Google Drive MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides secure integration with Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Calendar. It allows Claude Desktop and other MCP clients to manage files in Google Drive and calendar events through a standardized interface.

Features

• Multi-format Support: Work with Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Calendar, and regular files
• File Management: Create, update, delete, rename, move, copy, upload, and download files and folders
• Advanced Search: Search across your entire Google Drive
• Shared Drives Support: Full access to Google Shared Drives (formerly Team Drives) in addition to My Drive
• Folder Navigation: List and navigate through folder hierarchies with path support (e.g., /Work/Projects)
• Google Docs Editing: Surgical text insertion/deletion, table management, image embedding, comments, and rich formatting
• Google Calendar: Full calendar management — list calendars, create/update/delete events, Google Meet integration
• MCP Resource Protocol: Files accessible as MCP resources for reading content
• Secure Authentication: OAuth 2.0 with automatic token refresh

Example Usage

This MCP server enables powerful file management workflows through natural language:

1. Document Creation and Organization

Create a new Google Doc called "Project Plan" in the folder /Work/Projects
with an outline for our Q1 initiatives including milestones and deliverables.

2. File Search and Organization

Search for files containing "budget" and organize them by moving each one
to the appropriate folder in your Drive hierarchy.

3. Spreadsheet Creation

Create a Google Sheet called "Sales Analysis 2024" with columns for Date, Product,
Quantity, and Revenue to track your sales data.

4. Presentation Creation

Create a presentation called "Product Roadmap" with slides outlining
our Q1 milestones, key features, and timeline.

5. Spreadsheet Updates

Update the "Team Contacts" spreadsheet with new employee information
by modifying specific cells or ranges with the provided data.

6. Document Search

Search for documents in the /Reports folder and create a summary
document listing the files you found.

7. Folder and Document Creation

Create a Templates folder and add standard documents like
a Meeting Notes template, Project Proposal template,
and Budget Spreadsheet template.

Requirements

• Node.js: Version 18 or higher (LTS recommended)
• Google Cloud Project: With the following APIs enabled:
  • Google Drive API
  • Google Docs API
  • Google Sheets API
  • Google Slides API
  • Google Calendar API
• OAuth 2.0 Credentials: Desktop application type (Client ID only - no client secret required)

Google Cloud Setup

1. Create a Google Cloud Project

• Go to the Google Cloud Console
• Click "Select a project" > "New Project"
• Name your project (e.g., "Google Drive MCP")
• Note the Project ID for later

2. Enable Required APIs

• In your project, go to "APIs & Services" > "Library"
• Search for and enable each of these APIs:
  • Google Drive API
  • Google Docs API
  • Google Sheets API
  • Google Slides API
  • Google Calendar API
• Wait for each API to be enabled before proceeding

3. Configure OAuth Consent Screen

• Go to "APIs & Services" > "OAuth consent screen"
• Under 'Branding' fill in the required fields:
  • App name: "My Personal Google Drive MCP"
  • User support email: Your email
  • Developer contact: Your email
• Under 'Audience':
  • Choose "External" (default choice) or "Internal" for Google Workspace accounts
  • Add your email as a test user
• Under 'Data Access' add scopes. The recommended set of scopes for best user experience is the following:
  • ./auth/drive.file
  • .../auth/documents
  • .../auth/spreadsheets
  • .../auth/presentations
  • .../auth/drive
  • .../auth/drive.readonly
  • .../auth/calendar
  • .../auth/calendar.events

4. Create OAuth 2.0 Credentials

• Go to "APIs & Services" > "Credentials"
• Click "+ CREATE CREDENTIALS" > "OAuth client ID"
• Application type: Desktop app (Important!)
• Name: "Google Drive MCP Client"
• Click "Create"
• Download the JSON file
• Rename it to gcp-oauth.keys.json

Installation

Option 1: Use with npx (Recommended)

You can run the server directly without installation:

# Run the server (authentication happens automatically on first run)
npx @piotr-agier/google-drive-mcp

# Optional: Run authentication manually if needed
npx @piotr-agier/google-drive-mcp auth

Option 2: Local Installation

1. Clone and install:

   git clone https://github.com/piotr-agier/google-drive-mcp.git
   cd google-drive-mcp
   npm install

2. Set up credentials:

   # Copy the example file
   cp gcp-oauth.keys.example.json gcp-oauth.keys.json
   
   # Edit gcp-oauth.keys.json with your OAuth client ID

3. Authenticate (optional):

   npm run auth

   Note: Authentication happens automatically on first run of an MCP client if you skip this step.

Docker Usage

Prerequisites

1. Authenticate locally first - Docker containers cannot open browsers for OAuth:

   # Using npx
   npx @piotr-agier/google-drive-mcp auth
   
   # Or using local installation
   npm run auth

2. Verify token location:

   ls -la ~/.config/google-drive-mcp/tokens.json

Building the Docker Image

1. Build the project (required before Docker build):

   npm install
   npm run build

2. Build the Docker image:

   docker build -t google-drive-mcp .

Running the Docker Container

The scripts/docker-mcp.sh wrapper manages the container lifecycle — it creates, reuses, and replaces containers automatically. MCP clients invoke this script directly (see configuration below).

To verify the image works after a rebuild:

docker run --rm google-drive-mcp --help

Docker Configuration for Claude Desktop

Option A: Reusable container (recommended)

Uses a wrapper script that keeps a single named container running and reuses it across client restarts — faster startup and no container churn:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-drive": {
      "command": "/path/to/google-drive-mcp/scripts/docker-mcp.sh",
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_DRIVE_OAUTH_CREDENTIALS": "$HOME/gcp-oauth.keys.json",
        "GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_TOKEN_PATH": "$HOME/.config/google-drive-mcp/tokens.json"
      }
    }
  }
}

The script will:

• Create the container on first run
• Reuse the existing container on subsequent runs
• Automatically restart it if it was stopped
• Replace the container when the image has been rebuilt

Note: The container stays running in the background until explicitly stopped. To stop it: docker stop google-drive-mcp

Option B: Fresh container each time

Creates and removes a new container on every client restart:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-drive": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-v",
        "/path/to/gcp-oauth.keys.json:/config/gcp-oauth.keys.json:ro",
        "-v",
        "/Users/yourname/.config/google-drive-mcp/tokens.json:/config/tokens.json",
        "google-drive-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Docker-specific notes:

• Uses -i for interactive mode (required for MCP stdio communication)
• Uses --rm to automatically remove the container after exit
• No port mapping needed (MCP uses stdio, not HTTP)
• Environment variables are set in the Dockerfile

Configuration

OAuth Credentials Configuration

The server supports multiple methods for providing OAuth credentials (in order of priority):

1. Environment Variable (Highest Priority)

export GOOGLE_DRIVE_OAUTH_CREDENTIALS="/path/to/your/gcp-oauth.keys.json"

2. Config Directory (Recommended)

Place gcp-oauth.keys.json in the XDG config directory:

~/.config/google-drive-mcp/gcp-oauth.keys.json

This is the recommended location — it works reliably with npx, global installs, and local setups.

3. Project Root (Legacy Fallback)

Place gcp-oauth.keys.json in the project root directory. This still works for local development but is unreliable with npx or global installs.

OAuth Scope Configuration

By default, the server requests a broad scope set for Drive/Docs/Sheets/Slides/Calendar. You can override requested scopes with:

export GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_SCOPES="drive.readonly,documents,spreadsheets"

Notes:

• Comma-separated list.
• Values can be full scope URLs or short aliases: drive, drive.file, drive.readonly, documents, spreadsheets, presentations, calendar, calendar.events.
• Changing scopes usually requires re-authentication.

Token Storage

Authentication tokens are stored securely following the XDG Base Directory specification:

Priority	Location	Configuration
1	Custom path	Set GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_TOKEN_PATH environment variable
2	XDG Config	$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/google-drive-mcp/tokens.json
3	Default	~/.config/google-drive-mcp/tokens.json

Security Notes:

• Tokens are created with secure permissions (0600)
• Never commit tokens to version control
• Tokens auto-refresh before expiration
• Google OAuth apps in "Testing" status have refresh tokens that expire after 7 days (Google's policy)

Usage with Claude Desktop

Add the server to your Claude Desktop configuration:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Using npx (Recommended):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-drive": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@piotr-agier/google-drive-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_DRIVE_OAUTH_CREDENTIALS": "/path/to/your/gcp-oauth.keys.json"
      }
    }
  }
}

Using Local Installation:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-drive": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/google-drive-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_DRIVE_OAUTH_CREDENTIALS": "/path/to/your/gcp-oauth.keys.json"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: Replace /path/to/your/gcp-oauth.keys.json with the actual path to your OAuth credentials file.

Streamable HTTP Transport

By default the server uses stdio transport (for local MCP clients like Claude Desktop). You can also run it as an HTTP server using the Streamable HTTP transport, which enables remote/hosted deployments and shared gateways.

Starting in HTTP mode

google-drive-mcp start --transport http --port 3100 --host 127.0.0.1

Or with environment variables:

MCP_TRANSPORT=http MCP_HTTP_PORT=3100 MCP_HTTP_HOST=127.0.0.1 google-drive-mcp start

CLI flags take priority over environment variables.

CLI Flag	Env Var	Default	Description
--transport	MCP_TRANSPORT	stdio	stdio or http
--port	MCP_HTTP_PORT	3100	HTTP listen port
--host	MCP_HTTP_HOST	127.0.0.1	HTTP bind address

The HTTP endpoint is POST /mcp for JSON-RPC requests, GET /mcp for SSE streaming, and DELETE /mcp to close a session. After the initial initialize request, all subsequent requests must include the mcp-session-id header returned in the initialize response.

When binding to 127.0.0.1 (default), DNS rebinding protection is automatically enabled. For remote deployments (0.0.0.0), use service account or external token authentication and ensure the endpoint is behind a reverse proxy with TLS. Without authentication and TLS, anyone who can reach the port gets full access to the configured Google Drive account.

MCP client configuration (HTTP)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-drive": {
      "url": "http://localhost:3100/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

Search and Navigation

• search - Search for files across Google Drive

  • query: Search terms (or raw Drive API query when rawQuery=true)
  • pageSize: Number of results per page (optional, default 50, max 100)
  • pageToken: Pagination token for next page (optional)
  • rawQuery: Pass query directly to the Drive API — enables operators like modifiedTime, createdTime, mimeType, name contains, etc. (optional)

• listFolder - List contents of a folder

  • folderId: Folder ID (optional, defaults to root)
  • pageSize: Number of results (optional, max 100)
  • pageToken: Pagination token (optional)

• listSharedDrives - List available Google Shared Drives

  • pageSize: Number of drives to return (optional, default 50, max 100)
  • pageToken: Pagination token (optional)

File Management

• createTextFile - Create a text or markdown file

  • name: File name (must end with .txt or .md)
  • content: File content
  • parentFolderId: Parent folder ID (optional)

• updateTextFile - Update existing text file

  • fileId: File ID to update
  • content: New content
  • name: New name (optional)

• deleteItem - Move a file or folder to trash (not a permanent deletion - items can be restored from Google Drive trash)

  • itemId: Item ID to move to trash

• renameItem - Rename a file or folder

  • itemId: Item ID to rename
  • newName: New name

• moveItem - Move a file or folder

  • itemId: Item ID to move
  • destinationFolderId: Destination folder ID

• copyFile - Create a copy of a Google Drive file or document

  • fileId: ID of the file to copy
  • newName: Name for the copied file (optional, defaults to "Copy of [original name]")
  • parentFolderId: Destination folder ID (optional, defaults to same location)

Sharing and Permissions

• listPermissions - List current sharing permissions on a file/folder

  • fileId: File or folder ID

• addPermission - Add a new permission to a file/folder

  • fileId: File or folder ID
  • type: Permission target type (user, group, domain, anyone)
  • role: Permission role (reader, commenter, writer, fileOrganizer, organizer, owner)
  • emailAddress: Required for user/group types
  • domain: Required for domain type
  • sendNotificationEmail: Send notification email (optional)

• updatePermission - Update role for an existing permission

  • fileId: File or folder ID
  • permissionId: Permission ID
  • role: New role

• removePermission - Remove a permission from a file/folder

  • fileId: File or folder ID
  • permissionId: Permission ID (optional if emailAddress is provided)
  • emailAddress: Email to find permission by (optional fallback)

• shareFile - Share file with a user email (idempotent helper)

  • fileId: File or folder ID
  • emailAddress: Recipient email
  • role: Role (reader, commenter, writer)
  • sendNotificationEmail: Send notification email (optional)

File Revisions (v1.7.0)

• getRevisions - List revisions for a file

  • fileId: File ID
  • pageSize: Max revisions to return (optional)

• restoreRevision - Restore a file from a selected revision (safety-confirmed)

  • fileId: File ID
  • revisionId: Revision ID to restore
  • confirm: Must be true to execute restore

Auth Diagnostics (v1.7.0)

• authGetStatus - Show token/scopes/auth health diagnostics (machine + human readable)
• authListScopes - Show configured/requested scopes, granted scopes, missing scopes, and presets
• authTestFileAccess - Test Drive access (optionally against a specific fileId)

Shortcuts and File Locks (v1.7.0)

• createShortcut - Create a shortcut to a file or folder

  • targetFileId: File or folder ID to link to
  • parentFolderId: Folder ID or path where the shortcut will be created (optional)
  • shortcutName: Custom shortcut name (optional, defaults to original file name)

• lockFile - Lock a file by setting content restrictions

  • fileId: File ID to lock
  • reason: Reason shown to editors (optional)
  • ownerRestricted: Only the owner can unlock (optional, default false)

• unlockFile - Remove content restrictions from a locked file

  • fileId: File ID to unlock

• uploadFile - Upload a local file (any type: image, audio, video, PDF, etc.) to Google Drive

  • localPath: Absolute path to the local file
  • name: File name in Drive (optional, defaults to local filename)
  • parentFolderId: Parent folder ID or path (optional, e.g., '/Work/Projects')
  • mimeType: MIME type (optional, auto-detected from extension)
  • convertToGoogleFormat: Convert uploaded file to native Google Workspace format (optional, default: false). When enabled, Office files are automatically converted:
    • .docx / .doc → Google Doc
    • .xlsx / .xls → Google Sheet
    • .pptx / .ppt → Google Slides
    • File extension is stripped from the name automatically (e.g., report.docx becomes report)

• downloadFile - Download a Google Drive file to a local path

  • fileId: Google Drive file ID
  • localPath: Absolute local path to save the file (can be a directory or full file path)
  • exportMimeType: For Google Workspace files, MIME type to export as (optional, e.g., 'application/pdf', 'text/csv')
  • overwrite: Whether to overwrite existing files (optional, default: false)

PDF Ingestion and Conversion (v1.6.0)

• convertPdfToGoogleDoc - Convert a PDF already stored in Drive into an editable Google Doc

  • fileId: Source PDF file ID
  • newName: Optional destination doc name
  • parentFolderId: Optional destination folder

• bulkConvertFolderPdfs - Convert all PDFs in a folder and return per-file success/failure summary

  • folderId: Source folder ID
  • maxResults: Maximum PDFs to process (optional, default: 100)
  • continueOnError: Continue processing after individual failures (optional, default: true)

• uploadPdfWithSplit - Upload a local PDF, optionally split into chunked PDF parts before upload

  • localPath: Absolute local path to PDF
  • split: Enable split mode metadata output (optional, default: false)
  • maxPagesPerChunk: Advisory chunk size for split planning (optional)
  • parentFolderId: Optional destination folder
  • namePrefix: Optional uploaded file name prefix

Folder Operations

• createFolder - Create a new folder
  • name: Folder name
  • parent: Parent folder ID or path (optional)

Google Docs

Create and Update

• createGoogleDoc - Create a Google Doc

  • name: Document name
  • content: Document content
  • parentFolderId: Parent folder ID (optional)

• updateGoogleDoc - Replace all content in a Google Doc

  • documentId: Document ID
  • content: New content

Reading and Discovery

• readGoogleDoc - Read content of a Google Doc with format options

  • documentId: Document ID
  • format: Output format — text, json, or markdown (optional, default: text)
  • maxLength: Maximum characters to return (optional)

• getGoogleDocContent - Get document content with text indices for formatting

  • documentId: Document ID
  • includeFormatting: Include font, style, and color info for each text span (optional, default: false)

• listDocumentTabs - List all tabs in a Google Doc with their IDs and hierarchy

  • documentId: Document ID
  • includeContent: Include content summary (character count) for each tab (optional)

• addDocumentTab - Add a new tab in a Google Doc

  • documentId: Document ID
  • title: Tab title

• renameDocumentTab - Rename an existing tab in a Google Doc

  • documentId: Document ID
  • tabId: Tab ID
  • title: New tab title

• insertSmartChip - Insert a person smart chip (mention) at a document index. Only person chips are supported by the Docs API; date and file chips are read-only.

  • documentId: Document ID
  • index: Insertion index (1-based)
  • chipType: person (only supported type)
  • personEmail: Email address for the person mention

• readSmartChips - Read smart chip-like elements (person mentions, rich links, date chips) from the default tab of a document. Only the default tab is scanned; other tabs are not included.

  • documentId: Document ID

• createFootnote - Create a footnote in a Google Doc. Footnotes cannot be inserted inside equations, headers, footers, or other footnotes.

  • documentId: Document ID
  • index: 1-based character index where the footnote reference should be inserted (optional — provide this or endOfSegment)
  • endOfSegment: If true, insert footnote at the end of the document body (optional — provide this or index)
  • content: Optional text content for the footnote body

• listGoogleDocs - List Google Documents with optional filtering

  • query: Search query to filter by name or content (optional)
  • maxResults: Maximum documents to return, 1-100 (optional, default: 20)
  • orderBy: Sort order — name, modifiedTime, or createdTime (optional)

• getDocumentInfo - Get detailed metadata about a specific Google Document

  • documentId: Document ID

Surgical Editing

• insertText - Insert text at a specific index (doesn't replace entire doc)

  • documentId: Document ID
  • text: Text to insert
  • index: Position to insert at (1-based)

• deleteRange - Delete content between start and end indices

  • documentId: Document ID
  • startIndex: Start index (1-based, inclusive)
  • endIndex: End index (exclusive)

Text and Paragraph Styling

• applyTextStyle - Apply text formatting (bold, italic, color, etc.) to a range or found text

  • documentId: Document ID
  • Target (use one): startIndex+endIndex OR textToFind+matchInstance
  • bold, italic, underline, strikethrough: Text styling (optional)
  • fontSize: Font size in points (optional)
  • fontFamily: Font family name (optional)
  • foregroundColor: Hex color, e.g., #FF0000 (optional)
  • backgroundColor: Hex background color (optional)
  • linkUrl: URL for hyperlink (optional)

• applyParagraphStyle - Apply paragraph formatting

  • documentId: Document ID
  • Target (use one): startIndex+endIndex OR textToFind+matchInstance OR indexWithinParagraph
  • namedStyleType: NORMAL_TEXT, TITLE, SUBTITLE, HEADING_1 through HEADING_6 (optional)
  • alignment: START, CENTER, END, or JUSTIFIED (optional)
  • indentStart, indentEnd: Indent in points (optional)
  • spaceAbove, spaceBelow: Spacing in points (optional)
  • keepWithNext: Keep with next paragraph (optional)

• formatGoogleDocText - Alias for applyTextStyle (compatibility helper)

  • Same parameters as applyTextStyle

• formatGoogleDocParagraph - Alias for applyParagraphStyle (compatibility helper)

  • Same parameters as applyParagraphStyle

Bullet Points and Lists

• createParagraphBullets - Add or remove bullet points / numbered lists on paragraphs

  • documentId: Document ID
  • Target (use one): startIndex+endIndex OR textToFind+matchInstance
  • bulletPreset: Bullet style preset (optional, default: BULLET_DISC_CIRCLE_SQUARE). Available presets:
    • Bullet styles: BULLET_DISC_CIRCLE_SQUARE, BULLET_DIAMONDX_ARROW3D_SQUARE, BULLET_CHECKBOX, BULLET_ARROW_DIAMOND_DISC, BULLET_STAR_CIRCLE_SQUARE, BULLET_ARROW3D_CIRCLE_SQUARE, BULLET_LEFTTRIANGLE_DIAMOND_DISC
    • Numbered styles: NUMBERED_DECIMAL_ALPHA_ROMAN, NUMBERED_DECIMAL_ALPHA_ROMAN_PARENS, NUMBERED_DECIMAL_NESTED, NUMBERED_UPPERALPHA_ALPHA_ROMAN, NUMBERED_UPPERROMAN_UPPERALPHA_DECIMAL, NUMBERED_ZERODECIMAL_ALPHA_ROMAN
    • Remove bullets: NONE — removes existing bullets/numbering from the targeted paragraphs

• findAndReplaceInDoc - Find and replace text across a Google Doc

  • documentId: Document ID
  • findText: Text to find
  • replaceText: Replacement text
  • matchCase: Case-sensitive match (optional, default: false)
  • dryRun: Only report estimated matches, don’t modify document (optional, default: false)

Tables and Images

• insertTable - Insert a new table at a given index

  • documentId: Document ID
  • rows: Number of rows
  • columns: Number of columns
  • index: Position to insert at (1-based)

• editTableCell - Edit content and/or style of a specific table cell

  • documentId: Document ID
  • tableStartIndex: Starting index of the table element
  • rowIndex: Row index (0-based)
  • columnIndex: Column index (0-based)
  • textContent: New text content (optional)
  • bold, italic, fontSize, alignment: Cell styling (optional)

• insertImageFromUrl - Insert an inline image from a publicly accessible URL

  • documentId: Document ID
  • imageUrl: Publicly accessible URL to the image
  • index: Position to insert at (1-based)
  • width, height: Image dimensions in points (optional)

• insertLocalImage - Upload a local image file to Drive and insert it into a document

  • documentId: Document ID
  • localImagePath: Absolute path to the local image file
  • index: Position to insert at (1-based)
  • width, height: Image dimensions in points (optional)
  • uploadToSameFolder: Upload to same folder as document (optional, default: true)

Comments

• listComments - List all comments in a Google Document with position context, character offsets, and full reply chains

  • documentId: Document ID
  • includeDeleted: Include deleted comments (optional, default: false)
  • pageSize: Max comments to return, 1-100 (optional, default: 100)
  • pageToken: Token for next page of results (optional)
  • Returns surrounding context and Docs API character offsets for each comment using a two-tiered approach (Docs API text matching, DOCX export fallback for ambiguous matches)

• getComment - Get a specific comment with its full thread of replies

  • documentId: Document ID
  • commentId: Comment ID

• addComment - Add a comment anchored to a specific text range

  • documentId: Document ID
  • startIndex: Start index (1-based)
  • endIndex: End index (exclusive)
  • commentText: The comment content

• replyToComment - Add a reply to an existing comment

  • documentId: Document ID
  • commentId: Comment ID to reply to
  • replyText: The reply content
  • resolve: Set to true to resolve the comment thread after replying (optional, default: false)

• deleteComment - Delete a comment from the document

  • documentId: Document ID
  • commentId: Comment ID to delete

Google Sheets

Create and Update

• createGoogleSheet - Create a Google Sheet

  • name: Spreadsheet name
  • data: 2D array of cell values
  • parentFolderId: Parent folder ID (optional)
  • valueInputOption: RAW (default, safe) or USER_ENTERED (evaluates formulas) (optional)

• updateGoogleSheet - Update a Google Sheet

  • spreadsheetId: Spreadsheet ID
  • range: Range to update (e.g., 'Sheet1!A1:C10')
  • data: 2D array of new values
  • valueInputOption: RAW (default, safe) or USER_ENTERED (evaluates formulas) (optional)

• getGoogleSheetContent - Get spreadsheet content with cell information

  • spreadsheetId: Spreadsheet ID
  • range: Range to get (e.g., 'Sheet1!A1:C10')

Sheet Management

• getSpreadsheetInfo - Get detailed information about a spreadsheet including all sheets/tabs

  • spreadsheetId: Spreadsheet ID

• appendSpreadsheetRows - Append rows to the end of a sheet

  • spreadsheetId: Spreadsheet ID
  • range: A1 notation range indicating where to append (e.g., 'A1' or 'Sheet1!A1')
  • values: 2D array of values to append
  • valueInputOption: RAW or USER_ENTERED (optional, default: USER_ENTERED)

• addSpreadsheetSheet - Add a new sheet/tab to an existing spreadsheet

• addSheet - Alias for addSpreadsheetSheet

  • spreadsheetId: Spreadsheet ID
  • sheetTitle: Title for the new sheet

• listSheets - List tabs/sheets in a spreadsheet

  • spreadsheetId: Spreadsheet ID

• renameSheet - Rename a sheet/tab by sheetId

  • spreadsheetId: Spreadsheet ID
  • sheetId: Sheet ID
  • newTitle: New title

• deleteSheet - Delete a sheet/tab by sheetId

  • spreadsheetId: Spreadsheet ID
  • sheetId: Sheet ID

• addDataValidation - Add data validation rules to a range

  • spreadsheetId: Spreadsheet ID
  • range: A1 range (e.g., Sheet1!A1:A10)
  • conditionType: ONE_OF_LIST, NUMBER_GREATER, NUMBER_LESS, or TEXT_CONTAINS
  • values: Condition values (e.g. list items, threshold)
  • strict: Reject invalid values (optional, default: true)
  • showCustomUi: Show dropdown/custom UI (optional, default: true)

• protectRange - Protect a range in a spreadsheet

  • spreadsheetId: Spreadsheet ID
  • range: A1 range
  • description: Protection description (optional)
  • warningOnly: Warn instead of enforce (optional, default: false)

• addNamedRange - Create a named range

  • spreadsheetId: Spreadsheet ID
  • name: Named range name
  • range: A1 range

• listGoogleSheets - List Google Spreadsheets with optional filtering

  • query: Search query to filter by name or content (optional)
  • maxResults: Maximum spreadsheets to return, 1-100 (optional, default: 20)
  • orderBy: Sort order — name, modifiedTime, or createdTime (optional)

Formatting

• formatGoogleSheetCells - Format cell properties

  • spreadsheetId: Spreadsheet ID
  • range: Range to format (e.g., 'A1:C10')
  • backgroundColor: Cell background color (RGB 0-1) (optional)
  • horizontalAlignment: LEFT, CENTER, or RIGHT (optional)
  • verticalAlignment: TOP, MIDDLE, or BOTTOM (optional)
  • wrapStrategy: OVERFLOW_CELL, CLIP, or WRAP (optional)

• formatGoogleSheetText - Apply text formatting to cells

  • spreadsheetId: Spreadsheet ID
  • range: Range to format (e.g., 'A1:C10')
  • bold, italic, strikethrough, underline: Text styling (optional)
  • fontSize: Font size in points (optional)
  • fontFamily: Font name (optional)
  • foregroundColor: Text color (RGB 0-1) (optional)

• formatGoogleSheetNumbers - Apply number/date formatting

  • spreadsheetId: Spreadsheet ID
  • range: Range to format (e.g., 'A1:C10')
  • pattern: Format pattern (e.g., '#,##0.00', 'yyyy-mm-dd', '$#,##0.00', '0.00%')
  • type: NUMBER, CURRENCY, PERCENT, DATE, TIME, DATE_TIME, or SCIENTIFIC (optional)

• setGoogleSheetBorders - Configure cell borders

  • spreadsheetId: Spreadsheet ID
  • range: Range to format (e.g., 'A1:C10')
  • style: SOLID, DASHED, DOTTED, or DOUBLE
  • width: Border thickness 1-3 (optional)
  • color: Border color (RGB 0-1) (optional)
  • top, bottom, left, right: Apply to specific borders (optional)
  • innerHorizontal, innerVertical: Apply to inner borders (optional)

• mergeGoogleSheetCells - Merge cells in a range

  • spreadsheetId: Spreadsheet ID
  • range: Range to merge (e.g., 'A1:C3')
  • mergeType: MERGE_ALL, MERGE_COLUMNS, or MERGE_ROWS

• addGoogleSheetConditionalFormat - Add conditional formatting rules

  • spreadsheetId: Spreadsheet ID
  • range: Range to apply formatting (e.g., 'A1:C10')
  • condition: Condition configuration
    • type: NUMBER_GREATER, NUMBER_LESS, TEXT_CONTAINS, TEXT_STARTS_WITH, TEXT_ENDS_WITH, or CUSTOM_FORMULA
    • value: Value to compare or formula
  • format: Format to apply when condition is true
    • backgroundColor: Cell color (RGB 0-1) (optional)
    • textFormat: Text formatting with bold and foregroundColor (optional)

Google Slides

Create and Update

• createGoogleSlides - Create a presentation

  • name: Presentation name
  • slides: Array of slides with title and content
  • parentFolderId: Parent folder ID (optional)

• updateGoogleSlides - Update an existing presentation

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • slides: Array of slides with title and content (replaces all existing slides)

Content and Formatting

• getGoogleSlidesContent - Get presentation content with element IDs

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • slideIndex: Specific slide index (optional)

• formatGoogleSlidesText - Apply text formatting to slide elements

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • objectId: Element ID
  • startIndex/endIndex: Text range (optional, 0-based)
  • bold, italic, underline, strikethrough: Text styling (optional)
  • fontSize: Font size in points (optional)
  • fontFamily: Font name (optional)
  • foregroundColor: Text color (RGB 0-1) (optional)

• formatGoogleSlidesParagraph - Apply paragraph formatting

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • objectId: Element ID
  • alignment: START, CENTER, END, or JUSTIFIED (optional)
  • lineSpacing: Line spacing multiplier (optional)
  • bulletStyle: NONE, DISC, ARROW, SQUARE, DIAMOND, STAR, or NUMBERED (optional)

• styleGoogleSlidesShape - Style shapes and elements

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • objectId: Shape ID
  • backgroundColor: Fill color (RGBA 0-1) (optional)
  • outlineColor: Border color (RGB 0-1) (optional)
  • outlineWeight: Border thickness in points (optional)
  • outlineDashStyle: SOLID, DOT, DASH, DASH_DOT, LONG_DASH, or LONG_DASH_DOT (optional)

• setGoogleSlidesBackground - Set slide background color

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • pageObjectIds: Array of slide IDs
  • backgroundColor: Background color (RGBA 0-1)

• createGoogleSlidesTextBox - Create formatted text box

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • pageObjectId: Slide ID
  • text: Text content
  • x, y, width, height: Position/size in EMU (1/360000 cm)
  • fontSize, bold, italic: Text formatting (optional)

• createGoogleSlidesShape - Create styled shape

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • pageObjectId: Slide ID
  • shapeType: RECTANGLE, ELLIPSE, DIAMOND, TRIANGLE, STAR, ROUND_RECTANGLE, or ARROW
  • x, y, width, height: Position/size in EMU
  • backgroundColor: Fill color (RGBA 0-1) (optional)

Speaker Notes

• getGoogleSlidesSpeakerNotes - Get speaker notes from a slide

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • slideIndex: Slide index (0-based)

• updateGoogleSlidesSpeakerNotes - Update or set speaker notes for a slide

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • slideIndex: Slide index (0-based)
  • notes: The speaker notes content to set

Slide Operations and Templating

• deleteGoogleSlide - Delete a slide by object ID

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • slideObjectId: Slide object ID

• duplicateSlide - Duplicate a slide by object ID

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • slideObjectId: Slide object ID

• reorderSlides - Reorder slides by object IDs and insertion index

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • slideObjectIds: Array of slide object IDs to move
  • insertionIndex: Target insertion index

• replaceAllTextInSlides - Replace text across a presentation

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • containsText: Text to find
  • replaceText: Replacement text
  • matchCase: Match case (optional, default: false)

• exportSlideThumbnail - Export a slide thumbnail URL (PNG/JPEG, SMALL/MEDIUM/LARGE)

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • slideObjectId: Slide object ID
  • mimeType: PNG or JPEG (optional, default: PNG)
  • size: SMALL, MEDIUM, or LARGE (optional, default: LARGE)

• insertSlidesImageFromUrl - Insert an image into a slide from a public URL

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • pageObjectId: Slide/page object ID
  • imageUrl: Public image URL
  • x, y, width, height: Position and size in EMU (optional)

• getSlideElementInfo - Get position, size, and transform details for slide elements

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • slideObjectId: Slide object ID (optional; omit for all slides)

• moveSlideElement - Move or resize a slide element

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • objectId: Element object ID
  • x, y, width, height: New position and/or size in EMU (optional)

• deleteSlideElement - Delete an element from a slide

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • objectId: Element object ID

• insertSlidesLocalImage - Upload a local image and insert it into a slide

  • presentationId: Presentation ID
  • pageObjectId: Slide/page object ID
  • localImagePath: Absolute local image path
  • x, y, width, height: Position and size in EMU (optional)

Google Calendar

• listCalendars - List all accessible Google Calendars

  • showHidden: Include hidden calendars (optional, default: false)

• getCalendarEvents - Get events from a calendar with optional filtering

  • calendarId: Calendar ID (optional, default: primary)
  • timeMin: Start of time range, RFC3339 (optional, e.g., '2024-01-01T00:00:00Z')
  • timeMax: End of time range, RFC3339 (optional)
  • query: Free text search in events (optional)
  • maxResults: Maximum events to return, 1-250 (optional, default: 50)
  • singleEvents: Expand recurring events into instances (optional, default: true)
  • orderBy: Sort order — startTime or updated (optional, default: startTime)

• getCalendarEvent - Get a single calendar event by ID

  • eventId: Event ID
  • calendarId: Calendar ID (optional, default: primary)

• createCalendarEvent - Create a new calendar event with Google Meet support

  • summary: Event title
  • start: Start time (dateTime for timed events, date for all-day, optional timeZone)
  • end: End time (same format as start)
  • calendarId: Calendar ID (optional, default: primary)
  • description: Event description (optional)
  • location: Event location (optional)
  • attendees: Array of email addresses (optional)
  • sendUpdates: all, externalOnly, or none (optional, default: none)
  • conferenceType: hangoutsMeet to add Google Meet link (optional)
  • recurrence: Array of RRULE strings for recurring events (optional)
  • visibility: default, public, private, or confidential (optional)

• updateCalendarEvent - Update an existing calendar event

  • eventId: Event ID
  • calendarId: Calendar ID (optional, default: primary)
  • summary, description, location: Updated fields (optional)
  • start, end: Updated times (optional)
  • attendees: Updated attendee emails, replaces existing (optional)
  • sendUpdates: all, externalOnly, or none (optional, default: none)

• deleteCalendarEvent - Delete a calendar event

  • eventId: Event ID
  • calendarId: Calendar ID (optional, default: primary)
  • sendUpdates: Send cancellation notifications (optional, default: none)

External Authentication

For hosted, containerized, or CI/CD deployments where a browser-based OAuth flow is not available, the server supports two alternative authentication modes. They are checked in priority order before falling back to the default local OAuth flow.

1. Service Account Mode

Set the standard GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS environment variable to point to a service account JSON key file. Best for server-to-server, CI/CD, and container deployments.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-drive": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@piotr-agier/google-drive-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS": "/path/to/service-account-key.json"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: The service account must have access to the Google Drive files/folders you want to work with. For Shared Drives, grant the service account's email address the appropriate permissions.

2. External OAuth Token Mode

Provide a pre-obtained OAuth access token via GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_ACCESS_TOKEN. This is useful when an external service handles the OAuth flow (e.g., a web app that obtains tokens on behalf of the user).

Access token only (no auto-refresh — token will eventually expire):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-drive": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@piotr-agier/google-drive-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ya29.a0AfH6SM..."
      }
    }
  }
}

With refresh token (recommended — enables automatic token refresh):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-drive": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@piotr-agier/google-drive-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ya29.a0AfH6SM...",
        "GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_REFRESH_TOKEN": "1//0dx...",
        "GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_CLIENT_ID": "123456789.apps.googleusercontent.com",
        "GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_CLIENT_SECRET": "GOCSPX-..."
      }
    }
  }
}

Variable	Required	Description
GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_ACCESS_TOKEN	Yes (activates mode)	Google OAuth access token
GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_REFRESH_TOKEN	No	Refresh token for auto-refresh
GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_CLIENT_ID	Required with refresh token	OAuth client ID
GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_CLIENT_SECRET	Required with refresh token	OAuth client secret

3. Local OAuth Flow (Default)

If neither of the above modes is configured, the server uses the existing browser-based OAuth flow. See below for details.

Authentication Flow

The server uses OAuth 2.0 for secure authentication:

Automatic Authentication (First Run)

1. Server detects missing tokens and starts local auth server
2. Your browser opens to Google's consent page
3. Grant the requested permissions
4. Tokens are saved securely to ~/.config/google-drive-mcp/tokens.json
5. Server continues startup

Token Management

• Automatic Refresh: Tokens refresh automatically before expiration
• Secure Storage: Tokens stored with 0600 permissions
• Migration: Legacy tokens are automatically migrated to secure location

Manual Re-authentication

Run the auth command when you need to:

• Switch Google accounts
• Refresh expired tokens (Google expires refresh tokens after 7 days for apps in "Testing" status)
• Recover from revoked access

# Using npx
npx @piotr-agier/google-drive-mcp auth

# Using local installation
npm run auth

Security

Security Features

• No Client Secrets: Desktop OAuth flow works with client ID only
• Secure Token Storage: Tokens stored with 0600 permissions in XDG-compliant location
• Scoped Access: Minimal permissions requested (drive.file, documents, spreadsheets, presentations, calendar)
• Local Execution: All processing happens on your machine
• Automatic Token Refresh: Reduces need for re-authentication
• Token Migration: Legacy tokens automatically moved to secure location

Best Practices

1. Never commit credentials: Add to .gitignore:

   gcp-oauth.keys.json
   client_secret*.json
   .config/
   

2. Use environment variables for production:

   export GOOGLE_DRIVE_OAUTH_CREDENTIALS="/secure/path/credentials.json"
   export GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_TOKEN_PATH="/secure/path/tokens.json"

3. Monitor access:

   • Check recent activity in Google Drive
   • Review OAuth app permissions regularly

Revoking OAuth Access

If you need to revoke the Google Drive MCP's access to your Google account:

1. Visit Google Account Permissions
2. Find "Google Drive MCP" or your custom app name in the list
3. Click on it and select "Remove Access"
4. Clear local tokens to complete the revocation:

   rm ~/.config/google-drive-mcp/tokens.json

After revoking access, you'll need to re-authenticate the next time you use the server.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

"OAuth credentials not found"

OAuth credentials not found. Please provide credentials using one of these methods:
1. Config directory (recommended):
   Place your gcp-oauth.keys.json file in: ~/.config/google-drive-mcp/
2. Environment variable:
   export GOOGLE_DRIVE_OAUTH_CREDENTIALS="/path/to/gcp-oauth.keys.json"

Solution:

• Download credentials from Google Cloud Console
• Place the file in ~/.config/google-drive-mcp/gcp-oauth.keys.json (recommended), or set the environment variable
• Ensure the file has proper read permissions

"Authentication failed" or Browser doesn't open

Possible causes:

1. Wrong credential type: Must be "Desktop app", not "Web application"
2. Port blocked: Ports 3000-3004 must be available
3. Test user not added: Add your email in OAuth consent screen

Solution:

# Check if ports are in use
lsof -i :3000-3004

# Kill processes if needed
kill -9 <PID>

# Re-run authentication
npx @piotr-agier/google-drive-mcp auth

"Tokens expired" or "Invalid grant"

For Google OAuth apps in "Testing" status:

• Google automatically expires refresh tokens after 7 days
• You'll need to re-authenticate weekly until you publish your app

Solution:

# Clear old tokens and re-authenticate
rm ~/.config/google-drive-mcp/tokens.json
npx @piotr-agier/google-drive-mcp auth

For production:

• Move app to "Published" status in Google Cloud Console
• Complete OAuth verification process

"Login Required" error even with valid tokens

If you updated the OAuth scopes but still get errors:

• Google caches app authorizations even after removing local tokens
• The app might be using old/limited scopes

Solution:

1. Go to Google Account Permissions
2. Find and remove access for "Google Drive MCP"
3. Clear local tokens: rm ~/.config/google-drive-mcp/tokens.json
4. Re-authenticate to grant all required scopes
5. Verify the consent screen shows ALL scopes including full Drive access

"API not enabled" errors

Error: Google Sheets API has not been used in project...

Solution:

1. Go to Google Cloud Console
2. Select your project
3. Navigate to "APIs & Services" > "Library"
4. Search and enable the missing API
5. Wait 1-2 minutes for propagation

"Insufficient permissions"

Check scopes in your credentials:

• Need drive.file or drive scope
• Need docs, sheets, slides scopes for respective services

Solution:

• Re-create OAuth credentials with correct scopes
• Re-authenticate after updating credentials

Rate Limiting (429 errors)

Google API Quotas:

• Drive API: 12,000 requests per minute
• Docs/Sheets/Slides: 300 requests per minute

Solution:

• Implement exponential backoff
• Batch operations where possible
• Check quota usage in Google Cloud Console

Docker-Specific Issues

"Authentication required" in Docker

Problem: The MCP server in Docker shows authentication errors even though you have valid tokens.

Cause: OAuth flow requires browser access, which isn't available in Docker containers.

Solution:

# 1. Authenticate outside Docker first
npx @piotr-agier/google-drive-mcp auth

# 2. Verify tokens exist
ls -la ~/.config/google-drive-mcp/tokens.json

# 3. Rebuild the image and restart the client
docker build -t google-drive-mcp .
# The client will invoke scripts/docker-mcp.sh, which auto-replaces the stale container

"npm ci failed" during Docker build

Problem: Docker build fails with tsc: not found or similar errors.

Solution:

# Build the project locally first
npm install
npm run build

# Then build Docker image
docker build -t google-drive-mcp .

The Dockerfile expects the dist/ directory to exist from your local build.

"Token refresh failed" in Docker

Problem: Tokens can't refresh inside the container.

Solution: Ensure the token file is mounted with write permissions:

# Correct: tokens can be updated
-v "$HOME/.config/google-drive-mcp/tokens.json":/config/tokens.json

# Wrong: read-only mount prevents token refresh
-v "$HOME/.config/google-drive-mcp/tokens.json":/config/tokens.json:ro

Debug Mode

Enable detailed logging:

# Set debug environment variable
export DEBUG=google-drive-mcp:*
npx @piotr-agier/google-drive-mcp

Getting Help

1. Check logs: Server logs errors to stderr
2. Verify setup: Run npx @piotr-agier/google-drive-mcp help
3. Test auth: Run npx @piotr-agier/google-drive-mcp auth
4. Report issues: GitHub Issues

Development

Project Structure

google-drive-mcp/
├── src/                    # Source code
│   ├── index.ts           # Main server implementation
│   ├── auth.ts            # Main authentication module
│   ├── auth/              # Authentication components
│   │   ├── client.ts      # OAuth2 client setup
│   │   ├── externalAuth.ts # Service account & external token auth
│   │   ├── server.ts      # Local auth server
│   │   ├── tokenManager.ts # Token storage and validation
│   │   └── utils.ts       # Auth utilities
│   ├── tools/             # Tool implementations by service
│   │   ├── drive.ts       # File management tools
│   │   ├── docs.ts        # Google Docs tools
│   │   ├── sheets.ts      # Google Sheets tools
│   │   ├── slides.ts      # Google Slides tools
│   │   └── calendar.ts    # Google Calendar tools
│   ├── utils.ts           # Shared utility functions
│   ├── types.ts           # TypeScript type definitions
│   └── download-file.ts   # File download helper
├── dist/                  # Compiled JavaScript (generated)
├── scripts/               # Build scripts
│   └── build.js          # Custom build script
├── gcp-oauth.keys.json    # OAuth credentials (create from example)
├── gcp-oauth.keys.example.json # Example credentials file
├── package.json           # NPM package configuration
├── tsconfig.json          # TypeScript configuration
├── LICENSE                # MIT license
└── README.md             # This file

Building

npm run build    # Compile TypeScript
npm run watch    # Compile and watch for changes
npm run typecheck # Type checking without compilation

Scripts

• npm start - Start the compiled server
• npm run auth - Run authentication flow
• npm run build - Build the project (runs typecheck + custom build script)
• npm run watch - Build and watch for changes
• npm run typecheck - Run TypeScript type checking only
• npm run lint - Run TypeScript type checking (alias for typecheck)
• npm run prepare - Auto-runs build before npm publish
• npm test - Run unit tests

Advanced Configuration

Environment Variables

User-Configured Variables

Credentials (required - use one of these methods):

Variable	Description	Example
GOOGLE_DRIVE_OAUTH_CREDENTIALS	Path to your OAuth credentials JSON file	/home/user/secrets/oauth.json
(or place file at)	Config directory (recommended): ~/.config/google-drive-mcp/gcp-oauth.keys.json	~/.config/google-drive-mcp/gcp-oauth.keys.json
(or place file at)	Project root (legacy fallback): gcp-oauth.keys.json	./gcp-oauth.keys.json

Optional (for customization):

Variable	Description	Default	Example
GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_TOKEN_PATH	Override token storage location	~/.config/google-drive-mcp/tokens.json	/custom/path/tokens.json
DEBUG	Enable debug logging	(disabled)	google-drive-mcp:*

External Authentication (alternative to local OAuth flow):

Variable	Description	Example
GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS	Path to service account JSON key file	/path/to/service-account.json
GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_ACCESS_TOKEN	Pre-obtained OAuth access token	ya29.a0AfH6SM...
GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_REFRESH_TOKEN	Refresh token for auto-refresh (optional)	1//0dx...
GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_CLIENT_ID	OAuth client ID (required with refresh token)	123456789.apps.googleusercontent.com
GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_CLIENT_SECRET	OAuth client secret (required with refresh token)	GOCSPX-...

System Variables (used by the codebase if present)

These are standard system environment variables that the application reads but you typically don't need to set:

Variable	Description	Used For
XDG_CONFIG_HOME	Linux/Unix config directory standard	Determining default token storage location
NODE_ENV	Node.js environment mode	May affect error handling and logging

Deprecated Variables (do not use)

Variable	Description
GOOGLE_TOKEN_PATH	Legacy token path - use GOOGLE_DRIVE_MCP_TOKEN_PATH instead
GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET_PATH	Legacy credentials path - use GOOGLE_DRIVE_OAUTH_CREDENTIALS instead

License

MIT - See LICENSE file for details

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

Support

• 📚 Documentation
• 🐛 Issue Tracker

Acknowledgments

• Built on Model Context Protocol
• Uses Google APIs Node.js Client
• Inspired by the MCP community