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.

1. Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS responds
2. Call RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit googledrive
3. If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete Google OAuth
4. 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:

1. GOOGLEDRIVE_FIND_FILE - Locate target folder for upload [Prerequisite]
2. GOOGLEDRIVE_UPLOAD_FILE - Upload a file (max 5MB) [Required]
3. GOOGLEDRIVE_RESUMABLE_UPLOAD - Upload large files [Fallback]
4. GOOGLEDRIVE_DOWNLOAD_FILE - Download a file by ID [Required]
5. GOOGLEDRIVE_DOWNLOAD_FILE_OPERATION - Track long-running downloads [Fallback]
6. 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 download
• mime_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:

1. GOOGLEDRIVE_FIND_FILE - Search by name, content, type, date, or folder [Required]
2. GOOGLEDRIVE_LIST_FILES - Browse files with folder scoping [Alternative]
3. GOOGLEDRIVE_LIST_SHARED_DRIVES - Enumerate shared drives [Optional]
4. GOOGLEDRIVE_GET_FILE_METADATA - Get detailed file info [Optional]
5. 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 nextPageToken
• folder_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:

1. GOOGLEDRIVE_FIND_FILE - Locate the file to share [Prerequisite]
2. GOOGLEDRIVE_ADD_FILE_SHARING_PREFERENCE - Set sharing permission [Required]
3. GOOGLEDRIVE_LIST_PERMISSIONS - View current permissions [Optional]
4. GOOGLEDRIVE_GET_PERMISSION - Inspect a specific permission [Optional]
5. GOOGLEDRIVE_UPDATE_PERMISSION - Modify existing permission [Optional]
6. GOOGLEDRIVE_DELETE_PERMISSION - Revoke access [Optional]

Key parameters:

• file_id: ID of file to share
• type: '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:

1. GOOGLEDRIVE_FIND_FILE - Check if folder already exists [Prerequisite]
2. GOOGLEDRIVE_CREATE_FOLDER - Create a new folder [Required]
3. GOOGLEDRIVE_GET_FILE_METADATA - Verify created folder [Optional]
4. GOOGLEDRIVE_MOVE_FILE - Move files between folders [Optional]
5. GOOGLEDRIVE_UPDATE_FILE_PUT - Update file metadata/parents [Alternative]

Key parameters:

• name: Folder name
• parent_id: Parent folder ID (NOT name); omit for root
• file_id: File to move
• add_parents: Destination folder ID for move
• remove_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

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