Google Drive Skill

Resolve SKILL_SCRIPTS

IMPORTANT: All commands below use SKILL_SCRIPTS as shorthand for the absolute path to the scripts/ directory of this skill. Resolve it before running any script:

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Overview

This skill provides patterns and ready-to-run scripts for CRUD operations on Google Drive using the Drive API v3.

Supporting files:

• - scripts/drive_client.py — shared auth factory (imported by all scripts)
• INLINECODE11 — template for your service account JSON
• INLINECODE12 — MIME type quick reference
• INLINECODE13 — HTTP error codes + retry patterns

Quick Start

1. Install dependencies

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2. Set credentials

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See assets/service_account_template.json for the expected JSON structure.

3. Resolve SKILL_SCRIPTS (see top of this file), then run scripts

Script Commands

List files in a folder

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Download a file

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Create a folder

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Upload a file

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Update a file

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Delete or trash a file

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Manage permissions

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Auth Setup

Option A — API Key (read-only public files)

Use when the file/folder is shared as "Anyone with the link" and you only need to read.

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Option B — Service Account (read + write on shared/public drives)

Use when you need to create, modify, or delete files.

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Copy assets/service_account_template.json to see the expected structure.
Store the real file outside the repo and never commit it.
Add service_account.json to .gitignore.

File & Folder ID

Every Drive resource has a unique fileId. Extract it from the share URL:

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CRUD Operations

List Files in a Public Folder

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Download a Public File

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Create a Folder

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Upload / Create a File

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Upload from In-Memory Bytes

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Update File Metadata (rename, move)

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Update File Content

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Delete a File or Folder

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Deleting a folder also deletes all its children permanently. Prefer trashing:
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Set Permissions (Make Public)

To make a file publicly readable (anyone with the link):

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To grant write access to a specific user:

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Common MIME Types

Error Handling

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Common HTTP status codes:

• - 400 — bad request (check field names, MIME types)
• INLINECODE29 — permission denied (check auth scope or file sharing settings)
• INLINECODE30 — file not found (check fileId, supportsAllDrives)
• INLINECODE33 — rate limited (back off and retry)

Required Python Packages

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Install:

pip install google-api-python-client google-auth google-auth-httplib2

Security Notes

• - Never hardcode API keys or service account credentials in source code. Use environment variables or secret managers.
• Restrict API key to the Drive API scope in the Google Cloud Console.
• Service account credentials (service_account.json) must be in .gitignore.
• When sharing files, prefer time-limited access tokens over permanent public links where possible.
• INLINECODE36 with "role": "writer" on a production folder is dangerous — audit permissions regularly.

Reference

Local references (this skill):

• - references/mimetypes.md — full MIME type table
• references/errorcodes.md — HTTP errors, Drive reasons, retry pattern
• assets/serviceaccount_template.json — service account JSON structure

Official docs:

• - Drive API v3 documentation
• Python client library
• Service accounts guide
• Drive MIME types