| name | google-drive-automation |
| description | Automate Google Drive file operations (upload, download, search, share, organize) via Rube MCP (Composio). Upload/download files, manage folders, share with permissions, and search across drives progr |
| type | capability-uplift |
| advanced_coder_only | false |
Google Drive Automation via Rube MCP
Automate Google Drive workflows including file upload/download, search, folder management, sharing/permissions, and organization through Composio's Google Drive toolkit.
Toolkit docs: composio.dev/toolkits/googledrive
Prerequisites
- Rube MCP must be connected (RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS available)
- Active Google Drive connection via
RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit googledrive
- Always call
RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS first to get current tool schemas
Setup
Get Rube MCP: Add https://rube.app/mcp as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed — just add the endpoint and it works.
- Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming
RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS responds
- Call
RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit googledrive
- If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete Google OAuth
- Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows
Core Workflows
1. Upload and Download Files
When to use: User wants to upload files to or download files from Google Drive
Tool sequence:
GOOGLEDRIVE_FIND_FILE - Locate target folder for upload [Prerequisite]GOOGLEDRIVE_UPLOAD_FILE - Upload a file (max 5MB) [Required]GOOGLEDRIVE_RESUMABLE_UPLOAD - Upload large files [Fallback]GOOGLEDRIVE_DOWNLOAD_FILE - Download a file by ID [Required]GOOGLEDRIVE_DOWNLOAD_FILE_OPERATION - Track long-running downloads [Fallback]GOOGLEDRIVE_GET_FILE_METADATA - Verify file after upload/download [Optional]
Key parameters:
file_to_upload: Object with name, mimetype, and s3key (file must be in internal storage)folder_to_upload_to: Target folder ID (optional; uploads to root if omitted)file_id: ID of file to downloadmime_type: Export format for Google Workspace files only (omit for native files)
Pitfalls:
GOOGLEDRIVE_UPLOAD_FILE requires file_to_upload.s3key; files must already be in internal storage- For non-Google formats (Excel, PDF), do NOT set
mime_type; it causes errors for native files
- Download responses provide a temporary URL at
data.downloaded_file_content.s3url, not inline bytes
- Use
GOOGLEDRIVE_RESUMABLE_UPLOAD for files >5MB or when basic uploads fail
2. Search and List Files
When to use: User wants to find specific files or browse Drive contents
Tool sequence:
GOOGLEDRIVE_FIND_FILE - Search by name, content, type, date, or folder [Required]GOOGLEDRIVE_LIST_FILES - Browse files with folder scoping [Alternative]GOOGLEDRIVE_LIST_SHARED_DRIVES - Enumerate shared drives [Optional]GOOGLEDRIVE_GET_FILE_METADATA - Get detailed file info [Optional]GOOGLEDRIVE_GET_ABOUT - Check storage quota and supported formats [Optional]
Key parameters:
q: Drive query string (e.g., "name contains 'report'", "mimeType = 'application/pdf'")corpora: Search scope ('user', 'domain', 'drive', 'allDrives')fields: Response fields to include (e.g., 'files(id,name,mimeType)')orderBy: Sort key ('modifiedTime desc', 'name', 'quotaBytesUsed desc')pageSize: Results per page (max 1000)pageToken: Pagination cursor from nextPageTokenfolder_id: Scope search to a specific folder
Pitfalls:
- 403 PERMISSION_DENIED if OAuth scopes insufficient for shared drives
- Pagination required; files are in
response.data.files; follow nextPageToken until exhausted
corpora="domain" may trigger 400; try "allDrives" with includeItemsFromAllDrives=true- Query complexity limits: >5-10 OR clauses may error "The query is too complex"
- Wildcards (*) NOT supported in
name; use contains for partial matching
- 'My Drive' is NOT searchable by name; use
folder_id='root' for root folder
- User email searches: use
'user@example.com' in owners (NOT owner:user@example.com)
3. Share Files and Manage Permissions
When to use: User wants to share files or manage access permissions
Tool sequence:
GOOGLEDRIVE_FIND_FILE - Locate the file to share [Prerequisite]GOOGLEDRIVE_ADD_FILE_SHARING_PREFERENCE - Set sharing permission [Required]GOOGLEDRIVE_LIST_PERMISSIONS - View current permissions [Optional]GOOGLEDRIVE_GET_PERMISSION - Inspect a specific permission [Optional]GOOGLEDRIVE_UPDATE_PERMISSION - Modify existing permission [Optional]GOOGLEDRIVE_DELETE_PERMISSION - Revoke access [Optional]
Key parameters:
file_id: ID of file to sharetype: 'user', 'group', 'domain', or 'anyone'role: 'owner', 'organizer', 'fileOrganizer', 'writer', 'commenter', 'reader'email_address: Required for type='user' or 'group'domain: Required for type='domain'transfer_ownership: Required when role='owner'
Pitfalls:
- Invalid type/email combinations trigger 4xx errors
- Using
type='anyone' or powerful roles is risky; get explicit user confirmation
- Org policies may block certain sharing types, causing 403
- Permission changes may take time to propagate
- Use
GMAIL_SEARCH_PEOPLE to resolve contact names to emails before sharing
4. Create and Organize Folders
When to use: User wants to create folder structures or move files between folders
Tool sequence:
GOOGLEDRIVE_FIND_FILE - Check if folder already exists [Prerequisite]GOOGLEDRIVE_CREATE_FOLDER - Create a new folder [Required]GOOGLEDRIVE_GET_FILE_METADATA - Verify created folder [Optional]GOOGLEDRIVE_MOVE_FILE - Move files between folders [Optional]GOOGLEDRIVE_UPDATE_FILE_PUT - Update file metadata/parents [Alternative]
Key parameters:
name: Folder nameparent_id: Parent folder ID (NOT name); omit for rootfile_id: File to moveadd_parents: Destination folder ID for moveremove_parents: Source folder ID to remove from
Pitfalls:
GOOGLEDRIVE_CREATE_FOLDER requires parent_id as an ID, not a folder name- Using
parent_id="root" creates at top level; for nested paths, chain folder IDs
GOOGLEDRIVE_FIND_FILE returns ~100 items/page; follow nextPageToken for large drives- Move operations can leave items with multiple parents; use
remove_parents for true moves
- Always verify parent folder exists before creating children
Common Patterns
ID Resolution
- File/folder name -> ID:
GOOGLEDRIVE_FIND_FILE with q parameter
- Root folder: Use
folder_id='root' or 'root' in parents
- Shared drive -> driveId:
GOOGLEDRIVE_LIST_SHARED_DRIVES
- Contact name -> email:
GMAIL_SEARCH_PEOPLE (for sharing)
Query Syntax
Google Drive uses a specific query language:
- Name search:
"name contains 'report'" or "name = 'exact.pdf'"
- Type filter:
"mimeType = 'application/pdf'" or "mimeType = 'application/vnd.google-apps.folder'"
- Folder scoping:
"'FOLDER_ID' in parents"
- Date filter:
"modifiedTime > '2024-01-01T00:00:00'"
- Combine with
and/or/not: "name contains 'report' and trashed = false"
- Boolean filters:
"sharedWithMe = true", "starred = true", "trashed = false"
Pagination
- Follow
nextPageToken until absent for complete results
- Set
pageSize explicitly (default 100, max 1000)
- De-duplicate results if running multiple searches
Export Formats
For Google Workspace files, set mime_type to export:
- Docs:
application/pdf, text/plain, text/html, application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
- Sheets:
text/csv, application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet
- Slides:
application/pdf, application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.presentation
Known Pitfalls
- Internal storage required: Upload requires files in internal S3 storage (s3key)
- Export vs download: Set
mime_type ONLY for Google Workspace files; omit for native files
- Temporary URLs: Downloaded content via
s3url is temporary; fetch promptly
- Query complexity: >5-10 OR clauses may error; split complex searches into multiple queries
- Shared drive scoping: Missing drive permissions yield empty results; verify access first
- No wildcards: Use
contains operator instead of * for partial name matching
- Folder creation chains: Always pass folder IDs (not names) as
parent_id
- Multiple parents: Move operations may leave items with multiple parents; use
remove_parents
- Rate limits: Heavy searches/exports can trigger 403/429; implement backoff
Quick Reference
| Task | Tool Slug | Key Params |
|---|
| Search files | GOOGLEDRIVE_FIND_FILE | q, corpora, pageSize |
| List files | GOOGLEDRIVE_LIST_FILES | folderId, q, orderBy |
| Upload file | GOOGLEDRIVE_UPLOAD_FILE | file_to_upload, folder_to_upload_to |
| Resumable upload | GOOGLEDRIVE_RESUMABLE_UPLOAD | file data |
| Download file | GOOGLEDRIVE_DOWNLOAD_FILE | file_id, mime_type (Workspace only) |
| File metadata | GOOGLEDRIVE_GET_FILE_METADATA | fileId, fields |
| Create folder | GOOGLEDRIVE_CREATE_FOLDER | name, parent_id |
| Move file | GOOGLEDRIVE_MOVE_FILE | file_id, add_parents, remove_parents |
| Share file | GOOGLEDRIVE_ADD_FILE_SHARING_PREFERENCE | file_id, role, type, email_address |
| List permissions | GOOGLEDRIVE_LIST_PERMISSIONS | fileId |
| Update permission | GOOGLEDRIVE_UPDATE_PERMISSION | file_id, permission_id |
| Delete permission | GOOGLEDRIVE_DELETE_PERMISSION | file_id, permission_id |
| List shared drives | GOOGLEDRIVE_LIST_SHARED_DRIVES | pageSize |
| Drive info | GOOGLEDRIVE_GET_ABOUT |
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🚨 Trigger Tuning & Mandatory Evaluations
- Trigger: Do not execute unless explicitly requested by the user.
- Pass Rate: Must cleanly parse requested arguments and achieve > 95% execution success without infinite loops.
- Latency/Tokens: Keep payloads minimal. Do not dump raw HTML or massive logs to the context window.
