By Ira Bodnar, Ryze AI · Updated
Quick answer
To connect ChatGPT to Google Drive, connect Drive in a Ryze AI workspace with your Google sign-in, then in ChatGPT Plugins add https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp as a custom MCP server with OAuth, sign in to Ryze AI, allow the workspace and start a new conversation. The tools reach only the files you pick in Ryze AI or files it created.
- In Ryze AI open Integrations, find Google Drive under Files and click Connect
- In ChatGPT open Plugins, click the plus button and choose Add custom MCP server
- Enter the name Ryze AI, the URL above and OAuth, then Create as a plugin
- Sign in to Ryze AI, click Allow connection, install, start a new conversation and type @
Before you start
- A ChatGPT plan that allows custom MCP servers. OpenAI says custom MCP server connections and full MCP support are available for ChatGPT Business and Enterprise/Edu customers on ChatGPT web. Pro users can connect custom MCP servers with read and fetch permissions only, so the Sheet and Doc write tools are not available there. OpenAI's article does not mention Free, Go or Plus.
- Admin rights on Business. On Business only admins and owners can create and publish plugins for custom MCP servers. On Enterprise/Edu, admins and owners can, and admins can grant other members permission through RBAC. Members who cannot add it themselves ask an admin.
- A Google account that owns or can open the files. Drive connects one Google account per workspace. You approve access during the sign-in, and the files themselves are chosen later in the Ryze AI file picker.
- A Ryze AI workspace on a plan or free trial. Paid Ads is $89 per month with a 7-day free trial; SEO Starter is $129 per month with a 3-day free trial. Connecting the connector is free, and the Drive tools need an active plan or trial.
- ChatGPT on the web. OpenAI says custom MCP servers cannot be connected on mobile.
How to connect ChatGPT to Google Drive
Two steps happen in Ryze AI and Google, then five in ChatGPT. The URL is the same for every user.
Connect Google Drive in Ryze AI
Create a Ryze AI account or sign in, open Integrations and find the Google Drive card under Files. Click Connect, sign in with Google and approve access. You can also start from the chat composer: click + (Add to message), then Attach files, then Upload from Drive. If Drive is not connected yet, Ryze AI starts the connection and returns you to the file picker.
Pick the files you want ChatGPT to use
In the Ryze AI chat click + (Add to message), then Attach files, then Upload from Drive, and choose the Sheets, Docs or files you want. The tools only see files picked this way and files Ryze AI created, so do this before you ask ChatGPT to work on a file.
Open Plugins and add a custom MCP server
In ChatGPT on the web go to Plugins (chatgpt.com/plugins), select the plus button, then Add custom MCP server. Developer Mode does not need to be turned on first; account and workspace policies still apply.
Enter the name, URL and OAuth
Enter the name Ryze AI and, if you like, a description. Under Connection enter the public URL https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp. For authentication choose OAuth, review the risk warning and select I understand and want to continue.
Create the plugin and review the tools
Select Create as a plugin and review the tools ChatGPT discovered. The list should include the 7 google_drive tools once Drive is connected.
Sign in to Ryze AI and allow the workspace
Complete the Ryze AI sign-in when ChatGPT asks, choose the workspace that holds your Drive connection and click Allow connection.
Install it and ask your first question
Install the plugin, start a new conversation, type @ and select Ryze AI. Then ask: List the Google Drive files you can access.
The Ryze AI help center Google Drive guide covers the Google side of the connection, and the Ryze AI help center ChatGPT guide covers the ChatGPT side.
The older custom app flow
The Ryze AI help center still describes ChatGPT's older custom app route. If your workspace shows Settings, Apps instead of the Plugins page, the steps are:
- Open Settings, Apps, Advanced settings and turn on Developer mode.
- Click Create app.
- Name it Ryze AI, set the MCP server URL to https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp (keep Server URL, not Tunnel) and choose OAuth.
- Tick I understand and want to continue, then click Create.
- Click Sign in with Ryze AI, log in, choose workspaces and click Allow connection.
- Start a new chat.
OpenAI's current flow starts from Plugins and does not need Developer mode, so the Developer mode toggle could not be verified in OpenAI's current docs. Use whichever path your account shows.
Business and Enterprise publishing
On Business and Enterprise/Edu an admin or owner connects and tests Ryze AI first, then publishes it for the workspace:
- Connect and test Ryze AI with the steps above.
- Open Admin Console, select the workspace, then Plugins, Manage Legacy Apps, Drafts and Publish. Review the safety warnings for write actions.
- On Enterprise/Edu, admins can use Configure Actions and Configure Access before publishing.
- Members find published apps under Settings, Plugins.
After an admin approves a connection for a workspace, ChatGPT uses a frozen snapshot of its tools. Changes apply only after an admin refreshes and publishes an update.
Claude, Claude Code and Cursor
The same URL works in other MCP clients, and Google Drive is connected once in Ryze AI, so nothing changes on the Google side.
Claude
Open Customize, Connectors, click + Add, choose Add custom connector, name it Ryze AI, enter https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp and click Connect. On Team and Enterprise an Owner adds the connector first. In Claude you can set write tools to Needs approval under Customize, Connectors, Ryze AI.
Claude Code
Run this command, then use /mcp inside Claude Code to sign in:
claude mcp add --transport http ryze https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp --scope userCursor
Add the server to .cursor/mcp.json, then sign in on the Ryze AI page and click Allow connection:
{ "mcpServers": { "ryze": { "url": "https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp" } } }Drive access and permissions
The Google side of the connection is a standard Google OAuth sign-in with one narrow scope. Three things decide what ChatGPT can see and change.
- Which files
- Only files you pick in the Ryze AI file picker and files Ryze AI created. The tools do not browse your Drive on their own, and files outside those two groups are invisible to them, including from ChatGPT.
- Which Google account
- One Google account per workspace for Drive. To use another account, disconnect Drive in Ryze AI and connect again.
- Which plan in ChatGPT
- On Pro, OpenAI allows read and fetch permissions only. Full custom MCP support, including write actions, is on Business and Enterprise/Edu. Write actions may ask for confirmation, and some risky actions may be blocked.
The Drive scope
Ryze AI asks Google for one Drive scope. Google describes it as a per-file permission, and classifies it as non-sensitive and recommended.
| Scope | Why it is requested |
|---|---|
| https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.file | Lets the app create Drive files, or change files, that you open with the app or share with it through a file picker. This is why Ryze AI works only with picked files and files it created. |
Sources: Google's Drive API scope guide and the Ryze AI help center Google Drive guide.
Removing access
To remove access, disconnect Google Drive on its card in Ryze AI. In ChatGPT, open Plugins, select the Ryze AI server and remove it. You can also review third-party access in your Google Account security settings.
What ChatGPT can do in Google Drive
The Ryze AI connector exposes 7 Google Drive tools: 3 read and 4 write. There is no delete tool. Each runs as the Google account you connected.
| Tool | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| google_drive__listFiles | Read | Lists the Google Drive files the app can access, newest first, with an optional Drive search filter. |
| google_drive__readFile | Read | Reads a Drive file by ID: Sheets return cell values, Docs and Slides return plain text, and text, CSV and JSON files return their content. |
| google_drive__getSheetValues | Read | Reads cell values from a Google Sheet range or tab. |
| google_drive__updateSheetValues | Write | Overwrites cell values in a Google Sheet range; formulas are allowed. |
| google_drive__appendSheetValues | Write | Appends rows after the last row of a table in a Google Sheet. |
| google_drive__createFile | Write | Creates a new Google Sheet, Google Doc, or text, CSV or JSON file in your Drive and returns its link. |
| google_drive__writeDoc | Write | Writes plain text into a Google Doc, either appended at the end or replacing the whole document. |
In the Ryze AI chat the Tool approvals setting starts on Skip all approvals, and you can switch it to Approve write & delete or Manual approve. That setting is separate from ChatGPT, where write actions may ask for confirmation based on app permissions and context. Overwriting a Sheet range or replacing a whole Doc is a write, so check the confirmation before you accept it.
First 3 prompts to run
1. Read a keyword list from a Sheet
Read the Sheet I attached in Ryze AI, tab Keywords, and list every keyword with the other columns next to it.
Tools used: google_drive__listFiles, google_drive__getSheetValues
What comes back: The cell values of that tab as a table in the chat. Only a Sheet you picked in the file picker, or one Ryze AI created, can be read.
2. Write a report into a new Doc
Create a new Google Doc called Weekly notes and write a plain text summary of this conversation into it.
Tools used: google_drive__createFile, google_drive__writeDoc
What comes back: A new Doc in your Drive with a link, containing plain text. Doc writes carry no headings, links or formatting.
3. Append rows to a Sheet
Append these rows after the last row of the table in the Sheet I picked, then read the range back so I can check them.
Tools used: google_drive__appendSheetValues, google_drive__getSheetValues
What comes back: New rows added under the existing table, and the range read back for you to compare against what you asked for.
Each answer comes from your own files, so this page describes what comes back instead of showing sample output. Tell ChatGPT the Sheet or Doc by name, and attach it in Ryze AI first if it is not one Ryze AI created.
Ryze AI vs OpenAI's Drive app and Google's Drive MCP server
Drive has three routes into ChatGPT or other AI clients: OpenAI's own Google Drive app, Google's Workspace MCP server and the Ryze AI connector. They suit different jobs.
| Option | Setup | Drive coverage | Access | Works in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryze AI connector | Google sign-in inside Ryze AI, then the URL https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp with OAuth in ChatGPT Plugins | 7 tools: 3 read, 4 write, no delete. Read Sheets, Docs and Slides text; update or append Sheet cells; create files; write plain text into Docs | drive.file scope: only files you pick or Ryze AI created. Needs an active Ryze AI plan or trial | ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Code, Cursor |
| OpenAI Google Drive app | In ChatGPT, Settings, Apps, find Google Drive and click Connect, then sign in to Google. Business and Enterprise workspaces are set up by an owner or admin | OpenAI describes a Drive app that syncs your files so ChatGPT can use them, with Docs, Sheets and Slides handled by one Drive app | Per OpenAI's help center, you authorize ChatGPT to see and download your Drive files | ChatGPT |
| Google Drive MCP server | Remote server at https://drivemcp.googleapis.com/mcp/v1. You enable the MCP service in a Google Cloud project and create an OAuth client marked for an AI-powered agent | Google's docs list Drive scopes drive.readonly and drive.file; Google's page lists Drive, Docs, Sheets and Slides as separate servers | OAuth 2.0 through your own Google Cloud project. In developer preview | Antigravity, Claude on paid plans, and custom apps with Streamable HTTP and OAuth 2.0 |
If ChatGPT only needs to read across your whole Drive, OpenAI's own Drive app is the direct route. Google's server suits developers who want to run their own Google Cloud project. The Ryze AI connector is hosted, works in several clients on one URL and adds tools that update Sheets and write Docs, within the files you pick. The OpenAI article could not be opened by script on the build day, so confirm its current plan list on OpenAI's page before relying on it. ChatGPT is not named in Google's list of supported clients for its Workspace servers.
Sources: Google Workspace MCP servers, OpenAI Help Center: Google Drive app, OpenAI: connect a custom MCP server, OpenAI Help Center: custom MCP servers, Ryze AI Google Drive integration. Checked November 10, 2026.
Errors and fixes
- There is no Add custom MCP server option
- Your plan or workspace may not allow it. OpenAI lists full custom MCP support for Business and Enterprise/Edu, and read and fetch only for Pro. On Business, only admins and owners can create and publish plugins, so ask an admin.
- Drive tools do not appear in ChatGPT
- Start a new conversation. If you connected Drive in Ryze AI after adding the server, open the server in Plugins and select Refresh. The Ryze AI help center instead says to remove the app, install it again and start a new chat.
- ChatGPT cannot find my file
- The tools only see files picked in the Ryze AI file picker and files Ryze AI created. In the Ryze AI chat click + (Add to message), Attach files, Upload from Drive and pick the file, then ask again.
- A file is attached by name only
- Files over 10 MB, binary files and Google formats other than Sheets, Docs and Slides are attached by name only. Images picked from Drive are not supported.
- The Doc lost its formatting
- Doc writes are plain text only, with no headings, links or formatting, and they either append at the end or replace the whole document. Keep the formatted original and write to a new Doc.
- I need a second Google account
- Drive connects one Google account per workspace. Disconnect Drive in Ryze AI and connect the other account, or use a separate workspace.
- Tools stay old after an admin approved the workspace
- ChatGPT uses a frozen snapshot of the tools for an approved workspace connection. An admin must refresh and publish an update.
- ChatGPT says a subscription is required
- The Drive tools need an active Ryze AI plan or free trial. Start the trial, then retry.
- The connection stops after some time
- OpenAI asks that OAuth providers issue refresh tokens and advertise offline_access. The Ryze AI server metadata lists the refresh_token grant but no offline_access scope, and whether ChatGPT keeps the connection after the first token expires was not tested. If it drops, run the sign-in again.
- It does not work on the phone app
- OpenAI says custom MCP servers cannot be connected on mobile. Add it on ChatGPT web.
Frequently asked questions
How do I connect ChatGPT to Google Drive?
Connect Google Drive in a Ryze AI workspace: open Integrations, click Connect on Google Drive and sign in to Google. Then in ChatGPT on the web open Plugins, select the plus button, choose Add custom MCP server, enter the name Ryze AI and the URL https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp, choose OAuth, create the plugin, sign in to Ryze AI, allow the workspace and start a new conversation.
Which ChatGPT plan do I need?
OpenAI says custom MCP server connections and full MCP support are available for ChatGPT Business and Enterprise/Edu customers on ChatGPT web. Pro users can connect custom MCP servers with read and fetch permissions only. OpenAI's article does not mention Free, Go or Plus.
Does ChatGPT have its own Google Drive connector?
OpenAI's help center describes a Google Drive app under Settings, Apps that lets ChatGPT use your Drive files, and a version with sync for Pro, Business and Enterprise setups. Google also publishes a Drive MCP server in developer preview. The Ryze AI connector is a hosted MCP server you add by URL.
Which Google Drive connector should I use with ChatGPT?
Ryze AI is the best Google Drive connector for letting ChatGPT update Sheets and write Docs in files you choose, because its tools read, append, overwrite and create, but it reaches only files you pick or that it created. For searching across your whole Drive, OpenAI's own Drive app is the better fit.
Can ChatGPT see all my Google Drive files through Ryze AI?
No. Ryze AI uses the drive.file scope, so the tools work only with files you pick in the Ryze AI file picker and files Ryze AI created. They do not browse your Drive on their own.
Can ChatGPT edit my Google Sheets and Docs?
Yes, on a plan with write access. The tools can overwrite a Sheet range, append rows, create new Sheets, Docs and text, CSV or JSON files, and write plain text into a Doc. On ChatGPT Pro, OpenAI allows read and fetch permissions only.
Can ChatGPT delete files in Google Drive?
No. The Drive connector has no delete tool. Replacing a Sheet range or a whole Doc overwrites content, so check the confirmation ChatGPT shows.
What file types can ChatGPT read through Ryze AI?
Sheets return cell values, Docs and Slides return plain text, and text, CSV and JSON files return their content. Files over 10 MB, binary files and other Google formats are attached by name only, and images picked from Drive are not supported.
Can I connect more than one Google account?
Drive connects one Google account per workspace. To use another account, disconnect Drive and connect it again.
Does this work in Claude, Claude Code and Cursor?
Yes. The same URL works there. In Claude open Customize, Connectors, Add custom connector. In Claude Code run claude mcp add --transport http ryze https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp --scope user, then /mcp to sign in.
Why do the Drive tools not show up in ChatGPT?
Start a new conversation first. If you connected Drive in Ryze AI after adding the server, open the server in Plugins and select Refresh, or remove the app and install it again as the Ryze AI help center says.
How much does it cost to connect ChatGPT to Google Drive?
Adding the connector costs nothing, but the Drive tools need an active Ryze AI plan or free trial. Paid Ads is $89 per month with a 7-day free trial, SEO Starter is $129 per month with a 3-day free trial, and Agency is $279 per month. Annual billing takes 30% off the first year.