📚Upload file to google drive using python

December 14, 2025

Upload Files to Google Drive Using Python

📹 Video Tutorial

https://youtu.be/ZL_9gqxAdok

📋 Prerequisites

✅ Google Account
✅ Python + IDE (VS Code recommended)
✅ Basic Python knowledge

📚 Python Installation Tutorials:

🔐 Part 1: Setting Up Google Drive API

Step 1: Enable Google Drive API

1. Go to: Google Drive API Console

2. Create a new project or select an existing one

3. Click Continue to enable the API

Step 2: Configure OAuth Consent Screen

1. Navigate to OAuth Consent Screen

2. Enter your application name and email address

3. Click Save

Step 3: Create OAuth Client ID

1. Go to Credentials tab

2. Click Create Credentials → OAuth client ID

3. Select Desktop app as application type

4. Download the JSON file

5. Rename it to client_secrets.json

✅ Success! You now have Google Drive API enabled and credentials downloaded.

💻 Part 2: Python Implementation

Step 1: Install Required Packages

📦 Installation Commands

pip install --upgrade google-api-python-client
pip install --upgrade oauth2client

Step 2: Organize Your Files

Place these files in the same folder:

📄 client_secrets.json (OAuth credentials)
🖼️ marearts.png (or any file you want to upload)
🐍 upload_to_drive.py (Python script below)

Step 3: Python Upload Script

🐍 upload_to_drive.py - Complete Script

"""
Google Drive File Upload Script
Automatically uploads files to Google Drive using OAuth2 authentication
"""

from googleapiclient.discovery import build
from httplib2 import Http
from oauth2client import file, client, tools

try:
    import argparse
    flags = argparse.ArgumentParser(parents=[tools.argparser]).parse_args()
except ImportError:
    flags = None

# Define API scope
SCOPES = 'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.file'

# Load credentials from storage
store = file.Storage('storage.json')
creds = store.get()

# If no valid credentials, authenticate user
if not creds or creds.invalid:
    print("Creating new storage data file...")
    flow = client.flow_from_clientsecrets('client_secrets.json', SCOPES)
    creds = tools.run_flow(flow, store, flags) \
            if flags else tools.run(flow, store)

# Build Google Drive service
DRIVE = build('drive', 'v3', http=creds.authorize(Http()))

# List of files to upload
FILES = (
    'marearts.png',
)

# Upload each file
for file_title in FILES:
    file_name = file_title
    
    # Set file metadata
    metadata = {
        'name': file_name,
        'mimeType': None
    }

    # Upload file to Google Drive
    res = DRIVE.files().create(body=metadata, media_body=file_name).execute()
    
    if res:
        print('Uploaded "%s" (%s)' % (file_name, res['mimeType']))
        print('File ID:', res['id'])

Step 4: First-Time Authentication

When you run the script for the first time:

🌐 A browser window will open automatically
🔐 Log in to your Google account
✅ Grant the requested permissions
💾 A storage.json file will be created (save this!)

Step 5: Run the Script

⚡ Execute the Script

python upload_to_drive.py

🎯 How It Works

Step	Description	Files Generated
1. Setup	Enable API and download credentials	client_secrets.json
2. First Run	Authenticate via browser	storage.json
3. Subsequent Runs	Automatic authentication using storage.json	-
4. Upload	Files uploaded to Google Drive	Files in Drive

🚀 Advanced Usage

Upload Multiple Files

🐍 Multiple Files Example

FILES = (
    'marearts.png',
    'document.pdf',
    'report.docx',
    'data.csv',
)

Upload to Specific Folder

🐍 Upload to Folder

# Specify folder ID in metadata
metadata = {
    'name': file_name,
    'parents': ['YOUR_FOLDER_ID_HERE'],  # Add folder ID
    'mimeType': None
}

🔍 Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Authentication fails	Delete storage.json and re-authenticate
File not found error	Check file path and ensure it's in same directory
Permission denied	Verify OAuth consent screen configuration
Module not found	Run pip install commands again