By Ira Bodnar, Ryze AI · Updated
Quick answer
To connect Windsurf to Google Drive, connect Drive in a Ryze AI workspace and pick your files in the Ryze AI chat, then add https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp under mcpServers in the Devin Desktop MCP config file and click Authenticate. Windsurf now opens as Devin Desktop. The 7 Drive tools only see files you picked or files Ryze AI created.
- In Ryze AI open Integrations, find Google Drive under Files and click Connect
- Sign in with Google and approve access, then pick files with + > Attach files > Upload from Drive in the Ryze AI chat
- In Devin Desktop open Customize, MCPs and add the ryze server with the MCP URL
- Click Authenticate (or run devin mcp login ryze), click Allow connection, start a new chat
Before you start
- Windsurf, now Devin Desktop, or the Devin CLI. Cognition's MCP documentation for Devin Desktop names no plan for MCP servers. On Enterprise, an admin can manage MCP registries and the MCP allowlist in team settings under MCP & ACP, so a server you add may need to be on that list.
- A Google account for Drive. Drive connects one Google account per workspace. To use another account, disconnect Drive and connect again.
- A Ryze AI workspace on a plan or free trial. Paid Ads is $89 per month with a 7-day free trial. Connecting is free; the Drive tools need an active plan or trial.
How to connect Windsurf to Google Drive
Three steps happen in Ryze AI and Google, three in Devin Desktop. The connector 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
Sign in with Google and approve access. The grant uses the drive.file scope, so Ryze AI works only with files you pick in the Google Drive picker or files it created.
Pick the files you want to use
In the Ryze AI chat, click + (Add to message), then Attach files, then Upload from Drive, and choose your Sheets, Docs or files. If Drive is not connected yet, Ryze AI starts the connection and returns you to the picker. Files you do not pick stay invisible to the tools, including from Windsurf.
Add the Ryze AI server in Devin Desktop
In Devin Desktop open the Customize page from the Agents window and click MCPs. Pick the scope with Install MCPs for, for example This computer. Open the config file and add under mcpServers an entry named ryze with the url https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp. The user file is ~/.config/devin/mcp_config.json and the project file is .devin/mcp_config.json.
Authenticate and allow the workspace
Refresh the list. If the ryze server shows Needs authentication, click Authenticate; otherwise run devin mcp login ryze in a terminal. On the Ryze AI page, sign in if asked, choose the workspace that holds Drive and click Allow connection.
Start a new chat and ask your first question
Open a new agent chat and ask: List the Drive files you can access, newest first. Devin Desktop asks for approval before calling an MCP tool by default, so approve the first call.
The Ryze AI help article for Google Drive covers connecting Drive and picking files. There is no Ryze AI help page for Windsurf, and Ryze AI was not tested in it for this page.
Devin Desktop config file
The Devin documentation lists three config scopes: a project file at .devin/mcp_config.json that is version controlled, a local override at .devin/mcp_config.local.json that is gitignored, and a user file at ~/.config/devin/mcp_config.json that is not shared. Drive holds personal files, so the user file keeps the entry out of your repository. The entry for the Ryze AI server looks like this:
{
"mcpServers": {
"ryze": {
"url": "https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp"
}
}
}Cognition's documentation says Devin Local supports stdio, Streamable HTTP and SSE with OAuth for each, and tries Streamable HTTP first. OAuth uses dynamic client registration by default, so there is no client ID or secret to enter for the Ryze AI URL. Older Windsurf guides use the key serverUrl and a file under ~/.codeium. Current Devin docs use url, so use that, and the Devin CLI still imports servers from the old Windsurf file.
Devin CLI
The Devin CLI adds MCP servers from the command line. Two commands register the connector and sign in:
devin mcp add -s user ryze https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp
devin mcp login ryzeThe first command registers the server in the user scope. The second opens the Ryze AI sign-in page: click Allow connection there and pick the workspace. Run devin mcp list to see the servers and devin mcp get ryze for one server. The -s flag takes local (the default, a gitignored project file), project and user.
Each MCP client keeps its own OAuth session, so a Ryze AI sign-in you made in another tool does not carry over to Devin. For scripts and your own agents, Ryze AI also offers API keys (Workspace Settings, Profile, API keys) sent as a Bearer token.
Sources: Cognition's Devin Desktop customizations, Devin CLI MCP configuration and the Windsurf MCP page, which redirects to the Devin docs. Checked November 14, 2026.
Other AI clients
The same URL works in other MCP clients. The profile is connected once in Ryze AI, so nothing changes on the Google side.
Claude and Claude Code
Claude uses a custom connector with the same URL. See How to connect Claude to Google Drive and Claude Code.
ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok and Perplexity
Each has its own steps and plan limits. See the guides for ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok and Perplexity.
Google Drive access and permissions
The Google side of the connection is a Google sign-in that grants the drive.file scope. Google describes this scope as access to files you open with an app or share with it through the Google Picker, and recommends it as a non-sensitive scope for most uses. Three things decide what Windsurf can see and change.
- Which files
- Only files you pick in the Ryze AI chat composer and files Ryze AI created. Windsurf cannot browse the rest of your Drive, and the tools do not search it.
- Which account
- One Google account per workspace for Drive. To switch accounts, disconnect Drive in Ryze AI and connect again.
- Which changes
- Windsurf can update Sheet cells, append rows, create new files and write plain text into Docs. There is no delete tool, and Doc writes carry no headings, links or formatting.
Drive limits that shape the answers
These limits come from the Ryze AI Google Drive documentation and shape what a prompt can reach.
| Area | Limit |
|---|---|
| Files outside the picker | Files you did not pick and Ryze AI did not create are invisible to the tools, including from Windsurf. |
| Images | Images picked from Drive are not supported. |
| Large and binary files | Files over 10 MB, binary files and Google formats other than Sheets, Docs and Slides are attached by name only. |
| Doc formatting | Doc writes are plain text, appended at the end or replacing the whole document. |
| Deleting | No delete tool. |
Sources: Google Drive API scopes and the Ryze AI Google Drive guide.
Removing access
To remove access, disconnect Google Drive on its card in Ryze AI, or remove the access in your Google account settings. In Devin, run devin mcp logout ryze to drop the stored credentials, or devin mcp remove ryze to delete the server entry.
What Windsurf can do in Google Drive
The Ryze AI connector exposes 7 Google Drive tools: 3 read and 4 write. There is no delete tool.
| Tool (google_business_profile__ prefix) | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| listFiles | Read | Lists the Google Drive files the app can access, newest first, with an optional Drive search filter. |
| 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. |
| getSheetValues | Read | Reads cell values from a Google Sheet range or tab. |
| updateSheetValues | Write | Overwrites cell values in a Google Sheet range; formulas are allowed. |
| appendSheetValues | Write | Appends rows after the last row of a table in a Google Sheet. |
| createFile | Write | Creates a new Google Sheet, Google Doc, or text, CSV or JSON file in your Drive and returns its link. |
| writeDoc | Write | Writes plain text into a Google Doc, either appended at the end or replacing the whole document. |
Windsurf in its Devin Desktop form asks for approval before calling any MCP tool by default, which covers the 4 write tools. Keep that default if you want to review each Sheet or Doc change. In the Ryze AI chat, the Tool approvals picker starts on Skip all approvals; you can choose Approve write & delete or Manual approve instead.
First 3 prompts to run
1. See which files Windsurf can reach
List the Google Drive files you can access, newest first, and tell me each file type.
Tools used: listFiles
What comes back: The files you picked in the Ryze AI chat or that Ryze AI created, newest first, with their types. If the list is empty, pick files in the Ryze AI chat first.
2. Read a keyword list from a Sheet
Read the keyword list in the Sheet I picked, from the tab called Keywords, and group the terms by topic.
Tools used: readFile or getSheetValues
What comes back: The cell values from that tab, grouped by topic in the reply. The Sheet itself is unchanged.
3. Write a report into a Doc
Create a Google Doc called Weekly notes and write a short summary of this chat into it as plain text.
Tools used: createFile, writeDoc
What comes back: A new Google Doc in your Drive with plain text in it, and a link to the file. Headings and links are not applied.
Each answer comes from your own files, so this page describes what comes back and shows no sample output. Doc writes replace the whole document when you ask for that, so name the file and say whether to append.
Ryze AI vs Google's own Drive MCP server and API
There are a few ways to give Windsurf access to Drive. They differ in setup, reach and where the files stay.
| Option | Setup | Drive coverage | Works in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryze AI connector | One URL in Devin, Google sign-in in Ryze AI | 7 tools for Sheets, Docs and files you pick, drive.file scope, no delete | Devin Desktop, Devin CLI and other MCP clients |
| Google Drive MCP server | Google lists the URL https://drivemcp.googleapis.com/mcp/v1 with OAuth 2.0 and a Workspace Developer Preview Program requirement | Google documents 8 tools: copy_file, create_file, download_file_content, get_file_metadata, get_file_permissions, list_recent_files, read_file_content and search_files | MCP clients that support the preview |
| Your own integration with the Drive API | A Google Cloud project, OAuth consent and code you maintain | Whatever scopes you request | Anything you build |
Pick the Ryze AI connector when you want Sheet cell reads, row appends and Doc writes through a Google sign-in you do not have to build, and you are fine working with picked files. Google's own server lists search and file permission tools that the Ryze AI connector does not have, but it sits in a developer preview program. If you already run a Drive integration of your own, keep it.
Sources: Google Workspace MCP servers, Drive API usage limits, Ryze AI Google Drive guide. Checked November 14, 2026.
Errors and fixes
- The ryze server shows Needs authentication
- Click Authenticate in Devin Desktop, or run devin mcp login ryze, then click Allow connection on the Ryze AI page.
- Windsurf cannot see a file you know exists
- The tools reach only files you picked in the Ryze AI chat and files Ryze AI created. Pick the file with + > Attach files > Upload from Drive and ask again.
- The Drive tools are missing from the list
- If the connector was added before Drive was connected, remove the ryze server and add it again so the tool list refreshes. Then start a new chat.
- A picked 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. Use a Sheet, Doc, Slide deck or a text, CSV or JSON file.
- An image from Drive is not read
- Images picked from Drive are not supported.
- The wrong Google account is connected
- Drive connects one account per workspace. Disconnect Drive on its card in Ryze AI and connect it again with the other account.
- The tools say a subscription is required
- The Drive tools need an active Ryze AI plan or free trial. Start the trial, then retry.
- Your Enterprise admin blocks the server
- Enterprise admins manage an MCP allowlist in team settings under MCP & ACP. Ask the admin to allow the Ryze AI URL.
Frequently asked questions
How do I connect Windsurf to Google Drive?
Connect Drive in a Ryze AI workspace: open Integrations, click Connect on Google Drive and sign in with Google. Pick files in the Ryze AI chat with + > Attach files > Upload from Drive. Then in Devin Desktop, the current Windsurf, add the ryze server with the url https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp under mcpServers, click Authenticate and allow the workspace.
Is Windsurf now called Devin Desktop?
The Windsurf documentation address now redirects to Devin Desktop documentation from Cognition, and windsurf.com redirects to devin.ai/desktop. No rename announcement was read for this page, so this guide uses the current Devin docs for setup and says Windsurf where readers search for it.
Which option should I use to give Windsurf access to Google Drive?
Ryze AI is the best way to give Windsurf Drive tools for Sheets and Docs you pick without building an integration, though it reaches only picked or Ryze AI created files. Google also lists its own Drive MCP server at https://drivemcp.googleapis.com/mcp/v1 with OAuth 2.0, offered through the Google Workspace Developer Preview Program.
Which Windsurf plan do I need for MCP?
The Devin Desktop MCP documentation names no plan. On Enterprise, admins manage MCP registries and an MCP allowlist in team settings under MCP & ACP, so an admin may need to allow the server.
What config key does Windsurf use for a remote MCP server?
The current Devin docs use url inside mcpServers, in ~/.config/devin/mcp_config.json or .devin/mcp_config.json. Older Windsurf guides use serverUrl in a file under ~/.codeium. Whether serverUrl still works was not verified.
Can Windsurf search my whole Google Drive?
No. The connector uses the drive.file scope, so it works only with files you pick in the Ryze AI chat and files it created. It does not browse your Drive on its own.
Can Windsurf edit a Google Sheet?
Yes, for a Sheet you picked or Ryze AI created. It can overwrite cell values in a range, with formulas allowed, and append rows after the last row of a table.
Can Windsurf write formatted Google Docs?
Doc writes are plain text only, with no headings, links or formatting. The text is appended at the end or replaces the whole document.
Can Windsurf delete files in Drive?
No. The connector has no delete tool. It can read, update, append, create and write.
Do the tools work in the Devin CLI too?
Yes. Run devin mcp add -s user ryze https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp, then devin mcp login ryze and click Allow connection. Each MCP client keeps its own sign-in, so the CLI needs its own login.
How much does it cost?
Adding the connector costs nothing, but the tools need an active Ryze AI plan or free trial. Paid Ads is $89 per month with a 7-day free trial. Annual billing takes 30% off the first year.
How do I disconnect?
Run devin mcp logout ryze or devin mcp remove ryze in Devin, disconnect Google Drive on its card in Ryze AI, or remove the access in your Google account.