MCP Gdrive MCP Server

MCP server for interacting with Google Drive and Sheets

Local serverstdio

What is the MCP Gdrive MCP server?

MCP server for interacting with Google Drive and Sheets. The mcp gdrive mcp server wraps that behind the Model Context Protocol, so an assistant can use it through 9 defined tools rather than through you.

What it actually does

This MCP server integrates with Google Drive to allow listing, reading, and searching files, as well as the ability to read and write to Google Sheets.

Adding it to your client

Setup follows the usual MCP pattern — install or clone the server, register it in your client's configuration file, restart the client. The configuration blocks on this page cover the common clients.

Its toolset

Everything the assistant can do here goes through one of these:

  • gdrive_searchDescription: Search for files in Google Drive
  • Input — - query (string): Search query
  • Output — Returns file names and MIME types of matching files
  • gdrive_read_fileDescription: Read contents of a file from Google Drive
  • gsheets_readDescription: Read data from a Google Spreadsheet with flexible options for ranges and formatting
  • gsheets_update_cellDescription: Update a cell value in a Google Spreadsheet
  • Tools — The Tools tool exposed by this server
  • Resources — The Resources tool exposed by this server
  • Authentication — Next you will need to run node ./dist/index.js to trigger the authentication step

Configuration

You will need 3 environment variables: CLIENT_ID, CLIENT_SECRET, GDRIVE_CREDS_DIR. The server will not start without them, which is usually why the tools fail to appear on a first run. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than in a file you might commit.

Caveats

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • With 9 tools registered it takes up a noticeable share of the context window; turn it off in projects that never touch MCP Gdrive.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • MCP clients confirm each tool call by default. Leave that on until you have watched what the mcp gdrive mcp server does with a few real requests.

When to reach for it

Among the file and storage access options, the useful question is rarely "what can it do" but "what does it cost you to run" — permissions, credentials, and how much of your context its toolset consumes. MCP Gdrive's toolset — gdrive_search, Input, Output and 6 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by isaacphi; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

This entry was verified against MCP Gdrive's own documentation before publication; SyncDev keeps the directory reviewed rather than auto-generated.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
gdrive_search**Description**: Search for files in Google Drive.
Input- query (string): Search query.
OutputReturns file names and MIME types of matching files.
gdrive_read_file**Description**: Read contents of a file from Google Drive.
gsheets_read**Description**: Read data from a Google Spreadsheet with flexible options for ranges and formatting.
gsheets_update_cell**Description**: Update a cell value in a Google Spreadsheet.
ToolsThe Tools tool exposed by this server.
ResourcesThe Resources tool exposed by this server.
AuthenticationNext you will need to run node ./dist/index.js to trigger the authentication step

How to install the MCP Gdrive MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gdrive": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@isaacphi/mcp-gdrive"],
      "env": {
        "CLIENT_ID": "<CLIENT_ID>",
        "CLIENT_SECRET": "<CLIENT_SECRET>",
        "GDRIVE_CREDS_DIR": "/path/to/config/directory"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
CLIENT_IDConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
CLIENT_SECRETCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
GDRIVE_CREDS_DIRFilesystem location the server is allowed to use.Optional

Example prompts to try

  • Use MCP Gdrive to gdrive search.
  • Use MCP Gdrive to Input.
  • Use MCP Gdrive to Output.

Frequently asked questions

It connects MCP Gdrive to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 9 tools (gdrive_search, Input, Output, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with MCP Gdrive directly.