Google Drive API

Use the Google Drive API via direct curl calls to manage files, folders, uploads, downloads, sharing, and permissions.

Official docs: https://developers.google.com/drive/api/v3/reference

When to Use

Use this skill when you need to:

List and search files and folders
Upload files to Google Drive
Download files from Google Drive
Create folders and organize files
Move and copy files between locations
Share files and manage permissions
Get file metadata (name, size, type, modified date)
Delete files (move to trash or permanent deletion)
Export Google Docs to different formats (PDF, DOCX, etc.)

Prerequisites

Go to vm0.ai Settings → Connectors and connect Google Drive. vm0 will automatically inject the required GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN environment variable.

Important: When using $VAR in a command that pipes to another command, wrap the command containing $VAR in bash -c '...'. Due to a Claude Code bug, environment variables are silently cleared when pipes are used directly.

Placeholders: Values in {curly-braces} like {file-id} are placeholders. Replace them with actual values when executing.

How to Use

Base URL: https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3

Files

List Files

List files in your Google Drive:

bash -c 'curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files?pageSize=10&fields=files(id,name,mimeType,modifiedTime,size)" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN"' | jq '.files[] | {id, name, mimeType, size}'

List Files with Query

Search using query syntax:

bash -c 'curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files?q=name+contains+'"'"'report'"'"'&pageSize=10&fields=files(id,name,mimeType)" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN"' | jq '.files'

Common query operators:

name = 'filename' - Exact name match
name contains 'text' - Partial name match
mimeType = 'application/pdf' - Filter by MIME type
modifiedTime > '2024-01-01T00:00:00' - Modified after date
trashed = false - Not in trash
'folder-id' in parents - Files in specific folder
fullText contains 'keyword' - Search file content

Combine with and or or:

bash -c 'curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files?q=mimeType+%3D+'"'"'application/pdf'"'"'+and+trashed+%3D+false&fields=files(id,name)" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN"' | jq '.files'

Get File Metadata

Get detailed information about a file:

bash -c 'curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files/{file-id}?fields=id,name,mimeType,size,createdTime,modifiedTime,owners,parents,webViewLink,webContentLink" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN"' | jq .

Download File

Download a file's content:

bash -c 'curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files/{file-id}?alt=media" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN"' > downloaded_file.bin

Export Google Docs

Export Google Docs, Sheets, Slides to different formats:

bash -c 'curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files/{file-id}/export?mimeType=application/pdf" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN"' > document.pdf

bash -c 'curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files/{file-id}/export?mimeType=application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN"' > spreadsheet.xlsx

bash -c 'curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files/{file-id}/export?mimeType=application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN"' > document.docx

Common export MIME types:

PDF: application/pdf
DOCX: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
XLSX: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet
Plain Text: text/plain
HTML: text/html

Upload File (Simple)

Upload a file (up to 5MB):

bash -c 'curl -s -X POST "https://www.googleapis.com/upload/drive/v3/files?uploadType=media" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN" --header "Content-Type: application/octet-stream" --data-binary @/path/to/file.txt' | jq '{id, name, mimeType}'

Note: Simple upload creates the file with an auto-generated name ("Untitled"). Use Update File Metadata immediately after to set the filename.

Update File Metadata

Update file name or other metadata:

Write to /tmp/drive_request.json:

{
  "name": "NewFileName.txt"
}

Then run:

bash -c 'curl -s -X PATCH "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files/{file-id}?fields=id,name,modifiedTime" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN" --header "Content-Type: application/json" -d @/tmp/drive_request.json' | jq '{id, name, modifiedTime}'

Copy File

Create a copy of a file:

Write to /tmp/drive_request.json:

{
  "name": "Copy of Document"
}

Then run:

bash -c 'curl -s -X POST "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files/{file-id}/copy" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN" --header "Content-Type: application/json" -d @/tmp/drive_request.json' | jq '{id, name}'

Move File to Trash

Move a file to trash (can be restored):

Write to /tmp/drive_request.json:

{
  "trashed": true
}

Then run:

bash -c 'curl -s -X PATCH "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files/{file-id}?fields=id,name,trashed" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN" --header "Content-Type: application/json" -d @/tmp/drive_request.json' | jq '{id, name, trashed}'

Delete File Permanently

Permanently delete a file (cannot be restored):

bash -c 'curl -s -X DELETE "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files/{file-id}" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN"'

Folders

List Folders Only

List only folders:

bash -c 'curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files?q=mimeType+%3D+'"'"'application/vnd.google-apps.folder'"'"'+and+trashed+%3D+false&fields=files(id,name,modifiedTime)" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN"' | jq '.files'

Create Folder

Create a new folder:

Write to /tmp/drive_request.json:

{
  "name": "My New Folder",
  "mimeType": "application/vnd.google-apps.folder"
}

Then run:

bash -c 'curl -s -X POST "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN" --header "Content-Type: application/json" -d @/tmp/drive_request.json' | jq '{id, name, mimeType}'

Create Folder in Parent Folder

Create a folder inside another folder:

Write to /tmp/drive_request.json:

{
  "name": "Subfolder",
  "mimeType": "application/vnd.google-apps.folder",
  "parents": ["{parent-folder-id}"]
}

Then run:

bash -c 'curl -s -X POST "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files?fields=id,name,parents" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN" --header "Content-Type: application/json" -d @/tmp/drive_request.json' | jq '{id, name, parents}'

List Files in Folder

List all files in a specific folder:

bash -c 'curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files?q='"'"'{folder-id}'"'"'+in+parents&fields=files(id,name,mimeType,size)" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN"' | jq '.files'

Sharing and Permissions

List Permissions

List all permissions for a file:

bash -c 'curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files/{file-id}/permissions?fields=permissions(id,type,role,emailAddress)" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN"' | jq '.permissions'

Share with Specific User

Grant access to a specific user:

Write to /tmp/drive_request.json:

{
  "type": "user",
  "role": "reader",
  "emailAddress": "user@example.com"
}

Then run:

bash -c 'curl -s -X POST "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files/{file-id}/permissions" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN" --header "Content-Type: application/json" -d @/tmp/drive_request.json' | jq '{id, type, role, emailAddress}'

Share with Anyone (Public Link)

Make a file accessible to anyone with the link:

Write to /tmp/drive_request.json:

{
  "type": "anyone",
  "role": "reader"
}

Then run:

bash -c 'curl -s -X POST "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files/{file-id}/permissions" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN" --header "Content-Type: application/json" -d @/tmp/drive_request.json' | jq .

Update Permission

Change permission level:

Write to /tmp/drive_request.json:

{
  "role": "writer"
}

Then run:

bash -c 'curl -s -X PATCH "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files/{file-id}/permissions/{permission-id}" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN" --header "Content-Type: application/json" -d @/tmp/drive_request.json' | jq .

Remove Permission

Revoke access:

bash -c 'curl -s -X DELETE "https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files/{file-id}/permissions/{permission-id}" --header "Authorization: Bearer $GOOGLE_DRIVE_TOKEN"'

Permission roles:

reader: Can view and download
commenter: Can view, download, and comment
writer: Can view, download, comment, and edit
owner: Full control (only for type=user)

Permission types:

user: Specific email address
group: Google Group email
domain: Everyone in organization
anyone: Public access

Common MIME Types

Type	MIME Type
Folder	`application/vnd.google-apps.folder`
Google Doc	`application/vnd.google-apps.document`
Google Sheet	`application/vnd.google-apps.spreadsheet`
Google Slides	`application/vnd.google-apps.presentation`
PDF	`application/pdf`
Text	`text/plain`
CSV	`text/csv`
JPEG	`image/jpeg`
PNG	`image/png`
ZIP	`application/zip`

Guidelines

Rate limits: Default quota is 1,000 requests per 100 seconds per user
File IDs: File IDs are permanent and don't change when files are renamed or moved
Pagination: Use pageToken from response to get next page of results
Fields parameter: Specify fields to reduce response size and improve performance
Upload size limits: Simple upload limited to 5MB; use resumable upload for larger files
Query escaping: Escape single quotes in queries as \' and backslashes as \\

API Reference

REST Reference: https://developers.google.com/drive/api/v3/reference
Search Query Guide: https://developers.google.com/drive/api/guides/search-files
Upload Guide: https://developers.google.com/drive/api/guides/manage-uploads
Download Guide: https://developers.google.com/drive/api/guides/manage-downloads
OAuth Playground: https://developers.google.com/oauthplayground/
OAuth Scopes: https://developers.google.com/identity/protocols/oauth2/scopes#drive

google-drive

Google Drive API

When to Use

Prerequisites

How to Use

Files

List Files

List Files with Query

Get File Metadata

Download File

Export Google Docs

Upload File (Simple)

Update File Metadata

Copy File

Move File to Trash

Delete File Permanently

Folders

List Folders Only

Create Folder

Create Folder in Parent Folder

List Files in Folder

Sharing and Permissions

List Permissions

Share with Specific User

Share with Anyone (Public Link)

Update Permission

Remove Permission

Common MIME Types

Guidelines

API Reference