Google Drive

Data & APIs

Google Drive API integration with managed OAuth. Search Drive files, manage permissions, organize folders, upload and download files, and handle sharing changes. Use this skill when users want to find, organize, share, or move files in Google Drive.

Install

openclaw skills install google-drive-files

Google Drive

Access Google Drive via the Google Drive API with managed OAuth authentication. Search files, manage permissions, organize folders, upload and download, and handle sharing changes.

This skill uses ClawLink for hosted connection flows and credentials so you do not need to configure Google Drive API access yourself.

Setup in 3 Steps

Step 1: Install	Step 2: Pair Account	Step 3: Connect Google Drive
		App-specific connection GIF coming soon
Run the install command in OpenClaw	Sign in and approve the device	Open the dashboard and connect Google Drive

How It Works

┌─────────────────┐     ┌──────────────┐     ┌──────────────────┐
│   OpenClaw      │────▶│   ClawLink   │────▶│   Google Drive   │
│   (User Chat)   │     │   (OAuth)    │     │   (Drive API)    │
└─────────────────┘     └──────────────┘     └──────────────────┘
         │                       │                       │
         │  1. Install Plugin    │                       │
         │  2. Pair Device       │                       │
         │  3. Connect Drive     │                       │
         │                       │  4. Secure Token       │
         │                       │  5. Proxy Requests    │
         │                       │                       │
         ▼                       ▼                       ▼
   ┌──────────┐           ┌──────────┐           ┌──────────┐
   │  SKILL   │           │ Dashboard│           │  Google  │
   │  File    │           │ Auth     │           │  Drive   │
   └──────────┘           └──────────┘           └──────────┘

Install

Install the verified ClawLink plugin from ClawHub. After the user confirms, complete the full setup so ClawLink tools are visible in the next OpenClaw chat.

openclaw plugins install clawhub:clawlink-plugin
openclaw config set tools.alsoAllow '["clawlink-plugin"]' --strict-json
openclaw gateway restart

Then tell the user: "OpenClaw has been restarted. Send /new as a standalone message to start a fresh chat, then ask for Google Drive again."

Quick Start

# Find a file by name
clawlink_call_tool --tool "googledrive_find_file" --params '{"query": "report.xlsx"}'

# Get file metadata
clawlink_call_tool --tool "googledrive_get_file_metadata" --params '{"file_id": "YOUR_FILE_ID"}'

# List permissions
clawlink_call_tool --tool "googledrive_list_permissions" --params '{"file_id": "YOUR_FILE_ID"}'

Authentication

All Google Drive tool calls are authenticated automatically by ClawLink using the user's connected Google account.

No API key is required in chat. ClawLink stores the OAuth token securely and injects it into every Google Drive API request on the user's behalf.

Getting Connected

Install the ClawLink plugin (see Install above).
Pair the plugin with clawlink_begin_pairing if it is not configured yet.
Open https://claw-link.dev/dashboard?add=google-drive and connect Google Drive.
Call clawlink_list_integrations to verify the connection is active.

Connection Management

List Connections

clawlink_list_integrations

Response: Returns all connected integrations. Look for google-drive in the list.

Verify Connection

clawlink_list_tools --integration google-drive

Response: Returns the live tool catalog for Google Drive.

Reconnect

If Google Drive tools are missing or the connection shows an error:

Direct the user to https://claw-link.dev/dashboard?add=google-drive
After they confirm, call clawlink_list_integrations to verify
Then call clawlink_list_tools --integration google-drive

Security & Permissions

Access is scoped to files and folders within the connected Google account (My Drive and shared drives).
All write operations require explicit user confirmation. Before executing any create, update, or delete call, confirm the target resource and intended effect with the user.
Destructive actions (delete, empty trash, delete permission) are marked as high-impact and must be confirmed.
Permission changes may have a brief propagation delay before appearing in results.

Tool Reference

File & Folder Discovery

Tool	Description	Mode
`googledrive_find_file`	Search files by name, MIME type, date, query string, and more	Read
`googledrive_find_folder`	Find a folder by name and optional parent folder	Read
`googledrive_list_children_v2`	List immediate children of a folder	Read
`googledrive_get_file_metadata`	Get file metadata (MIME type, parents, trashed status)	Read
`googledrive_list_shared_drives`	List all accessible shared drives	Read
`googledrive_get_drive`	Get a specific shared drive's metadata	Read
`googledrive_get_about`	Get user info, storage quota, and Drive capabilities	Read

File Creation & Upload

Tool	Description	Mode
`googledrive_create_file`	Create an empty file or folder (content added separately)	Write
`googledrive_create_file_from_text`	Create a file from text content (up to 10MB) with optional format conversion	Write
`googledrive_create_folder`	Create a new folder (parent must already exist)	Write
`googledrive_upload_file`	Upload a binary file up to 5MB to a folder	Write
`googledrive_upload_from_url`	Fetch a file from a URL and upload to Drive server-side	Write
`googledrive_resumable_upload`	Start and complete a resumable upload session for large files	Write
`googledrive_upload_update_file`	Replace contents of an existing file	Write
`googledrive_edit_file`	Overwrite binary file content (not for Google Workspace files)	Write

Download & Export

Tool	Description	Mode
`googledrive_download_file`	Download a file by ID, optionally export Google Workspace files	Read
`googledrive_download_file_operation`	Download via long-running operation (for Google Vids, large files)	Read
`googledrive_export_google_workspace_file`	Export a Google Doc/Sheet/Slide to a specified MIME type	Read

File Organization

Tool	Description	Mode
`googledrive_move_file`	Move a file between folders (supply both add_parents and remove_parents)	Write
`googledrive_copy_file_advanced`	Copy a file with advanced options (labels, visibility, metadata)	Write
`googledrive_add_parent`	Add a parent folder to a file	Write
`googledrive_delete_parent`	Remove a file from a folder	Write
`googledrive_insert_child`	Add an existing file to a folder	Write
`googledrive_delete_child`	Remove a file from a specific folder	Write
`googledrive_create_shortcut_to_file`	Create a shortcut to an existing Drive item	Write

File Metadata & Properties

Tool	Description	Mode
`googledrive_update_file_metadata_patch`	Update file metadata (name, description, labels) using PATCH	Write
`googledrive_update_file_put`	Update file metadata using PUT semantics (partial update)	Write
`googledrive_add_property`	Add or update a custom key-value property on a file	Write
`googledrive_patch_property`	Partially update a file property	Write
`googledrive_update_file_property`	Update an existing file property	Write
`googledrive_get_file_property`	Get a specific custom property from a file	Read
`googledrive_list_file_properties`	List all custom properties on a file	Read
`googledrive_delete_property`	Delete a property from a file	Write
`googledrive_modify_file_labels`	Add, update, or remove labels on a file	Write
`googledrive_list_file_labels`	List labels applied to a file	Read

Permissions & Sharing

Tool	Description	Mode
`googledrive_create_permission`	Share a file or folder with users, groups, domains, or publicly	Write
`googledrive_update_permission`	Update an existing permission	Write
`googledrive_patch_permission`	Partially update a permission	Write
`googledrive_delete_permission`	Revoke access from a file (including link-sharing)	Write
`googledrive_list_permissions`	List all permissions on a file or shared drive	Read
`googledrive_get_permission`	Get a specific permission by ID	Read
`googledrive_get_permission_id_for_email`	Convert an email address to a permission ID	Read
`googledrive_list_access_proposals`	List pending access proposals on a file	Read
`googledrive_list_approvals`	List approval workflow approvals on a file	Read

Comments & Replies

Tool	Description	Mode
`googledrive_create_comment`	Create a comment on a file	Write
`googledrive_list_comments`	List all comments on a file	Read
`googledrive_get_comment`	Get a specific comment by ID	Read
`googledrive_update_comment`	Update a comment's content	Write
`googledrive_delete_comment`	Permanently delete a comment thread and all replies	Write
`googledrive_create_reply`	Reply to an existing comment	Write
`googledrive_list_replies`	List replies to a comment	Read
`googledrive_get_reply`	Get a specific reply	Read
`googledrive_update_reply`	Update a reply	Write
`googledrive_delete_reply`	Delete a specific reply	Write

Shared Drives

Tool	Description	Mode
`googledrive_create_drive`	Create a new shared drive	Write
`googledrive_update_drive`	Update shared drive metadata (name, theme, restrictions)	Write
`googledrive_delete_drive`	Permanently delete a shared drive	Write
`googledrive_hide_drive`	Hide a shared drive from the default view	Write
`googledrive_unhide_drive`	Restore a shared drive to the default view	Write

Revision Management

Tool	Description	Mode
`googledrive_list_revisions`	List a file's revision metadata	Read
`googledrive_get_revision`	Get a specific revision's metadata	Read
`googledrive_update_file_revision_metadata`	Update revision metadata (keepForever, published)	Write
`googledrive_delete_revision`	Permanently delete a file revision	Write

Trash & Deletion

Tool	Description	Mode
`googledrive_trash_file`	Move a file to trash (soft delete, recoverable)	Write
`googledrive_untrash_file`	Restore a file from trash	Write
`googledrive_google_drive_delete_folder_or_file_action`	Permanently delete a file or folder	Write
`googledrive_empty_trash`	Permanently delete ALL trashed files (irreversible)	Write

Change Tracking

Tool	Description	Mode
`googledrive_get_changes_start_page_token`	Get the starting token for listing future changes	Read
`googledrive_list_changes`	List file changes since a page token	Read
`googledrive_watch_changes`	Subscribe to push notifications for Drive changes	Write
`googledrive_watch_file`	Subscribe to push notifications for a specific file	Write
`googledrive_stop_watch_channel`	Stop an active watch channel	Write

Utility

Tool	Description	Mode
`googledrive_generate_ids`	Pre-allocate file IDs for new files or copies	Read
`googledrive_get_app`	Get information about a Drive app by ID	Read
`googledrive_get_child`	Verify a specific child exists in a folder	Read
`googledrive_get_parent`	Get a specific parent reference for a file	Read

Code Examples

Search for files by name

clawlink_call_tool --tool "googledrive_find_file" \
  --params '{
    "query": "name contains '\''report'\''"
  }'

Create a folder

clawlink_call_tool --tool "googledrive_create_folder" \
  --params '{
    "name": "Project Files",
    "parent_folder_id": "YOUR_FOLDER_ID"
  }'

Share a file with someone

clawlink_call_tool --tool "googledrive_create_permission" \
  --params '{
    "file_id": "YOUR_FILE_ID",
    "type": "user",
    "email": "colleague@example.com",
    "role": "writer",
    "pending_owner": false
  }'

Move a file to a folder

clawlink_call_tool --tool "googledrive_move_file" \
  --params '{
    "file_id": "YOUR_FILE_ID",
    "add_parents": ["DESTINATION_FOLDER_ID"],
    "remove_parents": ["SOURCE_FOLDER_ID"]
  }'

Download and export a Google Sheet as CSV

clawlink_call_tool --tool "googledrive_download_file" \
  --params '{
    "file_id": "YOUR_SHEET_ID",
    "mime_type": "text/csv"
  }'

Trash a file

clawlink_call_tool --tool "googledrive_trash_file" \
  --params '{
    "file_id": "YOUR_FILE_ID"
  }'

Discovery Workflow

Call clawlink_list_integrations to confirm Google Drive is connected.
Call clawlink_list_tools --integration google-drive to see the live catalog.
Treat the returned list as the source of truth. Do not guess or assume what tools exist.
If the user describes a capability but the exact tool is unclear, call clawlink_search_tools with a short query and integration google-drive.
If no Google Drive tools appear, direct the user to https://claw-link.dev/dashboard?add=google-drive.

Execution Workflow

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  READ OPERATIONS (Safe)                                     │
│  find → list → get → describe → call                        │
│                                                             │
│  Example: Find file → Get metadata → Show results           │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  WRITE OPERATIONS (Require Confirmation)                    │
│  describe → preview → confirm → call                        │
│                                                             │
│  Example: Describe tool → Preview changes → User approves    │
│           → Execute update                                   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

For unfamiliar tools, ambiguous requests, or any write action, call clawlink_describe_tool first.
Use the returned guidance, schema, whenToUse, askBefore, safeDefaults, examples, and followups to shape the call.
Prefer search, list, and metadata reads before writes.
For uploads, sharing updates, folder changes, or other high-impact actions, call clawlink_preview_tool first.
Execute with clawlink_call_tool. Pass confirmation only after the preview matches the user's intent.
If the tool call fails, report the real error. Do not invent results or restate the failure as a missing capability unless the live catalog supports that conclusion.

Notes

File IDs are stable across moves — capture from list/search responses for subsequent operations.
storageQuota in get_about reflects My Drive only, not shared drives.
Concurrent permission operations on the same file are not supported — only the last update is applied.
For Google Workspace native files (Docs, Sheets, Slides), use the dedicated API tools (googledocs_, googlesheets_) rather than GOOGLEDRIVE_EDIT_FILE.
Empty trash is irreversible — always confirm with the user first.
Newly created files are private by default — set sharing permissions afterward.

Error Handling

Status / Error	Meaning
Tool not found	The tool name does not exist in the current catalog. Verify with `clawlink_list_tools --integration google-drive`.
Missing connection	Google Drive is not connected. Direct the user to https://claw-link.dev/dashboard?add=google-drive.
`RESOURCE_NOT_FOUND`	File or folder does not exist. Check the file_id or path.
`PERMISSION_DENIED`	No access to the file. Check sharing permissions.
`INVALID_ARGUMENT`	Invalid parameter or missing required field. Review the tool schema with `clawlink_describe_tool`.
Write rejected	User did not confirm a write action. Always confirm before executing writes.

Troubleshooting: Tools Not Visible

Check that the ClawLink plugin is installed:
```
openclaw plugins list
```
If the plugin is installed but tools are missing, tell the user to send /new as a standalone message to reload the catalog.

If a fresh chat does not help, run:

openclaw config set tools.alsoAllow '["clawlink-plugin"]' --strict-json
openclaw gateway restart

After restart, tell the user to send /new again and retry.

Troubleshooting: Invalid Tool Call

Ensure the integration slug is exactly google-drive.
Use clawlink_describe_tool to verify parameter names and types before calling.
For write operations, always call clawlink_preview_tool first.

Resources

Google Drive API Overview
Files Resource
Permissions Resource
ClawLink: https://claw-link.dev/?utm_source=clawhub&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=google-drive-files
ClawLink Docs: https://docs.claw-link.dev/openclaw
ClawLink Verification: https://claw-link.dev/verify

Related Skills

Google Docs — For document reading and editing
Google Sheets — For spreadsheet operations
Google Slides — For presentation operations

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Google Drive

Install

Google Drive

Setup in 3 Steps

How It Works

Install

Quick Start

Authentication

Getting Connected

Connection Management

List Connections

Verify Connection

Reconnect

Security & Permissions

Tool Reference

File & Folder Discovery

File Creation & Upload

Download & Export

File Organization

File Metadata & Properties

Permissions & Sharing

Comments & Replies

Shared Drives

Revision Management

Trash & Deletion

Change Tracking

Utility

Code Examples

Search for files by name

Create a folder

Share a file with someone

Move a file to a folder

Download and export a Google Sheet as CSV

Trash a file

Discovery Workflow

Execution Workflow

Notes

Error Handling

Troubleshooting: Tools Not Visible

Troubleshooting: Invalid Tool Call

Resources

Related Skills

Related skills