Watches one Google Drive folder for new, changed, or removed files.
Setup
- Connect your Google account if you haven’t already.
- Choose a Drive folder using the Google Drive picker.
Saving takes a snapshot of what’s currently in the folder; the automation starts reacting on the next change.
Triggers
| Trigger | Fires when |
|---|---|
| New file uploaded | A file appears in the folder that wasn’t there before |
| File modified | An existing file in the folder is changed |
| File deleted or removed | A file that was in the folder is gone — deleted, trashed, or moved out |
Detection usually happens within seconds, backed up by a periodic check every few minutes in case a notification is missed.
Conditions
Filter by file details, chosen from a dropdown (not free text):
| Filter by | Matches |
|---|---|
| File name | The file’s name |
| File type | The extension (pdf, docx, jpg, …) or Google file type (docs, sheets, slides, …) — pick “is one of” and list several, e.g. pdf, docx, jpg |
| Owner | Who owns the file |
| Writer | Who can edit the file |
| Reader | Who can view/comment on the file |
| Modified by | Who last edited the file |
| Content text | The file’s actual text content |
Filtering on Content text makes FileDrop read the file’s text before checking the condition — this only happens for automations that actually filter on it, so it doesn’t slow down folders that don’t need it.
Actions you can use
Actions built around a Drive file are the most useful here: Copy/move file, Delete file, Convert to Doc. You can also send notifications (Email, Slack, Google Chat, Webhook), forward the file itself (Send file), work with Google Docs (Create folder, Find/create Doc, Append Doc, Replace Doc), log to a spreadsheet (New row), or send a Send invite. See the actions guide for details. (Copy row/Move row/Update cell need a spreadsheet row to work with, which this source doesn’t have — use New row instead if you want to log to a sheet.)
Ideas
- Upload alert: New file trigger, Slack or Email action with
{file_name}and{file_url}. - Sort files by type: New file trigger, condition File type is one of
pdf, docx, Copy/move file action to a destination folder. - Sort files by name prefix: condition File name starts with a department prefix, Copy/move file action per department (one automation per prefix).
- Keep an audit log: New file trigger, New row action logging
{file_name},{file_url},{triggered_at}into a spreadsheet. - Make scanned documents searchable: New file trigger, condition File type equals
pdf(or an image type), Convert to Doc action. - Send files to another tool: New file trigger, Send file action to an external service.