Monitor and Download Changed Files from Google Drive Automatically

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Built by Anurag Anurag
Created on June 07, 2026

Description

Description

This workflow automates the download of new or updated files from a Google Drive folder, processing only files changed since the last run using a timestamp control file.

How It Works

Triggered on a schedule.
Checks for a n8n_last_run.txt file in your Google Drive to read when the workflow last ran.
If missing, defaults to processing changes in the last 24 hours.
Searches for new or modified files in your specified folder.
Downloads new/changed files.
Replaces the timestamp file with the current time for future runs.

Setup Steps

Set up your Google Drive credentials in n8n.
Find the Folder ID of the Google Drive folder you wish to monitor.
Edit all Google Drive nodes:
Select your credentials
Paste the Folder ID
Adjust the schedule trigger if needed.
Activate the workflow.

Features

No duplicate file processing (idempotent)
Handles missing timestamp files
Clear logical sticky notes in the editor
Modular, extendable design

Prerequisites

Google Drive API credentials connected to n8n
Target Google Drive folder accessible by the credentials

Nodes Used (2)

Code
n8n-nodes-base.code
Google Drive
n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive