Sync New Files From Google Drive with Airtable

Who should use this workflow:

- Business Professionals: Those who regularly share files with clients or team members and need a streamlined process.
- Project Managers: Individuals managing projects that require constant file sharing and tracking.
- Administrative Staff: Personnel responsible for maintaining records and sharing important documents.
- Freelancers: Professionals who need to share work with clients and maintain a record of file submissions.

What problem does this workflow solve:

This workflow addresses the challenges of manually sharing files and tracking their metadata. It automates the process of:
- File Sharing: Quickly sharing newly uploaded files from Google Drive with specified recipients via email.
- Metadata Logging: Automatically logging essential file details (such as File ID, File Name, Created Time, and Modified Time) into Airtable for easy access and management.
By automating these tasks, it reduces the risk of errors and saves valuable time.

Detailed explanation of the workflow process:

1. Trigger Event: The workflow is manually triggered to start the process of syncing new files from Google Drive.
2. File Detection: It monitors a specific folder in Google Drive for any new files created.
3. File Sharing: Once a new file is detected, it shares the file with a specified email recipient, granting them writer access.
4. Metadata Logging: After sharing, it logs the file's metadata, including File ID, File Name, Created Time, Modified Time, and the sentId into Airtable for record-keeping.
5. End of Process: The workflow concludes, ensuring that the file is shared and logged without manual intervention.

How users can customize and adapt this workflow:

- Change the Recipient Email: Update the emailAddress parameter in the Share File with Recipient node to share files with different users.
- Modify Folder to Watch: Change the folderToWatch parameter in the Google Drive trigger node to monitor a different folder in Google Drive.
- Adjust Airtable Base and Table: Update the base and table parameters in the Log File Metadata node to log metadata into a different Airtable base or table.
- Email Permissions: Alter the role in the permissions if different access levels are needed (e.g., reader instead of writer).