Work with Folders

Much of the information you'll need to get started inserting and retrieving files and folders is detailed in the Files reference. Here are a few more important keys to working with the Drive API methods for folders:

  • A folder is a file with the MIME type application/vnd.google-apps.folder and with no extension.
  • You can use the alias root to refer to the root folder anywhere a file ID is provided

The rest of this page provides some details on important considerations for creating folders and inserting files in folders.

Creating a folder

In the Drive API, a folder is essentially a file — one identified by the special folder MIME type application/vnd.google-apps.folder. You can create a new folder by inserting a file with this MIME type and a folder title. Do not include an extension when setting a folder title.

Java

File fileMetadata = new File();
fileMetadata.setName("Invoices");
fileMetadata.setMimeType("application/vnd.google-apps.folder");

File file = driveService.files().create(fileMetadata)
    .setFields("id")
    .execute();
System.out.println("Folder ID: " + file.getId());

Python

file_metadata = {
    'name': 'Invoices',
    'mimeType': 'application/vnd.google-apps.folder'
}
file = drive_service.files().create(body=file_metadata,
                                    fields='id').execute()
print 'Folder ID: %s' % file.get('id')

PHP

$fileMetadata = new Google_Service_Drive_DriveFile(array(
    'name' => 'Invoices',
    'mimeType' => 'application/vnd.google-apps.folder'));
$file = $driveService->files->create($fileMetadata, array(
    'fields' => 'id'));
printf("Folder ID: %s\n", $file->id);

.NET

var fileMetadata = new File()
{
    Name = "Invoices",
    MimeType = "application/vnd.google-apps.folder"
};
var request = driveService.Files.Create(fileMetadata);
request.Fields = "id";
var file = request.Execute();
Console.WriteLine("Folder ID: " + file.Id);

Ruby

file_metadata = {
    name: 'Invoices',
    mime_type: 'application/vnd.google-apps.folder'
}
file = drive_service.create_file(file_metadata, fields: 'id')
puts "Folder Id: #{file.id}"

Node.js

var fileMetadata = {
  'name': 'Invoices',
  'mimeType': 'application/vnd.google-apps.folder'
};
drive.files.create({
  resource: fileMetadata,
  fields: 'id'
}, function (err, file) {
  if (err) {
    // Handle error
    console.error(err);
  } else {
    console.log('Folder Id: ', file.id);
  }
});

Objective-C

GTLRDrive_File *metadata = [GTLRDrive_File object];
metadata.name = @"Invoices";
metadata.mimeType = @"application/vnd.google-apps.folder";
GTLRDriveQuery_FilesCreate *query = [GTLRDriveQuery_FilesCreate queryWithObject:metadata
                                                               uploadParameters:nil];
query.fields = @"id";
[driveService executeQuery:query completionHandler:^(GTLRServiceTicket *ticket,
                                                     GTLRDrive_File *file,
                                                     NSError *error) {
    if (error == nil) {
        NSLog(@"File ID %@", file.identifier);
    } else {
        NSLog(@"An error occurred: %@", error);
    }
}];

Inserting a file in a folder

To insert a file in a particular folder, specify the correct ID in the parents property of the file, as shown:

Java

String folderId = "0BwwA4oUTeiV1TGRPeTVjaWRDY1E";
File fileMetadata = new File();
fileMetadata.setName("photo.jpg");
fileMetadata.setParents(Collections.singletonList(folderId));
java.io.File filePath = new java.io.File("files/photo.jpg");
FileContent mediaContent = new FileContent("image/jpeg", filePath);
File file = driveService.files().create(fileMetadata, mediaContent)
    .setFields("id, parents")
    .execute();
System.out.println("File ID: " + file.getId());

Python

folder_id = '0BwwA4oUTeiV1TGRPeTVjaWRDY1E'
file_metadata = {
    'name': 'photo.jpg',
    'parents': [folder_id]
}
media = MediaFileUpload('files/photo.jpg',
                        mimetype='image/jpeg',
                        resumable=True)
file = drive_service.files().create(body=file_metadata,
                                    media_body=media,
                                    fields='id').execute()
print 'File ID: %s' % file.get('id')

PHP

$folderId = '0BwwA4oUTeiV1TGRPeTVjaWRDY1E';
$fileMetadata = new Google_Service_Drive_DriveFile(array(
    'name' => 'photo.jpg',
    'parents' => array($folderId)
));
$content = file_get_contents('files/photo.jpg');
$file = $driveService->files->create($fileMetadata, array(
    'data' => $content,
    'mimeType' => 'image/jpeg',
    'uploadType' => 'multipart',
    'fields' => 'id'));
printf("File ID: %s\n", $file->id);

.NET

var folderId = "0BwwA4oUTeiV1TGRPeTVjaWRDY1E";
var fileMetadata = new File()
{
    Name = "photo.jpg",
    Parents = new List<string>
    {
        folderId
    }
};
FilesResource.CreateMediaUpload request;
using (var stream = new System.IO.FileStream("files/photo.jpg",
    System.IO.FileMode.Open))
{
    request = driveService.Files.Create(
        fileMetadata, stream, "image/jpeg");
    request.Fields = "id";
    request.Upload();
}
var file = request.ResponseBody;
Console.WriteLine("File ID: " + file.Id);

Ruby

folder_id = '0BwwA4oUTeiV1TGRPeTVjaWRDY1E'
file_metadata = {
    name: 'photo.jpg',
    parents: [folder_id]
}
file = drive_service.create_file(file_metadata,
                                 fields: 'id',
                                 upload_source: 'files/photo.jpg',
                                 content_type: 'image/jpeg')
puts "File Id: #{file.id}"

Node.js

var folderId = '0BwwA4oUTeiV1TGRPeTVjaWRDY1E';
var fileMetadata = {
  'name': 'photo.jpg',
  parents: [folderId]
};
var media = {
  mimeType: 'image/jpeg',
  body: fs.createReadStream('files/photo.jpg')
};
drive.files.create({
  resource: fileMetadata,
  media: media,
  fields: 'id'
}, function (err, file) {
  if (err) {
    // Handle error
    console.error(err);
  } else {
    console.log('File Id: ', file.id);
  }
});

Objective-C

NSData *fileData = [[NSFileManager defaultManager] contentsAtPath:@"files/photo.jpg"];
NSString *folderId = @"0BwwA4oUTeiV1UVNwOHItT0xfa2M";

GTLRDrive_File *metadata = [GTLRDrive_File object];
metadata.name = @"photo.jpg";
metadata.parents = [NSArray arrayWithObject:folderId];

GTLRUploadParameters *uploadParameters = [GTLRUploadParameters uploadParametersWithData:fileData
                                                                               MIMEType:@"image/jpeg"];
uploadParameters.shouldUploadWithSingleRequest = TRUE;
GTLRDriveQuery_FilesCreate *query = [GTLRDriveQuery_FilesCreate queryWithObject:metadata
                                                               uploadParameters:uploadParameters];
query.fields = @"id";
[driveService executeQuery:query completionHandler:^(GTLRServiceTicket *ticket,
                                                     GTLRDrive_File *file,
                                                     NSError *error) {
    if (error == nil) {
        NSLog(@"File ID %@", file.identifier);
    } else {
        NSLog(@"An error occurred: %@", error);
    }
}];

The parents property can be used when creating a folder as well to create a subfolder.

Moving files between folders

To add or remove parents for an existing file, use the addParents and removeParents query parameters on the files.update method.

Both parameters may be used to move a file from one folder to another, as shown:

Java

String fileId = "1sTWaJ_j7PkjzaBWtNc3IzovK5hQf21FbOw9yLeeLPNQ";
String folderId = "0BwwA4oUTeiV1TGRPeTVjaWRDY1E";
// Retrieve the existing parents to remove
File file = driveService.files().get(fileId)
    .setFields("parents")
    .execute();
StringBuilder previousParents = new StringBuilder();
for (String parent : file.getParents()) {
  previousParents.append(parent);
  previousParents.append(',');
}
// Move the file to the new folder
file = driveService.files().update(fileId, null)
    .setAddParents(folderId)
    .setRemoveParents(previousParents.toString())
    .setFields("id, parents")
    .execute();

Python

file_id = '1sTWaJ_j7PkjzaBWtNc3IzovK5hQf21FbOw9yLeeLPNQ'
folder_id = '0BwwA4oUTeiV1TGRPeTVjaWRDY1E'
# Retrieve the existing parents to remove
file = drive_service.files().get(fileId=file_id,
                                 fields='parents').execute()
previous_parents = ",".join(file.get('parents'))
# Move the file to the new folder
file = drive_service.files().update(fileId=file_id,
                                    addParents=folder_id,
                                    removeParents=previous_parents,
                                    fields='id, parents').execute()

PHP

$fileId = '1sTWaJ_j7PkjzaBWtNc3IzovK5hQf21FbOw9yLeeLPNQ';
$folderId = '0BwwA4oUTeiV1TGRPeTVjaWRDY1E';
$emptyFileMetadata = new Google_Service_Drive_DriveFile();
// Retrieve the existing parents to remove
$file = $driveService->files->get($fileId, array('fields' => 'parents'));
$previousParents = join(',', $file->parents);
// Move the file to the new folder
$file = $driveService->files->update($fileId, $emptyFileMetadata, array(
    'addParents' => $folderId,
    'removeParents' => $previousParents,
    'fields' => 'id, parents'));

.NET

var fileId = "1sTWaJ_j7PkjzaBWtNc3IzovK5hQf21FbOw9yLeeLPNQ";
var folderId = "0BwwA4oUTeiV1TGRPeTVjaWRDY1E";
// Retrieve the existing parents to remove
var getRequest = driveService.Files.Get(fileId);
getRequest.Fields = "parents";
var file = getRequest.Execute();
var previousParents = String.Join(",", file.Parents);
// Move the file to the new folder
var updateRequest = driveService.Files.Update(new File(), fileId);
updateRequest.Fields = "id, parents";
updateRequest.AddParents = folderId;
updateRequest.RemoveParents = previousParents;
file = updateRequest.Execute();

Ruby

file_id = '1sTWaJ_j7PkjzaBWtNc3IzovK5hQf21FbOw9yLeeLPNQ'
folder_id = '0BwwA4oUTeiV1TGRPeTVjaWRDY1E'
# Retrieve the existing parents to remove
file = drive_service.get_file(file_id,
                              fields: 'parents')
previous_parents = file.parents.join(',')
# Move the file to the new folder
file = drive_service.update_file(file_id,
                                 add_parents: folder_id,
                                 remove_parents: previous_parents,
                                 fields: 'id, parents')

Node.js

fileId = '1sTWaJ_j7PkjzaBWtNc3IzovK5hQf21FbOw9yLeeLPNQ'
folderId = '0BwwA4oUTeiV1TGRPeTVjaWRDY1E'
// Retrieve the existing parents to remove
drive.files.get({
  fileId: fileId,
  fields: 'parents'
}, function (err, file) {
  if (err) {
    // Handle error
    console.error(err);
  } else {
    // Move the file to the new folder
    var previousParents = file.parents.join(',');
    drive.files.update({
      fileId: fileId,
      addParents: folderId,
      removeParents: previousParents,
      fields: 'id, parents'
    }, function (err, file) {
      if (err) {
        // Handle error
      } else {
        // File moved.
      }
    });
  }
});

Objective-C

NSString *fileId = @"1sTWaJ_j7PkjzaBWtNc3IzovK5hQf21FbOw9yLeeLPNQ";
NSString *folderId = @"0BwwA4oUTeiV1TGRPeTVjaWRDY1E";
GTLRDrive_File *metadata = [GTLRDrive_File object];
metadata.modifiedTime = [GTLRDateTime dateTimeWithDate:[NSDate date]];
// ...

GTLRDriveQuery_FilesGet *query = [GTLRDriveQuery_FilesGet queryWithFileId:fileId];
query.fields = @"parents";
[driveService executeQuery:query completionHandler:^(GTLRServiceTicket *ticket,
                                                     GTLRDrive_File *file,
                                                     NSError * error) {
    GTLRDriveQuery_FilesUpdate *query = [GTLRDriveQuery_FilesUpdate queryWithObject:metadata
                                                                             fileId:fileId
                                                                   uploadParameters:nil];
    if (error == nil) {
        query.addParents = folderId;
        query.removeParents = [file.parents componentsJoinedByString:@", "];
        query.fields = @"id, parents";
        [driveService executeQuery:query completionHandler:^(GTLRServiceTicket *ticket,
                                                             GTLRDrive_File *file,
                                                             NSError *error) {
            if (error == nil) {
                NSLog(@"Modified time: %@", [file.modifiedTime stringValue]);
            } else {
                NSLog(@"An error occurred: %@", error);
            }
        }];
    } else {
        NSLog(@"An error occurred: %@", error);
    }
}];

Send feedback about...

This page
Documentation feedback
Drive REST API
Drive REST API
Product feedback
Need help? Visit our support page.