Google Drive Folder Reader
This document outlines the functionality and characteristics of the Google Drive Folder Reader node, which enables automated content extraction from multiple files in a Google Drive folder.
Node Inputs
Folder Selection (Choose one method)
- Select Folder: Choose a folder directly from Google Drive
- Use Link: Option to use a direct Google Drive folder URL
Supported File Types
- Google Docs/Sheets
- JSON
- CSV
- TXT
- HTML
Node Output
- File Names: List of all file names in the folder
- File Contents: List of content from all files in the folder
Node Functionality
The Google Drive Folder Reader node provides automated batch access to contents of all files within a specified folder.
Key features include:
- Support for multiple file formats
- Extracts data from all the files
- Loop mode to process multiple folders
- Secure authentication with Gumloop
Trigger Functionality
This node can also function as a trigger to start your flow when your drive folder receives a new file upload. Learn more about triggers here: https://docs.gumloop.com/core-concepts/triggers
When To Use
The Google Drive Folder Reader node is particularly valuable in scenarios requiring processing of multiple files. Common use cases include:
- Document Analysis: Extract and analyze text from multiple student essays or research papers
- Invoice Processing: Batch process invoices stored as PDFs to extract payment information
- Report Compilation: Combine daily sales reports from multiple store locations into a single dataset
- Dataset Processing: Extract and combine data from multiple CSV files containing customer feedback
Some specific examples:
- Reading monthly financial statements to aggregate spending patterns
- Processing student assignments to check for plagiarism
- Extracting product information from multiple specification sheets
- Combining daily log files for system performance analysis
Important Considerations:
- Requires Authentication with Google - Set up in the Credentials page
- You must have access to the folder
- Some file types may have formatting removed when converted to text
- Large folders or files may take longer to process
- PDF files will be converted to text format
In summary, the Google Drive Folder Reader node simplifies batch processing of files in Google Drive folders, automatically handling multiple file formats and providing organized access to both file names and contents.