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Google Drive Connector

Overview​

The Google Drive Connector is a versatile tool designed to facilitate seamless access to your Google Drive files and folders. With just a few inputs, this connector allows you to quickly retrieve, organize, and manage your Google Drive content. Whether you're dealing with documents, spreadsheets, presentations, or any other file type, the Google Drive Connector ensures you have easy and structured access to your file contents in our products ACE Search and Chat.

Table of Contents​

Setup Process​

Set Up the Service Account​

  1. Go to the Google Cloud Console
  2. Create a new project or select an existing project
  3. Navigate to IAM & Admin > Service accounts
  4. Click Create Service Account and follow the prompts
  5. Grant the service account the Editor role
  6. Create a key for the service account and download the JSON key file
  7. Enable the Google Drive API from APIs and Services

Share the Google Drive Folder with the Service Account Email​

  1. Go to your Google Drive
  2. Right-click the folder you want to access and select Share
  3. Share the folder with the service account email address (something like your-service-account@your-project.iam.gserviceaccount.com)
  4. Set the permission level to "Editor" or "Viewer" depending on your needs

Configuring the Connector​

  • Upload the JSON credentials file

    • This is the file you downloaded when creating the service account key
    • The file contains authentication information required to access Google Drive

  • Write the folder name

    • Enter the exact name of the folder you shared with the service account
    • Make sure the spelling and capitalization match exactly
    • For example: Project Documents

Working with Nested Folders​

The connector can access files within nested folder structures using two approaches:

Option 1: Use Path Notation​

Create a single connector with a path to the specific nested folder:

  • Format: ParentFolder/ChildFolder
  • Example: Project Documents/Research Data

Option 2: Create Multiple Connectors​

Create separate connector configurations for different nested folders:

  • Create one connector for Test/folder1
  • Create another connector for Test/folder2

Important Notes on Nested Folders:​

  • The service account must have access to all parent folders in the path
  • For deep nesting, it's often clearer to create separate connector configurations
  • Each folder path should be specific to avoid retrieving unnecessary files

Supported File Types​

The Google Drive Connector supports the following file formats:

  • PDF Documents (.pdf)
    • Extracts text content from PDF files
    • Handles multi-page documents
  • Word Documents (.docx)
    • Extracts formatted text and content
    • Preserves document structure
  • PowerPoint Presentations (.pptx)
    • Extracts slide content
    • Captures text from slides and notes
  • Text Files (.txt)
    • Processes plain text documents
    • Preserves line breaks and basic formatting
  • Excel Spreadsheets (.xlsx)
    • Extracts data from cells
    • Processes multiple sheets

Best Practices​

  • Organize Your Folders
    • Use a clear folder structure in Google Drive
    • Avoid sharing the root of your Drive to prevent retrieving unnecessary files
  • Service Account Security
    • Store your service account credentials securely
    • Use a dedicated service account for this connector
    • Only share the specific folders needed for your use case
  • File Naming
    • Use descriptive file names to make search results more meaningful
    • Avoid special characters in file names
  • Permissions Management
    • Regularly review which folders are shared with the service account
    • Remove access when no longer needed
  • Storage Optimization
    • Periodically review and clean up files in connected folders
    • Archive older files to maintain performance

Troubleshooting​

IssueSolution
"Access denied" errorVerify the folder is shared with the service account email
Files not appearingCheck file types are supported and permissions are correct
Authentication failureEnsure the JSON credentials file is valid and not expired
"Folder not found" errorConfirm the folder name is spelled exactly as it appears in Google Drive
Slow performanceReduce the number of files in the shared folder

Advanced Configuration​

Scheduled Updates​

You can configure the connector to regularly update its data:

  1. Enable the "Recurring" option
  2. Select update frequency:
    • Hourly: For frequently changing documents
    • Daily: For regular working documents
    • Weekly: For archival or reference materials
  3. Specify the interval (e.g., every 12 hours, every 3 days)

Custom Filtering​

To limit which files are processed:

  • Use folder organization in Google Drive to separate files
  • Create multiple connector configurations with specific folder paths
  • Use the Knowledge Set feature to group related connector outputs

FAQ​

Q: Can I connect multiple Google Drive accounts?
A: Yes, create separate service accounts and connector configurations for each Google Drive account.

Q: How are file updates handled?
A: When the connector runs (manually or on schedule), it will detect and process updated files.

Q: Is there a limit to how many files can be processed?
A: While there's no hard limit, performance may decrease with very large collections (1000+ files).

Q: Can I connect to Google Workspace shared drives?
A: Yes, share the appropriate shared drive folders with your service account.

Q: Does the connector maintain file versions?
A: No, only the current version of each file is processed.