Hey everyone,
I’m trying to figure out if there’s a way to get Google Docs and Sheets using just an email address. I know we can open shared docs with their IDs or keys in the web address. But what if we only have someone’s email?
Is it possible to grab all the docs and spreadsheets linked to that email somehow? Like, can we search for them or download them just by knowing the person’s email?
Also, I’m working with PHP. Are there any PHP libraries or methods that could help with this? I’d really appreciate any tips or examples you might have!
Thanks in advance for your help!
yo, have u tried the google drive api? it’s not super easy but might work. u need the person to give permission first tho, can’t just grab stuff with an email.
there’s this php library for google apis that could help. but yeah, u gotta do the whole oauth thing first. kinda a pain but that’s how google keeps things safe i guess.
I’ve actually tackled a similar challenge before, and I can tell you it’s not straightforward. Google’s API doesn’t allow retrieving documents just by knowing someone’s email address - that would be a major privacy concern.
What you can do is use the Google Drive API, but you’ll need proper authorization from the account holder. They’d have to grant your app permission to access their Drive.
In my experience, the best approach is to have users authenticate through OAuth 2.0. Once authorized, you can then use the Drive API to list and access their documents.
For PHP, I’ve found the Google API Client Library quite helpful. It streamlines the OAuth process and provides methods to interact with various Google services, including Drive.
Remember, though, this will only work for documents the authenticated user has access to. You can’t just pull docs from any email address for security reasons.
From my experience working with Google APIs, retrieving documents using just an email address isn’t possible due to privacy and security concerns. Google’s systems are designed to protect user data.
Instead, you’ll need to use the Google Drive API with proper authentication. This requires the account holder’s explicit permission through OAuth 2.0. Once authenticated, you can access the documents they’ve granted you access to.
For PHP implementation, the Google API Client Library is quite robust. It handles the OAuth flow and provides methods to interact with the Drive API. You’ll need to set up a project in the Google Cloud Console, enable the necessary APIs, and obtain credentials.
Keep in mind, this approach only works for documents the authenticated user has access to, not just any email address. It’s a bit more complex than simply searching by email, but it’s the secure way Google has implemented it.