Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Create a Shared Drive agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
This guide explains how to use the recipe-create-shared-drive agent skill, a short set of instructions that lets an AI agent create a Google Shared Drive, add a member as a writer and list who has access. It is written for people who have never used agent skills before. By the end you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for it in plain language and what it needs before it will work.
Create a Shared Drivegoogleworkspace/cli · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Install gws and authenticate. Install the gws command-line tool and configure authentication for your Google account with Drive access.
- 2Install the gws-drive skill. Add the companion gws-drive skill, which this recipe relies on for Drive commands.
- 3Download and unzip this skill. Download the skill ZIP from our page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 4Ask for a new Shared Drive. Describe the drive you want in plain language, including its name.
- 5Add a writer. Give the agent the member's email address so it can add that person with the writer role.
- 6List the permissions. Ask the agent to list who has access to confirm the change.
What is this skill and what does it make the agent do?
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file with instructions that an AI agent loads when a task matches them. This one, recipe-create-shared-drive, is a step-by-step recipe for setting up a shared folder in Google Drive, called a Shared Drive, that a team can use together.
Once installed, the agent can run three gws commands: create the drive with a name, add a specific person with the writer role, and list the permissions on the drive. The skill covers only these three actions.
- Create a Shared Drive with a name
- Add a member by email address with the writer role
- List the members who currently have access
Install the skill (ZIP download or Claude Settings)
Download the skill ZIP from our page and unzip it. For a personal setup, place the unzipped folder in ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder.
If you use the Claude apps, you can instead upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: .claude/skills/ inside your project folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
Install the requirements the skill depends on
This skill does not work on its own. It needs the gws command-line tool (Google Workspace CLI) and the companion gws-drive skill, which provides the underlying Drive commands. You also need a Google account with Drive access, and authentication configured for gws.
Without these, the commands will fail.
- gws command-line tool (Google Workspace CLI)
- gws-drive skill, loaded alongside this one
- A Google account with Drive access
- Authentication configured for gws
How to trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need to type a command name. Describe the task in plain language and mention the drive, the name and the people involved. The agent will match your request to this recipe.
Good requests name the outcome: the drive name, the email address to add as a writer, or the drive whose members you want to see. If you have a Drive ID, include it, because the list and add steps need it.
- "Create a Shared Drive called Project X for the design team."
- "Add member@company.com to the Project X shared drive as a writer."
- "List who has access to drive ID DRIVE_ID."
The commands the agent runs
These are the exact commands from the skill's recipe. The agent uses the DRIVE_ID placeholder and fills it in for your drive. The create step includes a requestId value so the request can be identified.
Read these before running the skill on a real company drive, because they change real sharing settings.
gws drive drives create --params '{"requestId": "unique-id-123"}' --json '{"name": "Project X"}'
gws drive permissions create --params '{"fileId": "DRIVE_ID", "supportsAllDrives": true}' --json '{"role": "writer", "type": "user", "emailAddress": "member@company.com"}'
gws drive permissions list --params '{"fileId": "DRIVE_ID", "supportsAllDrives": true}'Safety notes: scripts and network access
This skill runs scripts and uses the network. Every command it runs calls Google Workspace through gws, so it changes real drives and real sharing permissions in your account.
Because of this, review requests that add members to a company drive before the agent runs them. The skill only covers creating a drive, adding a writer and listing permissions. It does not remove access or change other roles, so you will need to handle those yourself.
- Runs scripts and uses the network
- Changes real sharing settings in your Google account
- Review membership changes to company drives before approving them
Tips for getting reliable results
Confirm the drive name and the exact email address before you ask the agent to add a member. Check the list output afterward to confirm the change took effect.
If a command fails, check first that gws is installed, that you are authenticated and that the gws-drive skill is loaded.
- Spell out the drive name and email address exactly
- Ask for a list step after adding a member to verify
- Check gws installation, authentication and gws-drive first when something fails
What people use it for
- A team lead creating a Shared Drive for a new project and adding the first writer
- A developer automating Drive setup through gws as part of a provisioning script
- An admin checking who currently has access to an existing Shared Drive by its ID
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the recreate-shared-drive agent skill?
Download the skill ZIP from our page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps you can instead upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
What do I need before this skill works?
You need the gws command-line tool, the companion gws-drive skill, a Google account with Drive access, and authentication configured for gws. Without these the commands will fail.
Is this skill free to use?
The skill is published under the Apache-2.0 licence. Check the licence terms in the source repository for your own use, since this page does not state pricing for Google Workspace or gws.
Can this skill remove someone from a Shared Drive?
No. The skill only covers creating a drive, adding a member as a writer and listing permissions. Removing access or managing other roles is outside its steps and must be done another way.
What is the difference between this skill and gws-drive?
This recipe is a short set of steps for one task, creating a Shared Drive and adding members. The gws-drive skill provides the underlying Drive commands that this recipe calls.
Why does my shared drive command fail?
Check that gws is installed, that authentication is configured for your Google account, that the gws-drive skill is loaded and that the DRIVE_ID you supplied is correct.
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Our verdict
This skill suits team leads, admins and developers who already use gws and want a ready-made recipe for creating a Shared Drive and adding a writer. It is not suitable for people without a Google Workspace account or gws, for anyone who needs to remove access or manage roles beyond these steps, or for membership changes to company drives that should be reviewed by a person first.
Download the skill