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Google Drive Connector

SiftHub's Google Drive Connector seamlessly integrates your Google Drive content into SiftHub, allowing you to search and get AI-generated answers from your Drive files directly through the SiftHub Browser Extension.

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What Gets Connected

SiftHub ensures you maintain complete control over what content gets indexed. 

You can:

  • Connect individual files or folders from ‘My Drive’ or a ‘Shared Drive’
  • Connect the entire drive

This way, SiftHub only reads and indexes the content you explicitly allow it to access.

Learn how to connect specific files or folders to SiftHub.

 

Supported File Types

SiftHub indexes the following file formats from Google Drive:

  • Microsoft Word documents (.doc, .docx), PowerPoint presentations (.ppt, .pptx), Excel spreadsheets (.xls, .xlsx)
  • Google Docs, Sheets, Slides
  • PDF files (.pdf)
  • CSV files (.csv)
  • Text files (.txt)

Note:

  • Images inside documents are not currently processed.
  • Files under 1GB in size will be indexed.

 

How It Works

Once connected, SiftHub:

  • Indexes the content of your selected files
  • Updates content every 30 minutes to capture any changes
  • Maintains all native Google Drive permissions
  • Makes the content searchable and available for AI-generated answers

 

Access Control

SiftHub strictly respects Google Drive's native permissions:

  • You'll only see search results and answers from files you have access to
  • Access is automatically updated when permissions change in Google Drive
  • Group-based permissions are supported
  • If you lose access to a file in Google Drive, you'll no longer see it in SiftHub

 

Using Google Drive Content in SiftHub

Your connected Google Drive files appear in:

  • Search results with relevant snippets and metadata
  • AI-generated Answers and document Autofill as verified sources
  • Conversations and Narratives with SiftMate

Note: Clicking any result opens the original file in Google Drive.

 

Content Updates

New or modified content appears in SiftHub within 30 minutes

Updates include:

  • New files
  • Content changes
  • Permission changes
  • Deletions

Deleted or archived files are automatically removed from SiftHub results

 

Google Drive Connector Setup

To enable this Connector, you need to create a Service Account in your Google Workspace with a custom admin role. This account needs to then be added to the files, folders, and drives that need to be connected. This document lists the detailed steps for the same.

Time to complete: 15 mins

 

Setup Requirements: Ensure you have the following access and permissions before you begin the setup, or contact the respective administrator for the same.

  • Google Workspace Administrator access: To create the Google Cloud Project and Service Account
  • SiftHub Admin or Account Owner role: To activate the Connector from the SiftHub Web App > Connectors > Apps page.

 

The process for setting up a Service Account and Custom Admin role includes the following main steps:

Step 1: Create Google Cloud Project

Step 2: Enable required APIs for the Project

Step 3: Create Service Account and credentials

Step 4: Create custom admin role

Step 5: Assign custom admin role to Service Account

Step 6: Activate Google Drive Connector

 

Finally, the Service Account needs to be added to each file, folder or Shared drive that is to be connected to SiftHub Platform for Search and Answer Generation:

Step 7: Add Service Account to Shared Drives/Folders/Files

 

Step 1: Create Google Cloud Project

A Google Cloud Project is required to setup and manage Google APIs and Service Account credentials. This project forms the basis for creating, enabling, and using all the required Google Cloud services.

Steps to create a Google Cloud Project are as follows

  1. To create a Project in Google Cloud, go to the following link - https://console.cloud.google.com/projectcreate
  2. If you are not logged in, you will be required to login using your work gmail account.
  3. In the Project Name field, enter ‘SiftHub Integration’
  4. In the Organization field, make sure your organization domain is selected
  5. In the Location field, click Browse to display potential locations for your project. Then, click Select on your organization domain
  6. Once you have entered the details. Click on CREATE

 

On creation of the Project, you will be redirected to the following Project homepage -



For more information on creating a Google Cloud Project, please refer to the following documentation - Create a Google Cloud project  |  Google Workspace  |  Google for Developers

Step 2. Enable required APIs for the Project

SiftHub Platform needs API access to index files from Google Drive and fetch user and group information. These include the Google Drive API and the Admin SDK API.

Enable Google Drive API

To enable Google Drive API access, follow the steps below

  1. Search for ‘Enabled APIs and Services’ in the search bar on top, next to the Project name. In the results dropdown, click on the Enabled APIs and services page in the PRODUCTS & PAGES category
  2. On the APIs and Services page, click on + ENABLE APIS AND SERVICES. You will be redirected to the API Library
  3. Search for ‘Google Drive API’ in the API Library page and click Enter
  4. In the search results that show, select Google Drive API
  5. On the Product Details page of the Google Drive API, Click on ENABLE


    This will enable the Google Drive API for your Project
  1. You will be redirected to the API/Service details page. Click on the Enabled API and Services tab on the left to come back to the list page

 

Enable Admin SDK API

Repeat steps 2 to 6 above (Enable Google Drive API) for enabling Admin SDK API

 

Step 3. Setup Service Account and credentials

A service account is a special kind of account typically used by an application for integrations and API access. A service account is identified by its email address, which is unique to the account. 

There are 2 parts to setting up a Service account: 

  1. Create Service Account
  2. Setup Service Account Credentials

3.1: Create Service Account

  1. Go to https://console.cloud.google.com/iam-admin/serviceaccounts
  2. On the Service accounts page, under Select a recent project, click on SiftHub Integration


     
  1. On the Service Accounts page for the Project, click on + CREATE SERVICE ACCOUNT



  2. Add the Service account name as ‘SiftHub Integration’. Leave the auto-generated Service account ID as is. Skip the remaining steps and click on DONE at the bottom of the page

The service account will be created with the following email address: sifthub-integration@sifthub-integration.iam.gserviceaccount.com

For more information on creating a service account, please refer to the following documentation  - Create service accounts  |  IAM Documentation  |  Google Cloud

 

3.2 Setup Service Account credentials

  1. On the Service account page, you will see the newly created service account under - Service accounts for project SiftHub Integration
    1. Click on the hamburger menu icon associated with the service account and select ‘Manage Keys’



  2. In the service account details page, select KEYS

     
  3. Select ADD KEY → Create new Key



  1. Select key type: JSON and click CREATE



  2. The JSON file should be automatically downloaded to your Downloads folder of your desktop

Note: Save the downloaded file in an appropriate location, since it will have to be uploaded on SiftHub Web App in Step 6 below. 

 

 

Step 4. Create custom admin role

A custom admin role needs to be created to retrieve read only information about users, groups and activity reports. This is required to allow SiftHub Platform to correctly identify access permissions and owner information of individuals and groups added to the files and folders which SiftHub Platform will index.

Note: This step needs Google Workspace Admin access. If you’re not the administrator, please contact your Google Workspace administrator to follow the next steps.

To create a custom admin role, follow the steps below:

  1. Go to the Admin page of your organization’s Google Workspace - https://admin.google.com
  2. In the left navigation, go to Account → Admin Roles
  3. Under Admin Roles, click on Create new role

  1. In the Role info tab, enter the Name - ‘SiftHub Integration Admin’. Description can be left empty.

  1. Click on ‘CONTINUE’
  2. On Select Privileges tab, select the following privileges

           a. Admin Console → Reports

          b. Admin API Privileges → Users → Read

          c. Admin API Privileges → Groups → Read

 

7. On the Review privileges tab, make sure the roles appear as below.

 

8. Click on CREATE ROLE

For more information on creating a role, please refer to the following documentation -Create, edit, and delete custom admin roles - Google Workspace Admin Help

 

 

Step 5. Assign custom role to Service Account

The custom admin Role needs to be assigned to the Service Account created in Step 3, for SiftHub Platform to be able to retrieve read only information about users, groups and activity reports. 

Note: This step needs Google Workspace Admin access. If you’re not the administrator, please contact your Google Workspace administrator to follow the next steps.

  1. Go to the Admin page of your organization’s Google Workspace - https://admin.google.com
  2. Select Account → Admin roles



  3. Select the custom role created in the Create Custom Admin role step
  4. Click on Assign Service Accounts
  5. Copy and paste the service account email created in 3.1 Create Service Account. Click on ADD.
  6. Once added, it will show the role in the list under Assignment name. Click on ASSIGN ROLE
  7. The final review screen should look as follows

 

Step 6: Activate Google Drive Connector

The follow details need to be entered on the SiftHub Web App to activate the Google Drive:

  1. Customer ID of Google Workspace Account (steps below)
  2. Service Account Credentials JSON file

Customer ID

Steps to get the Customer Id are as follows:

Note: This step needs Google Workspace Admin access. If you’re not the administrator, please connect with your Google Workspace administrator to follow the next steps.

  1. Go to the Admin page of your organization’s Google Workspace - https://admin.google.com
  2. In the Admin console, on the left panel, click on Account → Account settings
  3. Under Profile, you will find the Customer ID

Service Account credentials

This is  the Service Account Credentials JSON file downloaded in Step 3.2: Setup Service Account Credentials earlier.


Activating Google Drive connector on the SiftHub Web App

Note: Only SiftHub Admins and Account Owners will be able to do this step.

To activate the Google Drive connector, follow the steps below

  1. Login to the SiftHub web app
  2. Go to the ‘Connectors’ → ‘Apps’ list by clicking here
  3. Click on Connect in Connectors -> Apps -> Google Drive
  4. Upload the  Service Account Credentials JSON file and enter Customer ID.
  5. Click on Continue
  1. You should see the following screen, once the activation is successful.


Step 7: Add Service Account to Shared Drives/Folders/Files

Only the files, folders or shared drives that the Service Account is added to, will be indexed and used by SiftHub Platform for Search and Answer Generation. SiftHub Platform will not have access to any information that is not shared with the Service Account.

To add the Service Account to a specific file, folder or drive, click on the ‘Share” button of the corresponding file/folder/drive and add the Service account email address in the following capacities:


Shared Drive:

  1. To allow SiftHub Platform access to an entire Shared Drive, make sure you add the Service Account to the Drive with a ‘Viewer’ access or more
  2. To allow SiftHub Platform access to a folder within a Shared Drive, make sure you add the service account with a ‘Contributor’ access or more
  3. To allow SiftHub Platform access to a file within a Shared Drive, make sure you add the service account with an ‘Editor' access or more

My Drive:

  1. To allow SiftHub Platform access to a folder or file within My Drive, make sure you add the service account with an ‘Editor’ access or more

 

Sync frequency and manual sync

Newly added / modified files and permission updates are automatically synced every 30 minutes. When the service account is added to a new file or folder, you may have to wait for up to 30 minutes for the auto-sync to happen and the file contents to start showing up for response generation and search. Alternatively, for files/folders that you may want to sync and index more urgently, you can simply trigger a manual sync via the Connectors Page > Google Drive Connector, and the updated files will be available for use within a couple of minutes.

 

 

If you are experiencing issues with the connector or its setup, contact your SiftHub Customer Success Manager or reach out to support@sifthub.io.