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Use this to bring the documents in a Google Drive folder into Typewise so the AI Agent can rely on them when replying to tickets. Typewise re-imports the folder on the schedule you choose, so you don’t upload anything by hand.
To import from Google Drive, you first need to connect the Google Drive integration and share the folder with your service account. See Google Drive integration setup.

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Add a folder as a knowledge source

1

Copy the folder link

Open the folder in Google Drive and copy the address from your browser’s address bar. It looks like https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AbC....You can also use the link of a single file. Typewise then imports only that file.
2

Add a source

Go to Knowledge Hub and click Add source. Under Integrations, select Google Drive.New knowledge source panel with Google Drive under Integrations
3

Select the lookup

In Lookup, select Files and folders.
4

Configure and save

Paste the link into Folder or file link, fill in the other fields described in Configuration, and click Save.New source form filled in for a Google Drive folder
5

Check the first import

The import starts right away. In the Sources table, the status shows Analyzing and changes to Ready when the import is done. Large folders can take an hour or more.Sources table with the Google Drive source in status ReadyIf the status shows Failed, hover over it to read the reason, then see Troubleshooting. A warning icon next to Ready means the folder holds more files than one source imports. See Limits.
6

Publish

A new source is a draft until you publish it. Click Review in the unpublished changes bar and publish the source. See Publishing changes.

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Configuration

Replace the default Action description with specifics, for example “Product manuals and warranty terms for all appliance models. Use for questions about installation, maintenance, and warranty.”
The access level applies to every file in the folder. To give files different access levels, put them in separate folders and add one source per folder.

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Use the source in a Specialist

1

Open a Specialist

Go to Specialists and open the Specialist that should use your Drive files, or create one.
2

Mention the source with @

In Instructions, type @ and select your Google Drive source. It appears as a pill. Say when to use it, for example:
3

Test and publish

Try it in the Simulator with Include unpublished changes enabled, then publish.
You can mention the source the same way in global guidelines and channel guidelines. For more on writing instructions, see Writing good Specialists.
The AI Agent answers from the text of your files. It doesn’t send the files or their Drive links to customers. To send a file as an attachment, upload it as a File source.

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Supported files

The format limitations of uploaded files apply here too. For example, scanned PDFs have no readable text, so nothing is imported from them. Typewise skips everything else in the folder:
  • Videos, audio, archives, Google Forms, and Google Drawings
  • Code and configuration files, such as .py, .js, .json, .xml, and .yaml
  • Hidden files and folders, such as .git
  • Tooling folders, such as node_modules

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How syncing works

  • First import: starts when you save the source.
  • Later imports: run automatically on the Import frequency you chose. With Once, the folder is imported a single time.
  • New and edited files: picked up at the next import.
  • Deleted files: files you delete or move out of the folder are removed from the AI Agent’s knowledge at the next import.
  • Unchanged files: Typewise reads every file again but only updates what changed, so later imports are faster than the first one.
  • Subfolders: included. A subfolder with limited access is imported only if you share it with the service account too.
  • Shortcuts: followed, if the file or folder they point to is also shared with the service account.
  • Failed imports: Typewise keeps the content of the last successful import, and the source shows Failed with the reason.
Changes in Drive reach the AI Agent at the next import, not immediately.

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Limits

These limits apply to each Google Drive source. If a folder holds more than 500 supported files, the import still finishes. The source shows Ready with a warning icon next to it. Hover over the icon to read the message. Typewise takes the files directly in the folder first, then the files in its subfolders, level by level. Within a folder, files are taken in order of name. To import the rest, link a subfolder instead, or split the folder into several sources. Text in images is read again at every import. A folder with many images takes longer to import.

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Troubleshooting

A failed import shows Failed in the Sources table. Hover over the status to read the reason. After you fix the cause, click Retry processing next to the status to import again. The titles below are the reasons Typewise shows.
The pasted key is incomplete, or it was deleted in Google Cloud.In Typewise, go to Integrations, open the menu on Google Drive, and select Reconnect. Paste the whole content of the .json file. If the key was deleted, create a new one first.
The folder isn’t shared with the service account, or the link points somewhere else.
  • In Google Drive, check that the service account’s email address is listed under Share as Viewer.
  • Check that Folder or file link holds the link of that folder.
Enable the Google Drive API in the Google Cloud project that holds the service account. See Connect. Wait a few minutes, then retry.
The folder is empty, or it only holds file types that Typewise skips. Check Supported files, and check that the link points to the right folder.
Typewise found supported files but couldn’t read any text from them. This happens with scanned PDFs and empty files. Add files with readable text, then retry.
Your Google Cloud project reached its request limit for the Google Drive API. Typewise tries again at the next scheduled import.
Google Drive didn’t respond in time. Retry. If it keeps failing, reconnect the integration under Integrations.

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The source is Ready, but the AI Agent doesn’t use a file

  • File limit: a source imports only the first 500 supported files. A warning icon next to Ready tells you when files were left out. See Limits.
  • File type: check Supported files and Limits. Scanned PDFs have no readable text.
  • Access: a subfolder with limited access, or the target of a shortcut, must be shared with the service account too.
  • Timing: a file added after the last import is picked up at the next one.
  • Publishing: check that the source and the Specialist are published.
  • Instructions: check that the Specialist mentions the source with @.

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See also