId/edit#gid=0`. In your Google Drive, select **Share > Copy link** to get the shareable file URL. - **Change File Content**: Choose whether to send new binary data to replace the existing file content. If enabled, fill in the following: - **Input Data Field Name**: The name of the input field that contains the binary file data you wish to use. - **New Updated File Name**: A new name for the file if you want to update the filename. ### Options - **APP Properties**: A bundle of arbitrary key-value pairs which are private to the requesting app. - **Properties**: A bundle of arbitrary key-value pairs which are visible to all apps. - **Keep Revision Forever**: Choose whether to set the `keepForever` field in the new head revision. This only applies to files with binary content. You can keep a maximum of 200 revisions, after which you must delete the pinned revisions. - **OCR Language**: An [ISO 639-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_639-1) language code to help the OCR interpret the content during import. - **Use Content As Indexable Text**: Choose whether to mark the uploaded content as indexable text. - **Move to Trash**: Whether to move the file to the trash. Only possible for the file owner. - **Return Fields**: Return metadata fields about the file. Can be one or more of the following: **[All]**, **explicitlyTrashed**, **exportLinks**, **hasThumbnail**, **iconLink**, **ID**, **Kind**, **mimeType**, **Name**, **Permissions**, **Shared**, **Spaces**, **Starred**, **thumbnailLink**, **Trashed**, **Version**, or **webViewLink**. Refer to the [Method: files.update | Google Drive](https://developers.google.com/drive/api/reference/rest/v2/files/update) API documentation for more information. ## Upload a file Use this operation to upload a file. Enter these parameters: - **Credential to connect with**: Create or select an existing [Google Drive credentials](/integrations/builtin/credentials/google/index.md). - **Resource**: Select **File**. - **Operation**: Select **Upload**. - **Input Data Field Name**: The name of the input field that contains the binary file data you wish to use. - **File Name**: The name to use for the new file. - **Parent Drive**: Select **From list** to choose the drive from the dropdown list, **By URL** to enter the URL of the drive, or **By ID** to enter the `driveId`. - **Parent Folder**: Select **From list** to choose the folder from the dropdown list, **By URL** to enter the URL of the folder, or **By ID** to enter the `folderId`. You can find the `driveId` and `folderID` by visiting the shared drive or folder in your browser and copying the last URL component: `https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/driveId`. ### Options - **APP Properties**: A bundle of arbitrary key-value pairs which are private to the requesting app. - **Properties**: A bundle of arbitrary key-value pairs which are visible to all apps. - **Keep Revision Forever**: Choose whether to set the `keepForever` field in the new head revision. This only applies to files with binary content. You can keep a maximum of 200 revisions, after which you must delete the pinned revisions. - **OCR Language**: An [ISO 639-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_639-1) language code to help the OCR interpret the content during import. - **Use Content As Indexable Text**: Choose whether to mark the uploaded content as indexable text. - **Simplify Output**: Choose whether to return a simplified version of the response instead of including all fields. Refer to the [Method: files.insert | Google Drive](https://developers.google.com/drive/api/reference/rest/v2/files/insert) API documentation for more information.