Google Drive

Select files from Google Drive as workflow input — users pick files at runtime

What does this node do?

The Google Drive input node lets users select files from their Google Drive when running the workflow. Unlike the Google Drive Reader (which pre-selects files in the editor), this node creates a runtime file picker — the person running the workflow chooses which files to process.

Common uses:

• Let users upload their own Drive files at runtime
• Allow selecting videos for AI processing in reusable workflows
• Create dynamic file input for workflows shared across a team
• Build self-service workflows where end users pick their own content

Quick setup

Configuration

Required fields

Optional fields

Output

The node outputs an array of selected files. The file type in the array varies based on the fileType setting:

• fileType: video — array of video references
• fileType: image — array of image references
• Other types — array of generic file references

[
  {
    "id": "1aBcDeFgHiJkLmNoPqRs",
    "name": "product-demo.mp4",
    "mimeType": "video/mp4",
    "url": "https://drive.google.com/..."
  }
]

Examples

User-selected videos for AI description

Let users pick their own videos to generate descriptions:

Workflow:

1. Google Drive (input, fileType: video, multiLines: false) — User selects a video at runtime
2. Video to Text — AI generates a description of the selected video
3. LLM — Refine the description for a specific use case

Batch image processing from Drive

Allow users to select multiple images for processing:

Workflow:

1. Google Drive (input, fileType: image, multiLines: true) — User selects multiple images
2. Loop — Iterate over each selected image
3. Image to Text — Analyze each image
4. Merge — Combine all descriptions into a single output

Best practices

• Set the correct fileType. Filtering by file type prevents users from selecting incompatible files and avoids errors in downstream nodes.
• Use multiLines when batch processing. Enable multi-selection when the workflow is designed to process multiple files via a Loop node.
• Provide clear workflow descriptions. Since users interact with this node at runtime, make sure your workflow description explains what files to select and why.

Common issues

The file picker doesn't show any files

Cause: The Google Drive integration may have lost authorization, or the user’s Drive is empty for the selected file type.

Solution: Go to Settings > Integrations and verify the Google Drive connection is active. Try reconnecting the integration. If filtering by file type, check that matching files exist in Drive.

Downstream nodes fail to process selected files

Cause: The selected file type doesn’t match what the downstream node expects (e.g., selecting a document when the next node expects a video).

Solution: Set the fileType parameter to match the expected input of downstream nodes. For example, if the next node is Video to Text, set fileType to video.

Related nodes