google-drive-files

name	google-drive-files
description	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.

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

1. Install the ClawLink plugin (see Install above).
2. Pair the plugin with clawlink_begin_pairing if it is not configured yet.
3. Open https://claw-link.dev/dashboard?add=google-drive and connect Google Drive.
4. 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:

1. Direct the user to https://claw-link.dev/dashboard?add=google-drive
2. After they confirm, call clawlink_list_integrations to verify
3. 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": "[e-mail]",
    "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

1. Call clawlink_list_integrations to confirm Google Drive is connected.
2. Call clawlink_list_tools --integration google-drive to see the live catalog.
3. Treat the returned list as the source of truth. Do not guess or assume what tools exist.
4. If the user describes a capability but the exact tool is unclear, call clawlink_search_tools with a short query and integration google-drive.
5. 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                                   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

1. For unfamiliar tools, ambiguous requests, or any write action, call clawlink_describe_tool first.
2. Use the returned guidance, schema, whenToUse, askBefore, safeDefaults, examples, and followups to shape the call.
3. Prefer search, list, and metadata reads before writes.
4. For uploads, sharing updates, folder changes, or other high-impact actions, call clawlink_preview_tool first.
5. Execute with clawlink_call_tool. Pass confirmation only after the preview matches the user's intent.
6. 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

1. Check that the ClawLink plugin is installed:

   openclaw plugins list
   

2. If the plugin is installed but tools are missing, tell the user to send /new as a standalone message to reload the catalog.
3. If a fresh chat does not help, run:

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

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

Troubleshooting: Invalid Tool Call

1. Ensure the integration slug is exactly google-drive.
2. Use clawlink_describe_tool to verify parameter names and types before calling.
3. 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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