Google Drive (gws-drive)

PREREQUISITE: Read the gws-shared skill for auth, global flags, and security rules.

Manage Google Drive files, folders, and shared drives using the gws CLI.

gws drive <resource> <method> [flags]

Quick Examples

# List the 10 most recent files
gws drive files list --params '{"pageSize": 10, "orderBy": "modifiedTime desc"}'

# Search for files by name
gws drive files list --params '{"q": "name contains '\''invoice'\''", "pageSize": 20}'

# Search for PDFs only
gws drive files list --params '{"q": "mimeType = '\''application/pdf'\''", "pageSize": 10}'

# Get file metadata
gws drive files get --params '{"fileId": "FILE_ID", "fields": "id,name,mimeType,size,modifiedTime"}'

# Create a folder
gws drive files create --json '{"name": "Q1 Reports", "mimeType": "application/vnd.google-apps.folder"}'

# Upload a file
gws drive files create --upload /path/to/file.pdf --json '{"name": "report.pdf"}'

# Download a file
gws drive files get --params '{"fileId": "FILE_ID", "alt": "media"}' -o /tmp/file.pdf

# Export a Google Doc as PDF
gws drive files export --params '{"fileId": "DOC_ID", "mimeType": "application/pdf"}' -o /tmp/doc.pdf

# Share a file (grant viewer access)
gws drive permissions create \
  --params '{"fileId": "FILE_ID"}' \
  --json '{"role": "reader", "type": "user", "emailAddress": "user@example.com"}'

# Move file to a folder
gws drive files update \
  --params '{"fileId": "FILE_ID", "addParents": "FOLDER_ID", "removeParents": "root"}'

# Trash a file
gws drive files update --params '{"fileId": "FILE_ID"}' --json '{"trashed": true}'

# Delete permanently
gws drive files delete --params '{"fileId": "FILE_ID"}'

# List shared drives
gws drive drives list

# Auto-paginate all files as NDJSON
gws drive files list --params '{"pageSize": 100}' --page-all | jq -r '.files[].name'

Key API Resources

files

list, get, create, update, copy, delete, export, download

permissions

list, get, create, update, delete

drives (Shared Drives)

list, get, create, update, hide, unhide

comments

list, get, create, update, delete

changes

list, watch, getStartPageToken

Common Query Syntax

# Folders only
"mimeType = 'application/vnd.google-apps.folder'"

# Files in a specific folder
"'FOLDER_ID' in parents and trashed = false"

# Recently modified
"modifiedTime > '2026-01-01T00:00:00'"

# Shared with me
"sharedWithMe = true"

# By file type
"mimeType = 'image/png'"

Discovering More

gws drive --help
gws schema drive.files.list
gws schema drive.permissions.create