Importing and using CSV data from Google Drive in Colab notebooks

Other Questions Google drive
1

I’m new to Python and decided to try out Google Colab. I’ve got some CSV files in my Google Drive that I want to use in my notebook. Here’s what I’ve tried so far:

from pydrive.auth import GoogleAuth
from pydrive.drive import GoogleDrive
from google.colab import auth
from oauth2client.client import GoogleCredentials

auth.authenticate_user()
ga = GoogleAuth()
ga.credentials = GoogleCredentials.get_application_default()
drive = GoogleDrive(ga)

file_to_upload = drive.CreateFile({'my_data.csv': '/content/drive/MyDrive/project_folder/my_data.csv'})
file_to_upload.Upload()
print(f"Uploaded file: {file_to_upload.get('title')}")

import pandas as pd
data = pd.read_csv('Untitled.csv')

The file uploads, but the title shows as ‘Untitled’. Also, the file ID changes every time so I can’t reliably use it. How can I assign a proper file name and load it into a DataFrame? I’ve already tried:

data = pd.read_csv('Untitled.csv')
data = pd.read_csv('Untitled')
data = pd.read_csv('my_data.csv')

But none of these methods work. Any suggestions on how to fix this?

2

I’ve encountered similar issues when working with CSV files in Colab. Here’s a more straightforward approach that has consistently worked for me:

from google.colab import drive
drive.mount('/content/drive')

import pandas as pd
file_path = '/content/drive/MyDrive/project_folder/my_data.csv'
data = pd.read_csv(file_path)

This method directly mounts your Google Drive to Colab, allowing you to access files using their actual paths. It’s simpler and more reliable than using the pydrive library. Just make sure the file path is correct, and you should be able to load your CSV data into a DataFrame without any issues. Let me know if you need any further clarification.

3

hey markseeker, try this instead:

from google.colab import drive
drive.mount(‘/content/drive’)

import pandas as pd
data = pd.read_csv(‘/content/drive/MyDrive/project_folder/my_data.csv’)

this should work without all that complicated stuff. let me know if u have any issues!

4

As someone who’s been using Colab for a while now, I can relate to your CSV import struggles. Here’s a trick that’s saved me countless headaches:

Instead of uploading files, try using the ‘Files’ sidebar in Colab. Click the folder icon, then the ‘Mount Drive’ button. This connects your Google Drive directly to Colab.

Then, you can access your CSV like this:

import pandas as pd
data = pd.read_csv(‘/content/drive/MyDrive/project_folder/my_data.csv’)

This method bypasses the need for complicated authentication and file uploads. It’s been rock-solid for me across multiple projects.

One word of caution: double-check your file path. Colab can be picky about exact locations. If you’re still having trouble, try using the full file path from your Google Drive.