Google Drive MCP server

The Google Drive MCP server enables AI assistants to work with files and folders stored in Google Drive in a reliable, permission-respecting manner through natural conversation. It provides tools for discovering files, retrieving metadata and content, organizing folders, managing sharing and access, and handling the lifecycle of Drive artifacts without requiring direct interaction with the Google Drive interface.

Uses

Use the Google Drive MCP server when you plan to perform the following actions:

• Search for files and folders based on name, type, owner, or content
• List contents of specific folders or Shared Drives
• Retrieve file metadata and content for review or summarization
• Create new folders for organization and project structure
• Upload files and documents to Google Drive
• Copy files to create duplicates or use templates
• Move, rename, or reorganize files and folders
• Trash and restore items for cleanup and recovery
• View and manage sharing permissions and access levels
• Share files and folders with specific people or groups
• Update or remove access for collaborators

Example prompts

• Find all documents related to the Q4 planning project.
• Show me what's in the Project Apollo folder.
• What Shared Drives do I have access to?
• Read the contents of the contract proposal document.
• Create a new folder called 'Client Deliverables' in the Sales folder.
• Upload this PDF to my Google Drive.
• Move the budget spreadsheet to the Finance folder.
• Who has access to the quarterly report document?
• Share the presentation with Sarah and give her edit access.
• Remove Jordan's access to the archived project folder.

Google Drive MCP server tools

The Google Drive MCP server provides the following tools:

Tool	Description
find_files	Finds files and folders in Google Drive.
list_folder_items	Lists the immediate contents of a Google Drive folder you specify.
list_shared_drives	Retrieves the list of Shared Drives.
get_file_metadata	Retrieves the complete metadata for a single file or folder identified by its unique identifier.
get_file_content	Retrieves a portion of the contents of a single file for review or information extraction.
create_folder	Creates a new folder in Google Drive under a parent location that you specify.
upload_file	Uploads externally produced content as a new file into Google Drive.
copy_file	Creates a copy of an existing file in Google Drive.
move_item	Moves a file or folder to a new parent folder in Google Drive.
rename_item	Renames a file or folder in Google Drive.
trash_item	Moves a file or folder to the user's Trash in Google Drive.
restore_item	Restores a previously trashed file or folder to its non-trashed state.
get_permissions	Retrieves the current sharing and access information for a file or folder.
share_item	Grants access to a file or folder for one or more users or groups.
update_permission	Updates the access role for an existing principal on a file or folder.
remove_permission	Removes an existing principal's access to a file or folder.

Install the Google Drive MCP server

Complete the following steps to install a prebuilt MCP server to your project:

1

Sign in to your Workato account.

2

Go to AI Hub > MCP servers.

3

Click + Create MCP server.

4

Go to the Start with a template section and select the prebuilt MCP server you plan to use.

5

Click Use this template.

6

Provide a name for your MCP server in the MCP server name field.

7

Go to the Connections section and connect to your app account.

8

Select the connection type you plan to use for the MCP server template.

• User's connection: MCP server tools perform actions based on the identity and permissions of the user who connects to the application. Users authenticate with their own credentials to execute the skill.
• Your connection: This option uses the connection established by the recipe builder and follows the same principles as normal app connections.

Select your connection type

VERIFIED USER ACCESS AUTHENTICATION REQUIREMENTS

Only app connections that use OAuth 2.0 authorization code grant are available for user's connection. Refer to Verified user access for more information.

9

Complete the app-specific connection setup steps in the following section.

Google Drive connection setup

The Google Drive connector uses OAuth 2.0 for authentication. Your Google account must have Edit permission for all files and folders that you plan to use in Workato recipes.

Complete the following steps to create a Google Drive connection in Workato:

1

Sign in to Workato.

2

Select the project where you plan to store the Google Drive connection.

3

Click Create > Connection.

4

Search for and select the Google Drive connector.

5

Enter a name for your connection in the Connection name field.

Google Drive connection setup

6

Use the Location drop-down menu to select the project or folder where you plan to store the connection.

7

Use the Authentication type drop-down menu to select either the OAuth 2.0 or service account authentication type.

8

Optional. Expand the Advanced settings section and use the Requested permissions drop-down menu to specify OAuth scopes to request for your connection.

9

Optional. Use the Custom OAuth profile drop-down menu to select a custom OAuth profile to use for the connection.

10

Click Sign in with Google.

11

Click Allow to authorize Workato to access your Google Drive.

How to use Google Drive MCP server tools

Refer to the following sections for detailed information on available tools:

find_files tool

The find_files tool searches Google Drive for files and folders that match the criteria you specify, such as keywords, file type, or ownership. Your LLM uses this tool to locate files when you don't know the exact folder location or when discovery requires filtering or searching.

Try asking:

• Find all documents related to the Acme Corp project.
• Search for spreadsheets created by Sarah in the last month.
• Locate the file that mentions 'SOC 2 compliance' in its contents.
• Find all PDFs shared with me this week.

list_folder_items tool

The list_folder_items tool lists the immediate contents of a Google Drive folder that you can access. Your LLM uses this tool when you want to browse a known location to select files for further actions.

Try asking:

• Show me the files in the Project Apollo folder.
• List what's in the client deliverables folder.
• What documents are in my Q4 Planning folder?
• Browse the contents of the Sales folder.

list_shared_drives tool

The list_shared_drives tool retrieves the list of Shared Drives you have access to in Google Drive. Your LLM uses this tool when you refer to a Shared Drive by name, want to see what Shared Drives are available, or need to search within a specific Shared Drive.

Try asking:

• What Shared Drives do I have access to?
• Show me all the team Shared Drives.
• List the Shared Drives for our organization.
• Find the Sales Shared Drive.

get_file_metadata tool

The get_file_metadata tool retrieves the complete metadata for a single file or folder identified by its unique identifier. Your LLM uses this tool to inspect a specific file before taking action, verify access, confirm ownership, or check parent folders.

Try asking:

• Show me the details for the quarterly report document.
• Who owns the budget spreadsheet?
• When was the contract proposal last modified?
• What folder is the presentation file in?

get_file_content tool

The get_file_content tool retrieves a portion of the contents of a single file so the content can be used as input for review, summarization, or information extraction. Your LLM uses this tool when you ask to read, review, or extract information from a specific file.

Try asking:

• Read the contents of the project requirements document.
• Summarize the quarterly report in Google Drive.
• What does the contract proposal say about payment terms?
• Extract the key points from the meeting notes document.

create_folder tool

The create_folder tool creates a new folder in Google Drive under a parent location you specify. Your LLM uses this tool when you want to set up a folder structure for projects or prepare a location to store files.

Try asking:

• Create a new folder called 'Q1 2026 Planning'.
• Make a folder for client deliverables in the Sales folder.
• Set up a new project folder named 'Product Launch'.
• Create an Archive folder in my root Drive.

upload_file tool

The upload_file tool uploads externally produced content as a new file into Google Drive under your identity. Your LLM uses this tool when you want to save attachments, downloads, or generated artifacts into Drive.

Try asking:

• Upload this PDF to my Google Drive.
• Save the contract document to the Legal folder.
• Upload the exported spreadsheet to the Finance folder.
• Store this image in the Marketing Assets folder.

copy_file tool

The copy_file tool creates a copy of an existing file in Google Drive. Your LLM uses this tool when you plan to duplicate files, create new documents from templates, or reuse existing files as starting points.

Try asking:

• Make a copy of the quarterly report template.
• Duplicate the project plan document.
• Copy the presentation to use as a starting point for next quarter.
• Create a copy of the budget spreadsheet for Q2.

move_item tool

The move_item tool moves a file or folder to a new parent folder in Google Drive. Your LLM uses this tool when you need to reorganize content, file documents into project folders, or archive items.

Try asking:

• Move the budget spreadsheet to the Finance folder.
• File the contract into the Legal Documents folder.
• Move all Q3 reports to the Archive folder.
• Reorganize the project files by moving them to the new folder.

rename_item tool

The rename_item tool renames a file or folder in Google Drive. Your LLM uses this tool when you need to apply naming conventions, correct file names, or update item names for clarity.

Try asking:

• Rename the document to 'Q4 2025 Final Report'.
• Change the folder name to 'Client Deliverables - Acme Corp'.
• Update the file name to include 'FINAL_' at the beginning.
• Correct the spelling in the presentation file name.

trash_item tool

The trash_item tool moves a file or folder to your Trash in Google Drive. Your LLM uses this tool when you need to delete items with the ability to restore them later.

Try asking:

• Delete the old draft document.
• Move the outdated project folder to trash.
• Remove the duplicate files from last quarter.
• Trash all the scratch documents in this folder.

restore_item tool

The restore_item tool restores a previously trashed file or folder. Your LLM uses this tool when you need to undo a prior deletion or recover accidentally deleted items.

Try asking:

• Restore the quarterly report from trash.
• Undo the deletion of the project folder.
• Recover the contract document I deleted yesterday.
• Bring back the presentation file from trash.

get_permissions tool

The get_permissions tool retrieves the current sharing and access information for a specific file or folder. Your LLM uses this tool when you need to see who has access, confirm stakeholder permissions, or troubleshoot access issues.

Try asking:

• Who has access to the quarterly report?
• Show me the sharing settings for the budget spreadsheet.
• Does Sarah have access to the project folder?
• List everyone who can view the presentation.

share_item tool

The share_item tool grants access to a file or folder for one or more users or groups. Your LLM uses this tool when you need to share files with collaborators, grant review or edit access, or ensure stakeholders can access documents.

Try asking:

• Share the quarterly report with Sarah and give her edit access.
• Grant comment access to the marketing team for the presentation.
• Share the project folder with [email protected] as a viewer.
• Give the legal team access to review the contract document.

update_permission tool

The update_permission tool updates the access role for an existing principal on a specific file or folder. Your LLM uses this tool when you need to change someone's access level, convert review access to edit access, or correct permission levels.

Try asking:

• Change Sarah's access to editor on the budget spreadsheet.
• Upgrade Jordan from viewer to commenter on the project plan.
• Make Alex an editor instead of a viewer for this document.
• Downgrade the external consultant's access to view-only.

remove_permission tool

The remove_permission tool removes an existing principal's access to a specific file or folder. Your LLM uses this tool when you need to revoke access for people who no longer need it, remove collaborators who left a project, or restrict access after completion.

Try asking:

• Remove Jordan's access to the archived project folder.
• Revoke the external consultant's access to the contract.
• Take away Sarah's access to the old quarterly reports.
• Remove all external collaborators from the sensitive document.

Getting started

View and manage your MCP server tools in the Overview page Tools section. Tool management provides the following capabilities:

• Start tools
• Remove tools
• Edit tools
• Add tools
• Edit your LLM-facing MCP server description

TOOLS MUST BE STARTED

Your LLM can only access active tools in your MCP server connector.