Google Drive Integration
Connect Google Drive to Brief to extract context from Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
Google Drive provides Brief with strategic context, product documentation, and data from your Google Workspace. Brief can read from Docs, Sheets, and Slides to understand your product strategy and metrics.
What data does Brief extract?
- Google Docs — Strategy docs, PRDs, meeting notes, decision records
- Google Sheets — Roadmaps, metrics dashboards, research data
- Google Slides — Presentations, pitch decks, quarterly reviews
- Shared Drives — Team-level documentation
Why should I connect Google Drive to Brief?
Strategic Context
Extract goals, OKRs, product strategy, and roadmaps directly from your Google Workspace documents.
Metrics & Data
Brief reads metrics from Google Sheets to understand your product performance and goals.
MCP Write Access
When using Brief via MCP, your AI can create and edit Google Docs directly from your IDE.
How do I set up this integration?
Initial sync: 2-5 minutes (depends on how many files you share)
Updates: Real-time via webhooks
Steps
- Go to Integrations in Brief
- Find Google Drive and click Connect
- Sign in with your Google account
- Grant permissions — Allow Brief to read and write to Drive
- Select folders to sync (optional) — Choose specific folders or sync everything
- Done! Brief starts syncing
What happens after I connect?
After connecting:
- Initial scan — Brief indexes shared files (2-5 minutes)
- Content extraction — Extracts context from Docs, Sheets, Slides
- Webhook registration — Brief subscribes to file updates
- Continuous sync — Updates automatically when files change
Supported File Types
| File Type | What Brief Extracts | MCP Write Support |
|---|---|---|
| Google Docs | Full text content, headings, tables | ✅ Yes |
| Google Sheets | Data, formulas, named ranges | ✅ Yes |
| Google Slides | Slide text, speaker notes | ✅ Yes |
| PDFs | Text content (read-only) | ❌ No |
| Other files | Metadata only (title, owner, dates) | ❌ No |
Permissions & Privacy
What Brief Can Access
- Files you explicitly share — Only files/folders you grant access to
- Shared Drive content — If you're a member and grant permission
- Metadata — File names, owners, modification dates
What Brief Cannot Access
- Private files — Files you don't explicitly share
- Other users' private files — Even if in the same org
- Deleted files — Trash items are not synced
Common Issues
"Access denied" during setup
Cause: Your Google Workspace admin restricts third-party apps Fix: Ask your workspace admin to approve Brief in Admin Console → Apps → Marketplace apps
Why aren't any files syncing?
Cause: Brief doesn't have access to any files or folders Fix: Check sharing settings in Google Drive. Make sure Brief has at least "View" access.
"Files not updating"
Cause: Webhook delivery issues or Google API rate limits Fix: Wait 5 minutes for retry. If issues persist, disconnect and reconnect.
"Can't write to file via MCP"
Cause: Brief only has read access or file is restricted Fix: Grant Brief "Edit" access to the file in Google Drive sharing settings
What's Next?
Now that Google Drive is connected:
- Connect Notion — Cross-reference docs across tools
- Connect Linear — Link docs to work items
- Set Up MCP — Create and edit Google Docs from your IDE
- View Integrations — See all available integrations