Christine This workflow corresponds to n8n.io template #15456 — we link there as the canonical source.
This workflow follows the Google Drive → Google Sheets recipe pattern — see all workflows that pair these two integrations.
The workflow JSON
Copy or download the full n8n JSON below. Paste it into a new n8n workflow, add your credentials, activate. Full import guide →
{
"id": "9LpPrID2YPchvT3M",
"meta": {
"templateCredsSetupCompleted": true
},
"name": "Batch index Google Drive folder files into Google Sheets",
"tags": [
{
"id": "ESdtU65Wllxq9nEk",
"name": "auditing",
"createdAt": "2026-03-19T14:31:37.415Z",
"updatedAt": "2026-03-19T14:31:37.415Z"
},
{
"id": "NqkO0R23De6nAXL7",
"name": "indexing",
"createdAt": "2026-04-28T17:40:23.258Z",
"updatedAt": "2026-04-28T17:40:23.258Z"
},
{
"id": "trgwQdeUrjGXXPp8",
"name": "organization",
"createdAt": "2026-04-28T17:40:30.431Z",
"updatedAt": "2026-04-28T17:40:30.431Z"
}
],
"nodes": [
{
"id": "2824d89d-4d3d-44f1-8aab-7cb920d7bbd9",
"name": "When clicking \u2018Execute workflow\u2019",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger",
"position": [
0,
96
],
"parameters": {},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "4660a1e0-f29b-4d48-b871-1ce151bb5edb",
"name": "Config",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.set",
"position": [
224,
96
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"assignments": {
"assignments": [
{
"id": "4ce71ee7-467d-4990-8d1e-aa0e0e641cac",
"name": "targetFolderId",
"type": "string",
"value": "\"INPUT_FILE_ID_HERE\""
},
{
"id": "96eca677-e0f4-4574-8f00-ec314cd6ef7f",
"name": "indexSpreadsheetId",
"type": "string",
"value": "\"INPUT_GOOGLE_SPREADSHEET_ID_HERE\""
},
{
"id": "2b1357f6-4082-468d-9acd-e930fdea8b56",
"name": "indexSheetName",
"type": "string",
"value": "Sheet1 (OR_OTHER_SHEET_AS_APPROPRIATE)"
}
]
}
},
"typeVersion": 3.4
},
{
"id": "8979abe6-7651-47a2-b7c3-5917a88b061b",
"name": "List files and folders",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive",
"position": [
448,
0
],
"parameters": {
"filter": {},
"options": {
"fields": [
"id",
"mimeType",
"name",
"webViewLink"
]
},
"resource": "fileFolder",
"returnAll": true,
"queryString": "={{ \"'\" + $json.targetFolderId + \"' in parents and trashed = false\" }}",
"searchMethod": "query"
},
"credentials": {
"googleDriveOAuth2Api": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 3
},
{
"id": "68091f5d-60dd-4d1b-a50f-e8fe11e9f80d",
"name": "Get Existing Index Rows",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets",
"position": [
448,
192
],
"parameters": {
"options": {},
"filtersUI": {
"values": []
},
"sheetName": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "name",
"value": "={{ $('Config').item.json.indexSheetName }}"
},
"documentId": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "id",
"value": "={{ $('Config').item.json.indexSpreadsheetId }}"
}
},
"credentials": {
"googleSheetsOAuth2Api": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 4.7,
"alwaysOutputData": true
},
{
"id": "5efb9afe-76c5-49a3-bb45-cf4252c31eda",
"name": "Filter Already Indexed Files",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.code",
"position": [
896,
96
],
"parameters": {
"jsCode": "const existingRows = $('Get Existing Index Rows').all();\n\nconst existingIds = new Set(\n existingRows\n .map(row => row.json['File ID'])\n .filter(Boolean)\n);\n\nreturn items.filter(item => !existingIds.has(item.json.id));"
},
"typeVersion": 2
},
{
"id": "16df08cc-181d-458a-b4fb-b8ea3fc22803",
"name": "Prepare Index Row",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.code",
"position": [
1120,
96
],
"parameters": {
"jsCode": "return items.map(item => {\n const file = item.json;\n\n const extension = file.name && file.name.includes('.')\n ? file.name.split('.').pop().toLowerCase()\n : '';\n\n return {\n json: {\n 'File ID': file.id || '',\n 'File Name': file.name || '',\n 'MIME Type': file.mimeType || '',\n 'File Extension': extension,\n 'Google Drive URL': file.webViewLink || '',\n 'Indexed At': new Date().toISOString(),\n }\n };\n});"
},
"typeVersion": 2
},
{
"id": "1ecdc36f-a51b-494c-a956-07d41c6d8cc9",
"name": "Append Row to Index Sheet",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets",
"position": [
1344,
96
],
"parameters": {
"columns": {
"value": {},
"schema": [
{
"id": "File Name",
"type": "string",
"display": true,
"removed": false,
"required": false,
"displayName": "File Name",
"defaultMatch": false,
"canBeUsedToMatch": true
},
{
"id": "MIME Type",
"type": "string",
"display": true,
"removed": false,
"required": false,
"displayName": "MIME Type",
"defaultMatch": false,
"canBeUsedToMatch": true
},
{
"id": "File Extension",
"type": "string",
"display": true,
"removed": false,
"required": false,
"displayName": "File Extension",
"defaultMatch": false,
"canBeUsedToMatch": true
},
{
"id": "Google Drive URL",
"type": "string",
"display": true,
"removed": false,
"required": false,
"displayName": "Google Drive URL",
"defaultMatch": false,
"canBeUsedToMatch": true
},
{
"id": "Indexed At",
"type": "string",
"display": true,
"removed": false,
"required": false,
"displayName": "Indexed At",
"defaultMatch": false,
"canBeUsedToMatch": true
},
{
"id": "File ID",
"type": "string",
"display": true,
"removed": false,
"required": false,
"displayName": "File ID",
"defaultMatch": false,
"canBeUsedToMatch": true
}
],
"mappingMode": "autoMapInputData",
"matchingColumns": [],
"attemptToConvertTypes": false,
"convertFieldsToString": false
},
"options": {},
"operation": "append",
"sheetName": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "name",
"value": "={{ $('Config').item.json.indexSheetName }}"
},
"documentId": {
"__rl": true,
"mode": "id",
"value": "={{ $('Config').item.json.indexSpreadsheetId }}"
}
},
"credentials": {
"googleSheetsOAuth2Api": {
"name": "<your credential>"
}
},
"typeVersion": 4.7
},
{
"id": "a80b675b-94b6-4b6d-95c3-9e49107bae59",
"name": "Merge",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.merge",
"position": [
672,
96
],
"parameters": {
"mode": "chooseBranch"
},
"typeVersion": 3.2
},
{
"id": "2d48a86d-4a71-4886-8599-d98cc7ef1534",
"name": "Sticky Note3",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
-704,
-288
],
"parameters": {
"color": "#F1FF2E",
"width": 656,
"height": 800,
"content": "## How it works\n\n- On execution, the workflow reads a target Google Drive folder ID and destination spreadsheet from a single Config node \u2014 the only place you need to make changes.\n- Two branches run in parallel: one lists all files and folders inside the target Drive folder; the other reads any rows already present in the index spreadsheet.\n- A filter step compares the two lists by File ID, ensuring only new, previously unindexed files are processed \u2014 re-running the workflow will never create duplicates.\n- Each new file is formatted into a structured row containing: File Name, MIME Type, File Extension, Google Drive URL, File ID, and an ISO timestamp of when it was indexed.\n- New rows are appended to the specified sheet automatically.\n\n## Set-up Steps\n1. Connect your Google Drive and Google Sheets OAuth2 accounts in n8n credentials.\n2. Create a Google Sheet with the following column headers in row 1 (order does not matter): File Name, MIME Type, File Extension, Google Drive URL, File ID, Indexed At.\n3. Open the Config node and fill in three values: your target Google Drive folder ID, your Google Sheets spreadsheet ID, and the sheet tab name (defaults to Sheet1).\n4. Run the workflow manually to populate the index. Re-run anytime to append newly added files \u2014 existing entries are skipped automatically.\n\n## Requirements\n- Google Drive OAuth2 credentials (n8n built-in)\n- Google Sheets OAuth2 credentials (n8n built-in)\n- A Google Drive folder you want to index\n- A Google Sheet with the column headers listed above already in place\n\n## How to customize\n- Change what's captured: Edit the List files and folders node to request additional Drive file fields (e.g. createdTime, modifiedTime, owners), then add the corresponding columns to the Prepare Index Row code node.\n- Limit file volume: For folders with 50+ files, add an n8n Limit node between List files and folders and Merge to process in batches and avoid timeouts.\n- Schedule it: Swap the manual trigger for a Schedule trigger to keep your index automatically up to date on a recurring basis.\n- Filter by file type: Add an If or Filter node after List files and folders to only index specific MIME types (e.g. Google Docs only, PDFs only)."
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "03a7a24d-09ba-4e2f-9a8d-f753f50a9ada",
"name": "Sticky Note",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
-16,
32
],
"parameters": {
"width": 368,
"height": 224,
"content": "## Start-up Phase"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "746eb927-f8d3-4b55-901b-1cf4451d4859",
"name": "Sticky Note4",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
384,
-96
],
"parameters": {
"width": 416,
"height": 448,
"content": "## Pulling Information from Google Drive and Google Sheets"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "29ed3ce1-f80f-4534-95af-3ce88bf9f46c",
"name": "Sticky Note1",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
848,
-32
],
"parameters": {
"width": 416,
"height": 304,
"content": "## Processing information pulled from Google Drive and Goggle Sheets"
},
"typeVersion": 1
},
{
"id": "eb2b889c-18de-481b-af9a-507cd1454de3",
"name": "Sticky Note2",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"position": [
1296,
-32
],
"parameters": {
"width": 192,
"height": 304,
"content": "## Adding data to Index Sheet"
},
"typeVersion": 1
}
],
"active": false,
"settings": {
"binaryMode": "separate",
"executionOrder": "v1"
},
"versionId": "a8072480-0800-4752-ab84-cf7fbad28df2",
"connections": {
"Merge": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Filter Already Indexed Files",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Config": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "List files and folders",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
},
{
"node": "Get Existing Index Rows",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Prepare Index Row": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Append Row to Index Sheet",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"List files and folders": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Merge",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Get Existing Index Rows": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Merge",
"type": "main",
"index": 1
}
]
]
},
"Filter Already Indexed Files": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Prepare Index Row",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"When clicking \u2018Execute workflow\u2019": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Config",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
}
}
}
Credentials you'll need
Each integration node will prompt for credentials when you import. We strip credential IDs before publishing — you'll add your own.
googleDriveOAuth2ApigoogleSheetsOAuth2Api
Pro
For the full experience including quality scoring and batch install features for each workflow upgrade to Pro
About this workflow
Automatically catalog the contents of any Google Drive folder into a Google Sheets spreadsheet — capturing file names, types, extensions, Drive links, and timestamps in one click. Ideal for teams or individuals who need a living, auditable inventory of shared Drive folders…
Source: https://n8n.io/workflows/15456/ — original creator credit. Request a take-down →
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