The full upstream README, mirrored here for reference. Install config, tool schemas, adoption signals, and an original overview live on the Google Drive Files MCP listing page.
A focused Model Context Protocol server (and standalone CLI) for Google Drive file management (move, upload, organize), Google Sheets editing (cells, rows, tabs, format), and surgical Google Docs editing (replace a phrase, insert at an anchor, delete a range — leaving all other formatting untouched). Twenty-three granular, single-purpose tools — each an explicit operation, with writes returning before/after or precise indices so nothing changes silently.
Built because the hosted Google Drive connectors can search, read, and copy files, but cannot move them (copy duplicates a file with a new ID rather than relocating it), cannot reliably upload a real binary (their inline-content API needs the bytes embedded as base64, which breaks for large/binary files), and cannot edit spreadsheet or document contents in place. This server adds a true move, a resumable upload from a local path, folder creation, a full set of Google Sheets edits, and range-scoped Google Docs edits — for any MCP client (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline, etc.).
drive_search(query, only_folders=False, max_results=20) — find files/folders (and their IDs).drive_create_folder(name, parent=None) — create a folder (parent accepts an ID, URL, root, or an unambiguous folder name).drive_move(file, dest_folder, keep_existing_parents=False) — true move (removed from its current folder); keep_existing_parents=True adds without removing.drive_upload_file(local_path, parent=None, name=None, mime_type=None) — upload a local file (any type, incl. large binaries) via a resumable media upload. Stored as-is (no Google-format conversion).sheets_get_info(spreadsheet) — list tabs + sizes (call first to learn tab names).sheets_read(spreadsheet, range_a1, render_option="FORMATTED_VALUE") — read a range (FORMULA/UNFORMATTED_VALUE available).sheets_write(spreadsheet, range_a1, values, value_input_option="USER_ENTERED") — overwrite a range; returns before. USER_ENTERED parses numbers and makes =SUM(..) a formula; RAW writes literally.sheets_append(spreadsheet, range_a1, values, ...) — append rows after a table.sheets_clear(spreadsheet, range_a1) — clear values (keeps formatting); returns before.sheets_batch_write(spreadsheet, updates, ...) — write many ranges atomically.sheets_add_tab / sheets_rename_tab / sheets_delete_tab — manage tabs (delete is destructive).sheets_freeze_panes(spreadsheet, tab, rows=None, cols=None) — freeze/unfreeze header rows/cols (0 = explicitly unfreeze; omit = untouched).sheets_format(spreadsheet, range_a1, number_format=None, bold=None, background=None, wrap=None) — number pattern / bold / #RRGGBB background / text wrap.sheets_set_column_width(spreadsheet, range_a1, pixel_size) — set column width in pixels for a whole-column range (e.g. 'A:C').sheets_set_row_height(spreadsheet, range_a1, pixel_size) — set row height in pixels for a whole-row range (e.g. '2:5').Every Docs edit is range-scoped (documents.batchUpdate), so it changes exactly what you target and leaves every other run's native formatting byte-for-byte intact.
docs_get_info(document) — title + structure (paragraph/table counts, end index).docs_read(document) — full text with per-segment character indices (table cells include row/col). Read this first to target edits.docs_replace_text(document, find, replace, match_case=False) — replace a phrase everywhere; surrounding content/formatting untouched.docs_insert_text(document, text, index=None, after_text=None, before_text=None) — insert at an index or right after/before an anchor phrase.docs_delete_range(document, start_index, end_index) — delete one precise range.docs_append_text(document, text) — append at the end.No rename/copy/trash/delete of files (copy already exists in the hosted Drive connector); destructive ops (sheets_clear, sheets_delete_tab, docs_delete_range) are their own explicit tools so you control exactly when they run.
Moving an existing arbitrary file requires the full drive scope — read/write/delete on all your Drive files. There is no narrower scope that can change a file's parents (drive.file only covers files the app itself created). This tool is therefore far more powerful than a read-only connector. Treat its cached token like a password (stored 0600), and prefer an isolated OAuth client/token rather than sharing one with read-only tools.
drive scope already authorizes the Sheets and Docs APIs — no extra consent, just enable each API you want.)google-drive-files-mcp setup --import-credentials ~/Downloads/client_secret_*.json → consent in the browser.Verify:
Find my "Q2 Report" doc and move it into the "2026 Reports" folder.
drive_move returns the before/after parents so the move is auditable:
| Variable | Default | What |
|---|---|---|
GDRIVE_FILES_MCP_CREDENTIALS | ~/.config/google-drive-files-mcp/credentials.json | OAuth client secret |
GDRIVE_FILES_MCP_TOKEN | ~/.config/google-drive-files-mcp/token.json | Cached refresh token |
GDRIVE_FILES_MCP_SCOPES | https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive | OAuth scopes (comma-separated) |
keep_existing_parents=True adds without removing.drive_move refuses and lists the candidates so you can pass an explicit ID.HttpError 403: Google Drive API has not been used in project … or it is disabled
Enable the Drive API on the project that owns your OAuth client: console.cloud.google.com/apis/library/drive.googleapis.com → Enable, then wait ~1 min and retry. (This is the single most common first-run error.)
multiple folders named '…'; pass the folder ID/URL instead
Two or more of your folders share that name, so a name is ambiguous. Run google-drive-files-mcp search "<name>" --folders to get the IDs and pass the exact one.
no folder named '…' found
Create it first (google-drive-files-mcp mkdir "<name>") or pass a folder ID/URL/root.
HttpError 403: insufficientFilePermissions when moving
Either the token lacks the full drive scope — re-authorize with google-drive-files-mcp setup --reauth — or you don't have edit rights on the file/destination (you can't move a file someone else owns unless they've granted you edit access).
No valid Google token from Claude Desktop / cron
The first consent needs a browser. Run google-drive-files-mcp setup once in a terminal; later headless runs reuse and auto-refresh the cached token.
A move "removed" a file from a shared folder unexpectedly
A true move removes the item from its current parent(s). If you meant to also keep it where it was, use keep_existing_parents=true (CLI --keep).
Any stdio MCP client works — see docs/other-clients.md.
There are no API keys and no shipped secrets. The server authenticates to your Google account with an OAuth client you create, and caches a refresh token locally. The author has zero access to your data.
drive scope) can't be redistributed in a shared app, and an unverified shared app is capped at 100 users. "Bring your own OAuth client" is the standard pattern for personal-data MCP servers.~/.config/google-drive-files-mcp/token.json (mode 0600). Delete it to revoke locally; revoke fully at myaccount.google.com/permissions.drive scope) + common errorsYYYY-MM folderPart of a small family of focused, local MCP servers for Google Workspace data the hosted connectors don't expose:
They can share one OAuth login or stay isolated — see each repo's setup.
MIT. See LICENSE.