# Google Drive

> Search and read Google Drive files from an AI agent (archived reference implementation).

[Canonical HTML page](https://top-mcps.com/mcp/google-drive) · [server.json](https://top-mcps.com/mcp/google-drive.json) · [methodology](https://top-mcps.com/about/methodology)

## Install

### Claude Desktop — `claude_desktop_config.json`

Paste under mcpServers. Fully quit and reopen Claude after editing.

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-drive": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-gdrive"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH": "${GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH}"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### Claude Code — `CLI or .mcp.json`

Run from your repo. Commit .mcp.json to share with your team.

```shell
# export GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH=/path/to/.gdrive-server-credentials.json
claude mcp add google-drive -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-gdrive
```

### Cursor — `.cursor/mcp.json`

Global path: ~/.cursor/mcp.json. Reload window after editing.

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-drive": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-gdrive"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH": "${GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH}"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code — `.vscode/mcp.json`

VS Code uses the "servers" key (not "mcpServers").

```jsonc
{
  "servers": {
    "google-drive": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-gdrive"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH": "${GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH}"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### Windsurf — `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`

Open via Cascade → hammer icon → Configure.

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-drive": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-gdrive"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH": "${GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH}"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### Cline — `cline_mcp_settings.json`

Open via the Cline sidebar → MCP Servers → Edit.

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-drive": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-gdrive"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH": "${GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH}"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### Continue — `~/.continue/config.json`

Continue uses modelContextProtocolServers with a transport block.

```json
{
  "experimental": {
    "modelContextProtocolServers": [
      {
        "transport": {
          "type": "stdio",
          "command": "npx",
          "args": [
            "-y",
            "@modelcontextprotocol/server-gdrive"
          ],
          "env": {
            "GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH": "${GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH}"
          }
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}
```

### Codex CLI — `~/.codex/config.toml`

Codex uses TOML. Each server is a [mcp_servers.<name>] subtable.

```shell
# ~/.codex/config.toml
[mcp_servers.google-drive]
command = "npx"
args = [
  "-y",
  "@modelcontextprotocol/server-gdrive",
]
env = { GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH = "${GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH}" }
```

### Zed — `~/.config/zed/settings.json`

Zed calls them "context_servers". Settings live-reload on save.

```jsonc
{
  "context_servers": {
    "google-drive": {
      "command": {
        "path": "npx",
        "args": [
          "-y",
          "@modelcontextprotocol/server-gdrive"
        ]
      },
      "env": {
        "GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH": "${GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH}"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### ChatGPT — `ChatGPT → Apps directory`

Google Drive doesn't ship a hosted HTTPS endpoint today. ChatGPT supports remote MCP servers only — to use this server in ChatGPT you'll need to deploy it to a public HTTPS URL first (e.g. via Cloudflare Workers or Vercel) or wait for an official remote build.

```none

```

## At a glance

- **Maintainer:** Anthropic (archived reference)
- **Transport:** stdio
- **Auth model:** OAuth 2.1
- **Required secrets:** GDRIVE_CREDENTIALS_PATH
- **Supported clients:** Claude, Cursor, Any MCP-compatible client, Google accounts
- **License:** MIT
- **Language:** TypeScript
- **Latest version:** latest
- **Last verified:** 2026-05-27
- **GitHub stars:** 266 (fetched 2026-06-02T11:55:52.233Z)
- **Score:** 58/100 (rubric 2026-04 — see https://top-mcps.com/about/methodology)
- **Source:** https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers-archived/tree/main/src/gdrive

## Quick answer

**What it does.** Searches Google Drive and reads files. Docs convert to Markdown, Sheets to CSV, Slides to plain text, Drawings to PNG — all client-side.

**Best for:**
- Searching Drive contents
- Reading Docs as Markdown
- Pulling Sheets as CSV
- Summarising a folder
- Personal-account workflows

**Not for:**
- Writes (read-only)
- Multi-tenant production apps
- Workflows requiring shared-drive support not exposed in the reference impl
- Long-term stability — archived

## Description

Anthropic's archived reference Google Drive MCP — search Drive, read files with automatic format conversion (Docs→Markdown, Sheets→CSV, Presentations→text). Archived May 2025 but still installable from npm as the de-facto canonical Drive integration.

## Why it matters

Google has not shipped an official Drive MCP. The Anthropic reference implementation remains the most-installed and most-cited Drive integration, despite being archived.

## Key features

- npm `@modelcontextprotocol/server-gdrive`
- Auto format conversion: Docs→MD, Sheets→CSV
- `gdrive:///<file_id>` resource URIs
- Browser-based OAuth flow
- Read-only — drive.readonly scope

## FAQ

### Is there an official Google MCP?

No — as of 2026-05, Google has not published an official Drive MCP. The Anthropic reference is the canonical de-facto option.

### Is it being maintained?

The repo was archived 2025-05-29. It still works but receives no updates or security patches.

### Can it write to Drive?

No — scope is drive.readonly. Reads only.

## Changelog

- **2026-05-27** — Refreshed install snippets and fact sheet; verified for 2026.
- **2024-12-01** — Initial directory listing.