I’m trying to figure out if it’s possible to connect to Google Drive through FTP or SFTP protocols.
What I want to do is use my FTP client (like FileZilla) to access my Google Drive storage just like I would with a regular FTP server. This would mean having:
- A server address
- Username credentials
- Password authentication
The goal is to be able to upload files, download content, and set up automated backup scripts that can work with Google Drive as if it were a standard FTP server.
My main questions are:
- Does Google Drive support FTP or SFTP connections natively?
- If yes, where can I find the server details and how do I get my login credentials?
- Are there any third-party tools that can bridge this gap?
- Does Dropbox offer similar FTP access capabilities?
I don’t really care if it’s FTP, SFTP, or any other file transfer protocol as long as I can connect using standard FTP software and automate my backup processes.
Nope, Google Drive doesn’t support FTP - super annoying if you’re used to traditional file transfers. I’ve run into this before and found a couple workarounds. NetDrive or CloudMounter can mount your Drive as a local folder, which feels more like a network drive, but it’s still not real FTP. For automation, I’ve had better luck just using the Google Drive API with Python scripts or PowerShell. Yeah, you’ll need OAuth2 tokens instead of simple username/password, but once it’s set up it works great for scheduled backups. Most cloud providers do this now - Dropbox is the same way. They’ve all ditched legacy protocols like FTP in favor of APIs.
Google Drive doesn’t have FTP support, which can be frustrating as it would simplify many workflows. However, there are alternatives. I often use WebDAV solutions like DriveHQ or other third-party services that emulate FTP access. Additionally, command-line tools like gdrive or google-drive-upload are useful for managing files in batches or for setting up cron jobs for automated backups. Keep in mind, you’ll need OAuth tokens instead of standard username/passwords, which adds some complexity but enhances security. Dropbox has similar limitations, lacking direct FTP access but providing a robust API for programmatic interactions.
nope, gdrive doesn’t do ftp. rclone could help, it lets u mount it like a local drive - super handy for backups. dropbox is in the same boat, so no ftp for that either.