glideapps / glideapps/expert-issues

BYO Google Drive Authentication for File Uploads

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Description

Allow Glide app users to authenticate and access *their own* Google Drive accounts to upload or select files directly within forms (e.g., populate a Form → URL column).

## Summary
Currently, Glide users cannot authenticate with their individual Google Drive accounts to attach or select files directly from Drive. Instead, they must manually download files from Google Drive to their device and re-upload them through the Glide interface. Enabling "Bring Your Own Google Drive Key" (BYO API Key) or direct user authentication would streamline this process.

## Current Problem
For organizations using Google Workspace, many workflows rely on Drive for document management (e.g., invoices, receipts, photos, or reports).
However, when users fill out forms in a Glide app, there’s no native way to select files directly from their Google Drive.
This results in a cumbersome multi-step process:
1. Open Google Drive.
2. Download the file locally.
3. Return to the Glide form and upload the file again.

This workflow adds friction, especially for users submitting files frequently or on mobile devices.

## Examples/Scenarios
- Employees uploading receipts or expense reports stored in their personal Drive (“My Drive”) folders.
- Contractors submitting deliverables that already live in Drive, such as proposals or signed PDFs.
- Teams using Glide apps for approvals, where Drive is the source of truth for documentation.

## Why This Matters
- Greatly improves UX for Google Workspace users.
- Reduces redundant file downloads and re-uploads.
- Encourages enterprise adoption among Google Workspace-heavy organizations.
- Aligns Glide with modern authentication standards for external storage integration.

## Suggested UX
- **BYO Google Drive Connection:** Allow app users to connect their own Google account (OAuth) for Drive access.
- **Drive Picker Integration:** Within a File Upload or URL input field, add an option to “Select from Google Drive.”
- **Security:** Limit scope to read-only file access for selected uploads; Glide should only store the file’s shared link or copy.
- **Admin Controls:** Optionally allow app owners to restrict or enable BYO Google Drive for certain user roles or app types.

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