August sees only what your connected Google account can open. Check that the right account is marked Active under My profile > Integrations, that Google Drive is turned on in the chat's Integrations menu, and that the file is shared with that account.
Google Drive Integration
Connect Google Drive so Assistant can search your Drive, list the files in a folder, and import the documents you need into August. August has read-only access and searches Drive live each time you ask; files reach August only when you import them.
What This Integration Does
Once connected, Google Drive works as a document source for August:
Keyword search: Ask Assistant to find documents by content or file name, across your own Drive and shared drives.
Folder search: Name a folder, or paste a Drive folder link, and Assistant lists the documents inside it and its subfolders.
Import: Bring Drive files into an August folder for analysis, review, and drafting, from a chat or from a project's Import menu.
Assistant integration: Use imported documents as sources for Assistant queries, analysis, and drafting tasks.
Imported copies don't update when the Drive originals change. Import a file again to pick up a newer version.
Setup Requirements
You need your own Google account. August sees only the files that account can open in Drive. If your Google Workspace administrator restricts third-party app access, they may need to allow August before you can connect.
How to Connect Google Drive
August never receives your Google password, and it requests read-only access to Drive.
Open the account menu (your name in the sidebar) and select My profile.
Select the Integrations tab and click Connect next to Google Drive.
Sign in with your Google account and approve the requested permissions.
You return to August with your account listed under Google Drive. You can also connect from the Integrations menu in the chat composer, which then shows a switch to turn Google Drive on or off for that chat.
Importing Files from Google Drive
Import from a project when you already know which files you want.
On a project's folders page, choose Import > Google Drive.
Select one or more files in the Google Drive picker.
Choose the August folder to import into. Inside a folder, the files go straight into that folder.
Files larger than 50 MB can't be imported through the integration.
Searching Google Drive from Assistant
Turn on Google Drive in the chat composer's Integrations menu, then ask the Assistant for what you need. August can search in two ways:
Search Type | When It's Used | What It Finds |
|---|---|---|
Keyword search | You describe content or file names | Documents matching your search terms, including content inside files |
Folder search | You name a specific folder or paste a folder link | All documents inside that folder and its subfolders |
Results appear in a Google Drive Search Results card, with the folder name added for a folder search. Use the card's import button to bring the documents into an August folder.
Keyword Search
When you ask about content, such as "Find merger agreements related to healthcare," August searches Google Drive for documents matching your keywords. This search looks inside file contents and across file names, and includes files in shared drives (formerly Team Drives) alongside your personal Drive content.
Folder Search
When you name a folder, such as "the Grantson merger folder," or paste a drive.google.com folder link, August lists the documents in that folder and all its subfolders. This is useful when you know exactly where relevant documents live.
Recursive listing: August traverses subfolders automatically, up to 6 levels deep.
Result limits: If a folder contains many files, August returns up to 500 documents and indicates when results are truncated.
Disambiguation: If multiple folders share the name you provided, August will ask you to clarify which folder you meant.
Folder not found: If no folder matches the name you gave, August will let you know so you can provide a different name or try keyword search instead.
Large folders: When a folder tree exceeds 500 files or reaches the depth limit, August stops early and tells you that results are incomplete. For fuller coverage, search a specific subfolder or narrow your query.
Choosing Between Keyword and Folder Search
Use each search mode for the situation that fits:
Use keyword search when | Use folder search when |
|---|---|
You're looking for content but don't know the folder | You know the exact folder name |
You want to find documents by topic or phrase | You want all documents from a specific matter folder |
You're searching across multiple folders or shared drives | You want a complete listing of a folder's contents |
August chooses the appropriate mode based on how you phrase your request. If you name a folder, August prefers folder search. If you describe content or file names, August uses keyword search.
Common Use Cases
Working with a Matter Folder
Ask Assistant to list everything in a client matter folder, then import the documents you need for analysis and drafting. When new files land in the folder, ask again and import the new ones.
Using Drive as a Document Source for Assistant
After importing, reference Drive documents directly in Assistant queries. Ask questions about specific files, compare documents across matters, or use them as context for drafting and analysis workflows. All outputs include citations that trace back to source documents.
Troubleshooting
Assistant can't find a file I know is in Drive
An imported document is out of date
Imports are copies taken at the time you import. Import the file again to get the current version from Drive.
Folder search can't find my folder
Make sure the folder name you provided matches the actual name in Google Drive, or paste the folder's link instead. If multiple folders share the same name, August will ask you to clarify. If the folder is nested deeply inside another folder, check that its depth is within 6 levels of the parent you named.
Folder search results are incomplete
Large folder trees may hit the 500-file limit or the depth limit. August will indicate when results are truncated. To get more complete coverage, search specific subfolders separately, or use keyword search to find particular documents.
Google sign-in fails
If your organization has security policies restricting third-party app access, your Google Workspace administrator may need to approve the August integration. Contact your IT administrator.
Security and Privacy
The Google Drive integration uses Google's own sign-in:
No passwords stored: August never receives or stores your Google password. Authentication tokens are encrypted and managed securely.
Read-only access: August requests read-only access to Drive and cannot change or delete your files.
Zero data retention for training: Your documents are not used to train AI models. See Security and Privacy Overview for details.
SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certified: August maintains enterprise-grade security certifications.
For complete security details, including encryption standards, access controls, and compliance certifications, see Security and Privacy Overview.
What to Read Next
Assistant Overview: work with imported Drive documents in the Assistant for analysis, drafting, and research.
Platform Search: search across your August workspace, including documents imported from Drive.
Security and Privacy Overview: how August protects your firm's data across all integrations.
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