Google Drive for VS Code

Mount Google Drive as a native workspace folder in VS Code. Browse, read, and write files directly from the VS Code File Explorer.

Features

• Native File Explorer integration - Google Drive appears as a workspace folder using VS Code's FileSystemProvider API
• Interactive folder picker - Browse your Drive hierarchy or paste a folder URL to mount a specific folder
• Full file operations - Read, write, create, delete, rename, and move files and folders
• Conflict detection - Detects if a file was modified externally since you opened it and asks for confirmation before overwriting
• Secure authentication - OAuth2 with token storage in VS Code's SecretStorage
• Google Workspace handling - Gracefully skips Google Docs/Sheets/Slides (which can't be downloaded as raw files)

Getting Started

Step 1: Create Google OAuth2 Credentials

1. Go to Google Cloud Console
2. Create a new project or select an existing one
3. Enable the Google Drive API (APIs & Services > Library)
4. Create OAuth credentials (APIs & Services > Credentials > Create Credentials > OAuth client ID)
   • Application type: Desktop app
5. Configure the OAuth consent screen if prompted:
   • Add scope: https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive
   • Add your email as a test user

Step 2: Install the Extension

Install from the VS Code Marketplace or download the .vsix file from the Releases page and install it manually:

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
3. Click ... > Install from VSIX... and select the downloaded file

Step 3: Sign In and Mount a Folder

1. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P)
2. Run "Google Drive: Sign In"
3. Enter your OAuth2 Client ID and Client Secret when prompted
4. Authorize in the browser window that opens
5. Run "Google Drive: Browse & Open Folder" to pick a folder, or "Google Drive: Open My Drive (Root)" to mount your entire Drive

Your Google Drive files will appear in the VS Code File Explorer. You can open, edit, and save them just like local files.

Commands

Conflict Detection

When you save a file, the extension checks whether the file was modified on Google Drive by someone else (or another device) since you opened it. If a conflict is detected, you'll see a warning dialog with the option to Overwrite or Cancel. This prevents accidentally losing changes made elsewhere.

Known Limitations

• Google Workspace documents (Docs, Sheets, Slides) are not shown in the file explorer since they cannot be downloaded as raw files
• No real-time sync — changes made outside VS Code won't appear until you refresh
• Google Drive allows duplicate file names in a folder; only the first match is used during path resolution