This is the updated documentation for Google Drive. Check Common Info for other details.
Syncing Your Account
To Get Started:
- Go to the Integration Center from the bottom left.
- Select Google Drive from the list.
Connecting Your Account (Step 3):
-
Click the Connect Google Drive button. The Setup Wizard will walk you through the connection. You’ll be able to create:
- Private Connection, which is best for personal use and provides flexibility and independent management of your integration. All content uploaded will be private to you by default, but you can manually share documents within AlphaSense.
- Shared Connection, which enables the ingestion of data and the mirroring of permissions, as seen on Google Drive, into AlphaSense. All content ingested in this connection can be viewed by people who have access to the content on Google Drive and are present in AlphaSense. But the user must have an editor or owner role for the folder to mirror permissions in My Drive. Otherwise, the permissions mirroring won’t work. In Shared Drive, any level of access will mirror the permissions.
- The connecting account must have Editor access or higher on every My Drive folder to be indexed
- The connecting account can have any level of access (including Viewer) on each Shared Drive to sync; permissions will still be mirrored.
- Workspace Connection: Not supported yet.
- Follow the prompts to sign in to Google and grant access to AlphaSense.
Select the Google account you want to connect and select the required permissions.
Private vs Shared Connection (at a glance)
| Topic | Private Connection | Shared Connection |
|---|---|---|
| Who should use it | Individual use | Team / org ingestion with permission mirroring |
| Who can see ingested files in AlphaSense | Only you by default (unless you share in AlphaSense) | Anyone who has access in Google Drive and exists in AlphaSense |
| Can AlphaSense sharing override source permissions? | Yes (you can share within AlphaSense) | No (Google Drive permissions are mirrored) |
FAQ and Troubleshooting
Q: How often does Google Drive content sync?
- A: Synced folders automatically refresh every 15 minutes to keep content current.
Q: Will newly created Google Drive folders sync automatically?
- A: No. New folders must be manually added in the Google Drive connector configuration before they can sync. If a newly added file/folder falls under a synced folder, it will sync automatically.
Q: What permissions are required to sync Google Drive content?
- A: For a Private Connection, you need access (view or higher) to each folder you select. For a Shared Connection, users need access (view or higher) to the Drive items, either directly or through a Google Group, depending on how permissions are managed in your organization.
Q: What permissions are required to view Google Drive content in AlphaSense?
- A: For a Private Connection, synced content is private by default and must be shared manually in AlphaSense.
- For a Shared Connection, users with access in Google Drive can view the content in AlphaSense. Google Drive permissions cannot be overridden in AlphaSense.
Q: I connected successfully, but my colleague can't see the content. Why?
- A: For a Private Connection, content is private unless you share it in AlphaSense. For a Shared Connection, your colleague must have access to the content in Google Drive (directly or via a group) and be present in AlphaSense. And the user who has synced the folder in AlphaSense must have the editor or owner role in Google Drive.
Q: What happens if Google Drive permissions change after content is synced?
- A: For a Shared Connection, AlphaSense mirrors Google Drive permissions for synced content. File/folder updates are picked up during regular sync; however, permission-only changes may not appear until the next refresh cycle, depending on how the connector detects changes.
Q: Are groups supported in AlphaSense for Google Drive in a shared connection type?
- A: For a Shared Connection, AlphaSense mirrors Google Drive users’ permissions for synced content only and not group permissions. As group members API is not supported by Google Drive itself.
Q: Where will MyDrive, Shared Drive, and Shared with me be shown in AlphaSense?
- A: My Drive And Shared With Me Folders and Files that are shown separately in Google Drive, will be should in a single folder My Drive in AlphaSense.
Google Drive
AlphaSense