By Ira Bodnar, Ryze AI · Updated
Quick answer
To connect Codex to Google Drive, connect Drive in a Ryze AI workspace with Google sign-in, then run codex mcp add ryze --url https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp and codex mcp login ryze. The same MCP server is shared by the Codex CLI, the ChatGPT desktop app and the IDE extension.
- In Ryze AI open Integrations, find Google Drive and click Connect
- Sign in with Google and approve access, then pick files with + > Attach files > Upload from Drive
- In Codex run codex mcp add ryze --url https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp
- Run codex mcp login ryze, sign in on the Ryze AI page and click Allow connection
Before you start
- An OpenAI plan that includes Codex. OpenAI lists Codex in ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Edu and Enterprise. Its pricing page shows Free and Go with Codex in the desktop app only, subject to rollout, so on those plans use the desktop app steps. Plus and higher add the CLI and the IDE extension. Codex also runs with an OpenAI API key in the CLI, SDK or IDE extension, billed at API pricing. OpenAI's MCP page names no extra plan for MCP servers.
- A Google account with the Drive files you want to use. Ryze AI asks for the drive.file scope, so it only works with files you pick in the Google Drive picker or files it created. One Google account connects per Ryze AI workspace.
- 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 and Agency is $279 per month. Adding the connector is free, but the Drive tools need an active plan or trial.
How to connect Codex to Google Drive with the CLI
Two steps happen in Ryze AI, three in Codex. The server URL is the same for every user.
Connect Google Drive in Ryze AI
Create a Ryze AI account or sign in, open Integrations, find the Google Drive card under Files and click Connect. Sign in with Google and approve access.
Pick the files the tools can use
In the Ryze AI chat, click + (Add to message), choose Attach files, then Upload from Drive and pick the Sheets, Docs or files you want to work with. If Drive is not connected yet, Ryze AI starts the connection and returns you to the file picker. Files you do not pick stay invisible to the tools.
Add the Ryze AI server to Codex
Run codex mcp add ryze --url https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp. In the ChatGPT desktop app or the IDE extension, use the MCP servers settings instead (see the sections below). All three share one MCP configuration.
Sign in and allow the connection
Run codex mcp login ryze, sign in on the Ryze AI page and click Allow connection. Without a local browser, add --no-browser, open the printed URL and paste the full redirect URL back into the terminal.
Check the server and ask your first question
Run codex mcp list, or type /mcp inside the Codex TUI, to see the ryze server. Then ask: List the Drive files Ryze AI can access, newest first.
codex mcp add ryze --url https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcpcodex mcp login ryzeThe CLI is the shortest route. The first command registers the server and the second starts the OAuth sign-in. Run codex mcp list afterwards, or /mcp inside the codex TUI, to confirm the server is registered.
The Ryze AI help article for Google Drive covers the Drive side of the connection, and the Ryze AI agent API help page covers API keys.
ChatGPT desktop app and IDE extension
The ChatGPT desktop app, the Codex CLI and the IDE extension share one MCP configuration, so a server added in one place shows up in the others. The app and the extension use a form instead of commands.
ChatGPT desktop app (Codex)
- Open Settings, then select MCP servers.
- Select Add server, enter the name ryze, choose Streamable HTTP and enter https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp.
- Save, then select Restart.
- Select Authenticate next to ryze and complete the Ryze AI sign-in. Type /mcp in the composer to view connected servers.
Codex IDE extension
- Open the gear menu, then select MCP servers.
- Select Add server, enter the name ryze, choose Streamable HTTP and enter https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp.
- Save, then select Restart extension.
- Select Authenticate and complete the Ryze AI sign-in.
config.toml
To keep the server in a file, edit ~/.codex/config.toml, or a project .codex/config.toml in a trusted project. OAuth is the default for an HTTP server; run codex mcp login ryze to sign in.
[mcp_servers.ryze]
url = "https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp"
# Optional: raise the defaults (10 and 60 seconds)
startup_timeout_sec = 20
tool_timeout_sec = 120For a Ryze AI API key instead of OAuth, add bearer_token_env_var = "RYZE_API_KEY" to the same table and set that environment variable to your rk_live_ key. Do not paste the key into the file.
Codex cloud tasks are not covered by OpenAI's MCP page that this guide is based on, so this page does not say the connector works there. The Ryze AI connector was also not tested end to end in Codex when this page was written.
Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor
The same URL works in other MCP clients. Drive is connected once in Ryze AI, so nothing changes on the Google side.
Claude and ChatGPT
In Claude, add https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp as a custom connector under Customize, Connectors. In ChatGPT, add it as an app under Settings, Apps. Pick the workspaces and start a new chat. If the connector was added before Drive was connected, remove and re-add it so the tool list refreshes.
Cursor
Add the server to .cursor/mcp.json with the same URL.
{ "mcpServers": { "ryze": { "url": "https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp" } } }Google Drive permissions
Three things decide what Codex can see in Drive.
- Google sign-in with drive.file
- Ryze AI connects with Google OAuth on your Google account using the drive.file scope. Google describes it as per-file access: files you open with an app or share with it through the picker, plus files the app creates. It is classed as a non-sensitive scope.
- Picked or created files only
- The tools work with files you pick in the Ryze AI chat composer or files Ryze AI created. They do not browse your Drive on their own, and files outside the picker are invisible, including from Codex.
- One account per workspace
- Drive connects one Google account per Ryze AI workspace. To use another account, disconnect and connect again.
Sources: Google's Drive API authorization guide and the Ryze AI Google Drive guide.
Removing access
To remove access, disconnect Google Drive on its card in Ryze AI, then run codex mcp list and remove the ryze server from your Codex MCP settings.
What Codex can do in Google Drive
The Ryze AI connector exposes seven Google Drive tools. Codex calls them by these names through the ryze server.
| 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. |
There is no delete tool. Images picked from Drive are not supported. Files over 10 MB, binary files and Google formats other than Sheets, Docs and Slides are attached by name only. Doc writes are plain text, with no headings, links or formatting.
Approvals in Codex
Codex lets you set approvals per server. In config.toml, default_tools_approval_mode can be auto, prompt, writes or approve; writes prompts for tools that are not marked read-only. Per-tool overrides use tools.<tool>.approval_mode, and enabled_tools and disabled_tools work as allow and deny lists. For Drive, a deny list on the four write tools makes the server read-only in Codex. The Ryze AI chat itself starts on Skip all approvals; pick Approve write & delete or Manual approve in its Tool approvals picker if you use it too.
[mcp_servers.ryze]
url = "https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp"
default_tools_approval_mode = "writes"First 3 prompts to run
Each answer comes from your own Drive, so this page describes what comes back instead of showing sample output. Pick the files in the Ryze AI chat first, or Codex will not see them.
1. Read a keyword list from a Sheet
Read the keyword list from the Google Sheet I picked in Ryze AI and group the keywords by theme.
Tools used: google_drive__listFiles, google_drive__getSheetValues
What comes back: The grouped keywords as text in Codex, based on the cell values in the range or tab you name.
2. Write a report into a Doc
Create a Google Doc called Weekly notes in my Drive and write this summary into it as plain text.
Tools used: google_drive__createFile, google_drive__writeDoc
What comes back: A link to the new Doc. The text is plain, with no headings or links, because writeDoc only writes plain text.
3. Append rows to a Sheet
Append these rows after the last row of the table in the Sheet I picked.
Tools used: google_drive__appendSheetValues
What comes back: The rows added below the existing table. Ask for a read of the range afterwards to check them.
Use the prompts as starting points. Doc writes can replace the whole document, so say append when you want to keep the existing text.
Ryze AI vs Google's Drive MCP server
Google publishes its own Google Drive MCP server in the Google Workspace Developer Preview Program. It is a different tool from the Ryze AI connector.
| Option | Setup | Drive coverage | Other platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryze AI connector | Google sign-in inside Ryze AI, then one MCP URL in Codex (https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp) | 7 tools: list and read files, read and update Sheet values, append rows, create files, write plain text into Docs. Only files you pick or Ryze AI created; no delete | The same URL carries the other platforms connected in your Ryze AI workspace |
| Google Drive MCP server | Endpoint https://drivemcp.googleapis.com/mcp/v1, OAuth 2.0 with the agent setting enabled on your Google Cloud client; Developer Preview | Tools named copy_file, create_file, download_file_content, get_file_metadata, get_file_permissions, list_recent_files, read_file_content and search_files | Drive only; Google lists separate servers for Docs, Sheets, Gmail and others |
If you need Drive search, file permissions or file copies, Google's server lists tools for them and Ryze AI does not. Ryze AI cannot search your whole Drive. This page has not tested Google's server in Codex.
Sources: Google Workspace MCP servers, OpenAI Codex MCP docs, OpenAI Codex pricing, Ryze AI Google Drive integration. Checked November 11, 2026.
Errors and fixes
- codex mcp login opens no browser
- Run codex mcp login ryze --no-browser, open the printed URL on another device and paste the full redirect URL back into the terminal.
- The server times out on start or on a call
- Codex waits 10 seconds to start a server and 60 seconds per tool call by default. Raise startup_timeout_sec or tool_timeout_sec in the [mcp_servers.ryze] table.
- Codex cannot see a file
- The tools only see files you picked or Ryze AI created. In the Ryze AI chat use + > Attach files > Upload from Drive, 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. Export the content to a Sheet, Doc or text file.
- An image from Drive does not work
- Images picked from Drive are not supported.
- Drive tools do not appear in Codex
- If the connector was added before Drive was connected in Ryze AI, remove the ryze server, add it again, sign in and start a new session.
- The wrong Google account is connected
- Drive supports one Google account per workspace. Disconnect Drive in Ryze AI and connect it again with the right account.
- Output is cut off
- Set tools.<tool>.output_token_limit for that tool in config.toml to give it a larger output budget.
- A tool replies that a subscription is required
- The Drive tools need an active Ryze AI plan or free trial. Start the trial, then retry.
- No CLI or IDE extension on a Free or Go plan
- OpenAI lists Codex on those plans in the desktop app only, subject to rollout. Use the desktop app steps.
Frequently asked questions
How do I connect Codex to Google Drive?
Connect Google Drive in a Ryze AI workspace and pick your files in the chat. Then run codex mcp add ryze --url https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp, run codex mcp login ryze, sign in on the Ryze AI page and click Allow connection.
Does Codex have a built-in Google Drive connector?
OpenAI's Codex MCP documentation that this page checked does not mention a Google Drive plugin or connector. You add a Drive-capable MCP server yourself, such as the Ryze AI connector or Google's Drive MCP server.
Which Google Drive MCP server should I use with Codex?
Google's Drive MCP server is a Developer Preview that lists tools for search, metadata, permissions, copies and downloads. Ryze AI covers reading and updating Sheets and Docs you pick, and creating files. Ryze AI is the best Google Drive connector for working on Sheets and Docs you pick from Codex, but it only reaches picked files.
Is there a Google Drive MCP server from Google?
Yes. Google lists a Google Drive MCP server at https://drivemcp.googleapis.com/mcp/v1 in its Google Workspace Developer Preview Program. It uses OAuth 2.0 and an agent setting on your Google Cloud client.
Which Codex plan do I need?
OpenAI lists Codex in ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Edu and Enterprise. Free and Go get Codex in the desktop app only, subject to rollout. Plus and higher add the CLI and the IDE extension. OpenAI's MCP page names no extra plan for MCP servers.
Can Codex see all my Drive files?
No. Ryze AI uses the drive.file scope, so the tools only reach files you pick in the Google Drive picker or files Ryze AI created. Files outside the picker are invisible, including from Codex.
Can Codex edit or delete Drive files?
Codex can update Sheet cell values, append rows, create files and write plain text into Docs. There is no delete tool. Set default_tools_approval_mode to writes in config.toml if you want Codex to ask before it changes a file.
Does this work in Codex cloud tasks?
This page does not claim it does. The OpenAI MCP page it is based on covers the CLI, the desktop app and the IDE extension, and the connector was not tested in Codex cloud.
Do I need to configure the CLI, the app and the IDE extension separately?
No. The ChatGPT desktop app, the Codex CLI and the IDE extension share one MCP configuration. Restart the app or the extension after you add the server.
Can I connect more than one Google account?
Drive connects one Google account per Ryze AI workspace. To use another account, disconnect and connect again.
How much does it cost to connect Codex to Google Drive?
Adding the connector is free, 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. Codex itself is billed under your OpenAI plan or API pricing.