Node Inputs
File Selection (Choose one method)
- Select File: Choose a file directly from Google Drive
- Use Link: Option to use a direct Google Drive URL
Node Output
- File: The file object that can be:
- Passed directly to file operation nodes (PDF Reader, File Reader, etc.)
- Sent to communication nodes as attachments (Slack, Gmail, etc.)
- Used with the AI
Analyze Image
andAnalyze Video
nodes for image/video files
Working with File Outputs
The node’s output can be connected directly to various other nodes:File Operations
- PDF Reader: Process PDF files directly
- File Reader: Extract content from text files
Communication
- Slack Message Sender: Share files in Slack channels
- Gmail Sender: Send files as email attachments
- Discord Message Sender: Share files in Discord
AI Processing
Note: For text-based AI processing, files must first be processed by appropriate reader nodes:- Text files → File Reader
- PDFs → PDF Reader
- Google Docs → Google Docs Reader
- Google Sheets → Google Sheets Reader
Node Functionality
The Google Drive File Reader node provides automated access to files stored in Google Drive. Key features include:- Support for multiple file formats
- Loop mode to process multiple files
- Direct file selection or URL input
- Secure authentication with Gumloop
Example Workflows
1. Document Analysis Pipeline
2. File Distribution
3. Data Analysis
4. Image Analysis
When to Use
The Google Drive File Reader node is particularly valuable in scenarios requiring processing of files from Google Drive. Common use cases include:- Document Analysis: Extract and analyze text from essays or research papers
- Invoice Processing: Process invoices stored as PDFs to extract payment information
- Report Compilation: Access financial reports for analysis
- Dataset Processing: Extract data from spreadsheets containing customer feedback
- Media Processing: Analyze images or videos stored in Drive
- Reading financial statements to extract spending patterns
- Processing student assignments
- Extracting product information from specification sheets
- Analyzing system performance logs
- Processing images for content moderation
Important Considerations
- Requires Authentication with Google - Set up in the Credentials page
- You must have access to the file
- Text-based AI nodes (eg. Ask AI, Extract Data, Categorizer, etc) require content extraction first using the file operation nodes.