---
schema_version: "1"
id: c0cd498c56c81fd5d13aebeb72feabe26045b15d21e136d45f9b5d5fcffd077e
title: Define an External Data Source for Google Drive
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/experience/264-0-0/admin_files_connect_google_xds.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=experience.admin_files_connect_google_xds.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: c1c92183e563eae5aab779872028546bdb32aff56e3da96240492e17383ed02c
description: Let Chatter users access their Google Drive content from the Files tab, feed posts, and search. Salesforce supports Google documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and drawings.
products:
  - Experiences
release: "264"
---
# Define an External Data Source for Google Drive

Let Chatter users access their Google Drive content from the Files tab, feed posts, and search. Salesforce supports Google documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and drawings.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition"><colgroup><col></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: both Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience</td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: <strong>Professional</strong>, <strong>Enterprise</strong>, <strong>Performance</strong>, <strong>Unlimited</strong>, and <strong>Developer</strong> Editions</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small permission">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:50%">
          <col style="width:50%">
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d39076e73">User Permissions
              Needed</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d39076e73 ">To define an external data source:</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d39076e73 ">Customize Application</td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

1. From Setup, enter External Data Sources in the Quick Find box, then select **External Data Sources**.
2. Click **New External Data Source**. Then set the following options.
    
    <table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
            <colgroup>
              <col style="width:50%">
              <col style="width:50%">
            </colgroup>
            <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
              <tr class="">
                <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d39076e133">Field</th>
                <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d39076e136">Description</th>
              </tr>
            </thead>
            <tbody>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d39076e133 ">
                  <samp class="parmname">Label</samp>
                </td>

                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d39076e136 ">A user-friendly name for the data source displayed in the Salesforce user
                  interface.</td>

              </tr>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d39076e133 ">
                  <samp class="parmname">Name</samp>
                </td>

                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d39076e136 ">A unique identifier used to refer to this external data source definition
                  through the API. The <strong class="uicontrol">Name</strong> field can contain only
                  underscores and alphanumeric characters. It must be unique, begin with a letter,
                  not include spaces, not end with an underscore, and not contain two consecutive
                  underscores.</td>

              </tr>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d39076e133 ">
                  <samp class="parmname">Type</samp>
                </td>

                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d39076e136 ">Choose <strong class="uicontrol">Files Connect: Google Drive</strong></td>

              </tr>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d39076e133 ">
                  <samp class="parmname">Identity Type</samp>
                </td>

                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d39076e136 ">
                  <p>The identity type used to authenticate to the external data
                    source.</p>
                  <p>Select <strong class="uicontrol">Per User</strong> to require separate
                    credentials for each user who accesses the data source. (Administrators must
                    enable the data source for specific permission sets and profiles. Users then
                    enter their credentials when first accessing the data source..) </p>
                  <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Select
                    <strong class="uicontrol">Named Principal</strong> to use the same set of credentials
                    for every user who accesses the data source from Salesforce.
                  </p>
                </td>

              </tr>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d39076e133 ">
                  <samp class="parmname">Authentication Protocol</samp>
                </td>

                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d39076e136 ">
                  <p>The protocol used to access Google Drive. </p>
                  <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Select <strong class="uicontrol">OAuth
                      2.0</strong>.</p>
                </td>

              </tr>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d39076e133 ">
                  <samp class="parmname">Authentication Provider</samp>
                </td>

                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d39076e136 ">Enter the <a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=experience.admin_files_connect_google_auth.htm&amp;release=264.0.0&amp;type=5" title="To use Google Drive as an external data source, create an authentication provider for it in Salesforce. The process begins with creating a related project in the Google Developers console.">Google Drive authentication provider</a>.</td>

              </tr>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d39076e133 ">
                  <samp class="parmname">Scope</samp>
                </td>

                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d39076e136 ">Leave blank.</td>

              </tr>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d39076e133 ">
                  <samp class="parmname">Start Authentication Flow on Save</samp>
                </td>

                <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d39076e136 ">Select to immediately test the settings above.</td>

              </tr>
            </tbody>
          </table>