searching-documents-with-google-drive
Search and download documents from Google Drive using rclone. Exports Google Docs as Markdown by default. Use when users ask to find files in Google Drive, download documents from Drive, export Google Docs, or sync Drive content locally. Triggers on requests mentioning Google Drive, gdrive, or document downloads from cloud storage.
When & Why to Use This Skill
This Claude skill enables seamless integration with Google Drive via rclone, allowing users to search, download, and synchronize cloud-based documents directly through the chat interface. It specializes in converting Google Docs into AI-friendly Markdown format by default, while also supporting exports to PDF, Word (Docx), and HTML, making it an essential tool for document retrieval and knowledge management.
Use Cases
- Searching for specific files: Quickly locate meeting notes, project reports, or research papers within a vast Google Drive directory using keywords or patterns.
- AI-Ready Content Extraction: Automatically export Google Docs to Markdown to provide clean, formatted text for Claude to analyze, summarize, or rewrite.
- Bulk Document Management: Download entire folders or multiple files matching specific criteria (including shared drives) for local processing or backup.
- Cross-Format Conversion: Retrieve cloud documents in various formats like PDF for distribution or Word for traditional office workflows without leaving the workspace.
| name | searching-documents-with-google-drive |
|---|---|
| description | Search and download documents from Google Drive using rclone. Exports Google Docs as Markdown by default. Use when users ask to find files in Google Drive, download documents from Drive, export Google Docs, or sync Drive content locally. Triggers on requests mentioning Google Drive, gdrive, or document downloads from cloud storage. |
Google Drive Document Access
Overview
Search for and download documents from Google Drive using rclone. Google Docs are automatically exported as Markdown for easy reading and processing.
Scripts are located at .claude/searching-documents-with-google-drive/gdrive/scripts/.
Reference Documentation:
- scripts/ — Shell scripts for search, download, and sync operations
- digital-science-reference.md — Digital Science documentation links
Authentication: See the Authentication section in digital-science-reference.md for rclone setup. The remote must be named gdrive.
Quick Start
# Check rclone is configured
./scripts/check_rclone.sh
# Search for files
./scripts/search_gdrive.sh "meeting notes"
# Search shared files
./scripts/search_gdrive.sh "standup" --shared
# Download a file (exports Google Docs as Markdown)
./scripts/download_gdrive.sh "Documents/Report" ./output
# Download by file ID
./scripts/download_gdrive.sh --id "FILE_ID" ./output
# Download matching shared files
./scripts/download_gdrive.sh --shared --include "pattern*" ./output
Common Tasks
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Check setup | ./scripts/check_rclone.sh |
| Search files | ./scripts/search_gdrive.sh "pattern" |
| Search shared files | ./scripts/search_gdrive.sh "pattern" --shared |
| Download file | ./scripts/download_gdrive.sh "path/to/file" ./output |
| Download by ID | ./scripts/download_gdrive.sh --id "FILE_ID" ./output |
| Download folder | ./scripts/download_gdrive.sh "Folder" ./output --bulk |
| Download shared files | ./scripts/download_gdrive.sh --shared --include "pattern*" ./output |
| Limit downloads | ./scripts/download_gdrive.sh --shared --include "pattern*" ./output --limit 20 |
Export Formats
Google Docs can be exported in different formats:
| Format | Flag | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Markdown | --format md (default) |
Easy reading and processing |
| Word | --format docx |
Office compatibility |
--format pdf |
Final documents | |
| Plain text | --format txt |
Minimal formatting |
| HTML | --format html |
Web content |
Example: ./scripts/download_gdrive.sh "Report" ./output --format docx
File ID Extraction
Extract file IDs from Google Drive URLs:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/FILE_ID/edit→ use FILE_IDhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/FILE_ID/view→ use FILE_ID
Preview Before Download
Use dry-run to see what would be downloaded:
./scripts/download_gdrive.sh "Large Folder" ./output --bulk --dry-run
Direct rclone Commands
For advanced use cases:
rclone ls gdrive:"Documents" # List files
rclone lsjson gdrive:"path" --no-traverse # Get file info as JSON
rclone sync gdrive:"Source" ./local --drive-export-formats md # Sync folder
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| "remote not configured" | Run rclone config to set up gdrive remote |
| "Cannot connect" | Run rclone config reconnect gdrive: |
| Empty search results | Check path spelling; try searching from root |
| File not downloading | Verify file permissions; check if file is in Trash |
| Shared files not found | Use --shared flag |
| Too many files | Use --limit N to download only N most recent |