---
title: "Connecting Google Drive"
description: "Configure Google's hosted Drive MCP server so Indent can search, read, create, and copy Drive files."
---

> Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.indent.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connecting Google Drive

Google Drive connects through Google's hosted MCP server. Indent can search and read files available
to the connected account, create files and folders, and copy existing files.

## Configure Google Cloud

1. **Select a Google Cloud project**

   Open the [Google Cloud Console](https://console.cloud.google.com/) and select or create the project
   that owns the OAuth client.
2. **Enable both Drive APIs**

   Enable the [Google Drive API](https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/library/drive.googleapis.com)
   (`drive.googleapis.com`) and the [Google Drive MCP
   API](https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/library/drivemcp.googleapis.com)
   (`drivemcp.googleapis.com`). The integration requires both services.
3. **Configure the OAuth consent screen**

   Under **Google Auth Platform**, configure **Branding** and **Audience**. Choose **Internal** when
   only members of the Google Workspace organization need access. For an **External** app in testing,
   add every person who will connect under **Audience → Test users**.
4. **Add the Drive scopes**

   Under **Google Auth Platform → Data Access**, manually add these scopes:

   - `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.readonly`
   - `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.file`
5. **Create an OAuth client**

   Under **Google Auth Platform → Clients**, create a **Web application** client. Add
   `https://app.indent.com/integrations/callback` as an authorized redirect URI, then copy the client
   ID and client secret.
6. **Connect Google Drive in Indent**

   Open [**Settings → Integrations**](https://app.indent.com/settings/integrations), find Google
   Drive, choose organization or personal scope, and enter the OAuth client credentials. Sign in as
   the Google account whose Drive access Indent should use.

> **Note**
>
> Reconnect Google Drive after enabling an API or adding a scope. Existing OAuth tokens do not gain
> the new access automatically.

## What the scopes allow

- `drive.readonly` lets the MCP server view and download files the connected account can access.
- `drive.file` lets the MCP server create files and work with files created or opened through the
  application. It does not grant general write access to every existing file.

Google classifies `drive.readonly` as a restricted scope. External OAuth apps must complete Google's
verification before people outside the configured test users can connect.

## Write support

Google's current Drive MCP server exposes `create_file` and `copy_file` as write operations. It can
create Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, folders, and uploaded files. It can also copy an existing file
into a folder where the connected account has write access.

The server does not currently expose tools to edit an existing file's content, change its sharing,
or delete it. Adding the full `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive` scope does not add those
tools. Use a custom MCP server that implements the required Drive API operations when Indent needs
general write access.

## Troubleshooting

- Confirm that both `drive.googleapis.com` and `drivemcp.googleapis.com` are enabled in the same
  project as the OAuth client.
- Confirm that the account connecting an External app is listed under **Test users**.
- Confirm that the OAuth client is a Web application and the redirect URI matches exactly.
- Reconnect the integration after changing APIs, scopes, audience, or OAuth client settings.

See
[Google's Drive MCP setup guide](https://developers.google.com/workspace/drive/api/guides/configure-mcp-server)
and [Drive MCP tool reference](https://developers.google.com/workspace/drive/api/reference/mcp) for
the upstream configuration and current tool surface.

Source: https://docs.indent.com/connecting/google-drive/index.mdx