Google Drive Trigger

Triggers when files or folders change in Google Drive

Overview

Polls Google Drive API on a schedule to detect new or modified files and folders. Supports watching a specific file for updates, or watching a specific folder for new/updated files and folders. Uses Google Drive v3 query language with time-based filters (createdTime, modifiedTime) for change detection. Can filter by file type (Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, audio, photos, video). Returns full file metadata for each detected change.

Category: Data & Storage
Tool Name: google_drive_trigger
Version: 1

Appearance: Icon: si-googledrive | Color: #4285f4

Node Type

Trigger — polling (checks for new data on a schedule)

Input / Output

Direction	Port(s)
Input	None (trigger node)
Output	Output

Credentials

This tool requires Google Drive OAuth2 credentials. See the Credentials Guide for setup instructions.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
Authentication	options	No	oAuth2	Authentication method to use.
				Options: oAuth2 (recommended), serviceAccount
Google Account	credential	No	—	Connect or select your Google account. (shown when Authentication is oAuth2)
Service Account Email	string	Yes	—	The email address of the Google service account. (shown when Authentication is serviceAccount)
Private Key	string	Yes	—	The private key from the service account JSON key file. (shown when Authentication is serviceAccount)
Trigger On	options	Yes	specificFolder	Whether to watch a specific file or a specific folder for changes.
				Options: specificFile (Changes to a Specific File), specificFolder (Changes Involving a Specific Folder)
File ID	string	Yes	—	The ID or URL of the file to watch. You can paste a Google Drive file URL or the file ID directly. (shown when Trigger On is specificFile)
Watch For (event)	options	Yes	fileUpdated	When to trigger this node. (shown when Trigger On is specificFile)
				Options: fileUpdated
Folder ID	string	Yes	—	The ID or URL of the folder to watch. You can paste a Google Drive folder URL or the folder ID directly. (shown when Trigger On is specificFolder)
Watch For (event)	options	Yes	fileCreated	Which event to listen for in the watched folder. (shown when Trigger On is specificFolder)
				Options: fileCreated (a file is created in the watched folder), fileUpdated (a file is updated in the watched folder), folderCreated (a folder is created in the watched folder), folderUpdated (a folder is updated in the watched folder), watchFolderUpdated (the watched folder itself is modified)
Options	collection	No	{}	Extra filtering for folder monitoring. (shown when Watch For is fileCreated or fileUpdated, and Trigger On is not specificFile)
— File Type	options	No	all	Triggers only when the file is this type.
				Options: all, application/vnd.google-apps.audio (Audio), application/vnd.google-apps.document (Google Docs), application/vnd.google-apps.drawing (Google Drawings), application/vnd.google-apps.presentation (Google Slides), application/vnd.google-apps.spreadsheet (Google Spreadsheets), application/vnd.google-apps.photo (Photos and Images), application/vnd.google-apps.video (Videos)
Poll Interval	number	No	1	How often to check for new data.
Poll Interval Unit	options	No	minutes	Unit for the poll interval.
				Options: seconds, minutes, hours

Output Data

Each changed file or folder becomes one output item. The Drive file resource is emitted as the API returns it, plus two trigger markers:

{
  "kind": "drive#file",
  "id": "1BxiMVs0XRA5nFMdKvBdBZjgmUUqptlbs74OgvE2upms",
  "name": "Q3 forecast.xlsx",
  "mimeType": "application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet",
  "createdTime": "2026-08-15T08:58:00.000Z",
  "modifiedTime": "2026-08-15T08:58:00.000Z",
  "size": "20481",
  "parents": ["1AbCdEfGhIjKlMnOpQrStUvWxYz"],
  "webViewLink": "https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BxiMVs0.../view",
  "webContentLink": "https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1BxiMVs0...",
  "iconLink": "https://drive-thirdparty.googleusercontent.com/16/type/...",
  "owners": [],
  "shared": false,
  "trashed": false,
  "_trigger": "google_drive_polling",
  "_timestamp": "2026-08-15T09:00:00.000Z"
}

• The item carries the full Drive file resource, so any field Drive exposes for that file is available.
• mimeType is application/vnd.google-apps.folder for folder events.
• Trashed items are never returned.
• _trigger — always google_drive_polling.
• _timestamp — when the poll that produced the item ran.

Reference file metadata downstream by expression, e.g. {{ $json.name }} or {{ $json.webViewLink }}.

Usage Examples

• Trigger when a new file is created in a specific folder
• Trigger when a file is updated in Google Drive
• Trigger when a new folder is created inside a watched folder
• Watch for changes to a specific Google Drive file
• Trigger when new Google Docs are created in a folder

Example Configuration

Watch one file for updates:

{
  "type": "google_drive_trigger",
  "parameters": {
    "triggerOn": "specificFile",
    "fileToWatch": "1BxiMVs0XRA5nFMdKvBdBZjgmUUqptlbs74OgvE2upms",
    "event": "fileUpdated",
    "pollInterval": 5,
    "pollIntervalUnit": "minutes"
  }
}

Watch a folder for new files of any type:

{
  "type": "google_drive_trigger",
  "parameters": {
    "triggerOn": "specificFolder",
    "folderToWatch": "1BxiMVs0XRA5nFMdKvBdBZjgmUUqptlbs74OgvE2upms",
    "event": "fileCreated",
    "options": {
      "fileType": "all"
    },
    "pollInterval": 2,
    "pollIntervalUnit": "minutes"
  }
}

Watch a folder (given as a URL) for updated Google Docs only:

{
  "type": "google_drive_trigger",
  "parameters": {
    "triggerOn": "specificFolder",
    "folderToWatch": "https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BxiMVs0XRA5nFMdKvBdBZjgmUUqptlbs74OgvE2upms",
    "event": "fileUpdated",
    "options": {
      "fileType": "application/vnd.google-apps.document"
    },
    "pollInterval": 30,
    "pollIntervalUnit": "seconds"
  }
}

Watch a folder for new sub-folders:

{
  "type": "google_drive_trigger",
  "parameters": {
    "triggerOn": "specificFolder",
    "folderToWatch": "1BxiMVs0XRA5nFMdKvBdBZjgmUUqptlbs74OgvE2upms",
    "event": "folderCreated",
    "pollInterval": 1,
    "pollIntervalUnit": "hours"
  }
}

Trigger Behavior

• Activation: Polling starts when the workflow is activated. There is no poll at the moment of activation — the first check runs one full interval later.
• Schedule: The trigger polls for new data based on the configured polling interval.
• State: Maintains internal state (the timestamp of the last check) so each poll returns only items created or modified since then.
• First Run: The first poll records the current time and returns no items, so activating the workflow never replays existing files.
• Testing: Running the node from the editor emits a single sample file so you can build the rest of the workflow; real changes arrive only while the workflow is activated.

Tips

Polls Google Drive for file/folder changes. Configure a trigger scope (specific file or folder), the event to watch for (created or updated), and optionally filter by file type. Requires Google OAuth2 credentials.

Parameter Relationships

1. File vs folder monitoring: the triggerOn parameter determines which set of parameters is available.

   • triggerOn: "specificFile" → shows fileToWatch and the file-specific event option
   • triggerOn: "specificFolder" → shows folderToWatch and the folder-specific event options

2. Event-based options: the options collection is only available for folder events.

   • Shown when event is "fileCreated" or "fileUpdated"
   • Hidden when triggerOn is "specificFile"

Notes

• *Created events compare the item’s creation time against the poll window; *Updated events compare its modification time, so a newly created file also satisfies a fileUpdated watch.
• watchFolderUpdated reports changes to the watched folder itself rather than to its contents.