Sync Google Drive Documents to an ElevenLabs Agent Knowledge Base

Use the Google Drive integration to import selected documents into an ElevenLabs knowledge base, then verify that the intended agent can retrieve them. Syncing makes source material available; it does not guarantee that every answer is correct or that updates appear instantly.

Overview

Connect Google Drive to your ElevenLabs agents to synchronize documents to the knowledge base. These agents can then use the synchronized content for retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) within conversations.

This connection uses limited access drive.file. ElevenLabs can only access the files you select through the Google File Picker tool; the system cannot list or read any other data in your Google Drive.

After the initial sync, ElevenLabs will automatically detect changes and perform additional syncs without reprocessing documents that have not been changed.

How to connect Google Drive to an ElevenLabs agent Picture 1

Features

Ability	Support
Zero retention mode (ZRM)	Not supported

Connect and select documents

1. Connect your Google account.

On the ElevenLabs Google Drive integration page, click Connect . You will be redirected to Google to grant access to files on Drive (scope drive.file).

2. Start syncing

On the knowledge base page, click Sync Documents and select the destination folder for the imported files. You can optionally enable Auto Sync to refresh files periodically (set between 1 and 180 days, defaulting to daily) and Auto Remove to automatically delete documents when you lose access to the source files on Drive.

3. Select the file

Click on Pick files and select the files you want to sync using the Google File Picker tool. Only the files you select will be shared with ElevenLabs, and these files will be imported into the destination folder.

Supported file types

Format	Support	Note
Google Docs	Supported	Text and formatting are preserved. Embedded images and comments are not included.
PDF	Supported
DOCX	Supported
Plain text	Supported
HTML	Supported
Markdown	Supported
EPUB	Supported
Google Sheets, Slides, Drawings	Not supported directly

Files larger than 20 MB will be ignored.

How it works

Connection type : This connection requires access permissions drive.file, limiting ElevenLabs' access to files you select through Google File Picker.

Initial synchronization . Each selected file will be imported individually.

Incremental synchronization . Subsequent synchronizations only process files that have been added, modified, or deleted since the last synchronization. If auto-remove is enabled, deleted files will be removed from the knowledge base.

Manual synchronization . You can trigger the synchronization process at any time, regardless of the automatic synchronization schedule. Use the "Sync now" option for a specific file to update only that file's contents.

Security and access

Review the Google authorization screen for the actual permissions requested. Google describes drive.file as per-file access that can include creating or modifying authorized files; do not interpret its name as read-only. The documented ElevenLabs workflow imports selected files into its knowledge base. Revoke the connection from your Google account when it is no longer needed, and manage any previously imported copies separately.

Scope	Meaning
`drive.file`	Per-file authorization for files shared with the app. The integration uses selected files for knowledge-base synchronization; the OAuth scope itself is not a general read-only scope.

Verify the imported content

Start with an approved test document containing a distinctive question and answer.
Check the imported text, especially tables, headings, and information carried by images or comments.
Attach the intended document or folder to the agent. Folder retrieval requires RAG to be enabled.
Ask a question that needs the document, then inspect the response and retrieved evidence where available.
Change the source, run Sync now, and test again to confirm the update reached the agent.

If a file is missing, check its type, size, source access, picker selection, and sync result. The integration skips files larger than its documented 20 MB limit. A scanned PDF may also need text extraction before its content is useful.

Plan refresh and removal

Choose a refresh interval that matches how quickly the information changes. Auto Sync is periodic, so avoid promising that a recent Drive edit is already available. Test Auto Remove with non-sensitive material before relying on it for access changes, and verify the imported copy is removed as expected.

Do not assume a Drive document's original sharing settings automatically govern every person who can question an agent using its imported content. Review the agent's audience and data policy before syncing private documents.

See the Google Drive scope definitions and ElevenLabs knowledge-base guide for access and retrieval behavior. For related agent configuration, see dynamic variables and system tools.