Google Shared Drive Integrations

Using Motion.io, you can seamlessly embed Google Drive folders directly into client tasks and portal pages, as well as set up Zapier integrations to automatically send files uploaded through Motion.io to your Google Drive account.

While both integration options referenced above work flawlessly for personal Google Drives, because of the restrictions Google places on shared drives, there are a few limitations to be aware of.

Known Limitations of Google Shared Drives

Shared Drives in Google operate differently than traditional Drives. As Google explains in their support article on shared drives:

Shared drive files belong to the team instead of an individual. Even if members leave, the files stay in the shared drive so your team can keep sharing information and work anywhere, from any device.

Because files remain in shared drives even if members leave, Google has taken additional steps to restrict how shared drives can be integrated with other tools, Motion.io included. The two significant limitations of shared drives are:

• Zapier: Using Motion.io's "File Uploaded" trigger and Google's "Upload File" action, you can create Zaps that automatically send files added to Motion.io to Google Drive. While Google's Zapier integration allows you to specify a shared drive to upload files to each time, it does not allow you to search for specific folders in shared drives the way you can with folders in personal drives.
• FileStack: Motion.io uses Filestack to ensure smooth file uploads and processing across the app. While Filestack provides a convenient option to connect your Google Drive account and upload files directly inside Motion.io, shared drives can not be accessed.

Workarounds

Thankfully, there are a few easy workarounds to integrate Google Shared Drives with Motion.io:

• Download files from shared drives: Adding files to Motion.io from a shared drive is as simple as downloading the files you want to share from a shared drive and reuploading them in Motion.io.
• Embed shared drives in client tasks/portal pages: Just as personal drives can be embedded into Motion.io tasks and portal pages, shared drives and folders with shared drives can, too.
• Use shared folders instead of shared drives: While Google's Zapier integration provides limited support for shared drives, this isn't the case for personal drives. To take advantage of Google's full Zapier functionality, create folders in your personal drive and then provide shared access to the clients or team members who need it.