PyDrive2

Warnings

• breaking Python 3.7 support was dropped in PyDrive2 version 1.16.0. Users on Python 3.7 or older must upgrade their Python environment to 3.8 or newer.
  Fix: Upgrade your Python environment to 3.8 or a later version.
• gotcha The original PyDrive library is deprecated and unmaintained. Using `pydrive` instead of `pydrive2` will lead to unpatched bugs and compatibility issues, especially with recent Google API changes.
  Fix: Migrate your code to use `pydrive2`. Update `pip install pydrive` to `pip install pydrive2` and change import statements from `pydrive` to `pydrive2`.
• gotcha Google's deprecation of Out-of-Band (OOB) OAuth flows may affect older authentication methods. `LocalWebserverAuth` is the recommended interactive flow.
  Fix: Ensure your OAuth client is configured as a 'Web application' in the Google Cloud Console, and use `LocalWebserverAuth()` or service account authentication. For `LocalWebserverAuth`, ensure `http://localhost:8080/` is an authorized redirect URI.
• gotcha Versions of `pyOpenSSL` and `cryptography` can cause import or runtime errors due to breaking changes in their APIs. Specific versions have been pinned in PyDrive2 to mitigate this.
  Fix: If encountering issues, ensure you are on the latest `pydrive2` version, which includes dependency pinning. If problems persist, manually pin `pyOpenSSL` to `<=24.2.1` and `cryptography` to `<44` or as specified in `pydrive2`'s `pyproject.toml` or `setup.cfg` for your installed version.
• gotcha For persistent authentication that doesn't require re-authorization on every run, you need to ensure a refresh token is obtained. This typically requires setting `access_type='offline'` in your OAuth configuration and persisting credentials (e.g., using `gauth.SaveCredentialsFile()`). Without it, access tokens will expire, requiring re-authentication.
  Fix: When setting up your OAuth client in Google Cloud Console, ensure it's configured to grant offline access. In your code, if using `LocalWebserverAuth`, it typically handles this, but always save and load credentials. For service accounts, ensure the service account has appropriate permissions.

Install

• pip install PyDrive2 Standard Install
• pip install PyDrive2[fsspec] Install with fsspec support

Imports

• GoogleAuth

  from pydrive2.auth import GoogleAuth

  PyDrive2 is a fork; ensure you import from `pydrive2` not the original `pydrive`.
• GoogleDrive

  from pydrive2.drive import GoogleDrive

  PyDrive2 is a fork; ensure you import from `pydrive2` not the original `pydrive`.

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates how to authenticate with Google Drive using `PyDrive2` and then upload a simple text file. It utilizes `LocalWebserverAuth` for initial authorization and saves credentials for subsequent runs. Ensure you have downloaded your `client_secrets.json` from the Google API Console and placed it in your working directory. You must enable the Google Drive API for your project in the Google Cloud Console.

import os
from pydrive2.auth import GoogleAuth
from pydrive2.drive import GoogleDrive

# IMPORTANT: Place your 'client_secrets.json' file in the same directory
# as this script, or specify its path in gauth.settings['client_config_file'].
# Instructions to get client_secrets.json: https://docs.iterative.ai/PyDrive2/quickstart/#authentication

gauth = GoogleAuth()
# Uncomment the following line to specify a custom path for client_secrets.json
# gauth.settings['client_config_file'] = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), 'path_to_your', 'client_secrets.json')

# Try to load saved client credentials
try:
    gauth.LoadCredentialsFile("mycreds.txt")
except Exception:
    pass # File might not exist yet

if gauth.credentials is None:
    # Authenticate if credentials are not found or invalid.
    # For persistent access, ensure your OAuth client is configured for 'offline' access
    # to receive a refresh token. This requires manual setup in Google Cloud Console.
    gauth.LocalWebserverAuth() 
elif gauth.access_token_expired:
    # Refresh credentials if the access token has expired
    gauth.Refresh()
else:
    # Authorize with the loaded credentials
    gauth.Authorize()

# Save the current credentials to a file for future use
gauth.SaveCredentialsFile("mycreds.txt")

drive = GoogleDrive(gauth)

# Create a text file and upload it to Google Drive
file_title = "MyTestFile_PyDrive2.txt"
file_content = "Hello, Google Drive from PyDrive2!"

file = drive.CreateFile({'title': file_title})
file.SetContentString(file_content)
file.Upload()
print(f"Uploaded file: {file['title']} (ID: {file['id']})")

# List files in the root folder of Google Drive
print("\nFiles in Google Drive (first 10):")
file_list = drive.ListFile({'q': "'root' in parents and trashed=false"}).GetList()
for f in file_list:
    print(f"Title: {f['title']}, ID: {f['id']}")