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Guide · Agent skill

How to use the Watch Google Drive Changes agent skill

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

This guide explains the recipe-watch-drive-changes agent skill, which teaches an AI agent how to subscribe to change notifications on a Google Drive file or folder using the gws command-line tool. It is written for engineers and ops staff who may never have used agent skills before. By the end you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask the agent for help with it, and what you need in place first.

Watch Google Drive Changesgoogleworkspace/cli · Apache-2.0

Quick start

  1. 1Install the prerequisites. Install the gws command-line tool and the gws-events skill, and confirm you have a Google Cloud project with a Pub/Sub topic.
  2. 2Install this skill. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload it under Settings, Capabilities, Skills in the Claude apps.
  3. 3Ask for a subscription. Describe the Drive file or folder and the Pub/Sub topic you want to receive events, in plain language.
  4. 4Check your subscriptions. Ask the agent to list active subscriptions, or run gws events subscriptions list, to confirm the new subscription exists.
  5. 5Renew before expiry. Ask the agent to renew the subscription using its ID before it expires, using gws events +renew with the subscription ID.

What this skill makes the agent do

An agent skill is a set of instructions that an AI agent loads so it can carry out a specific workflow. This one is a recipe for Google Drive change notifications. Once it is loaded, the agent can create a subscription that sends events about a Drive file or folder to a Google Cloud Pub/Sub topic, list your active subscriptions, and renew a subscription before it expires.

The skill is for wiring Drive activity into other systems. It is not a tool for reading, editing or sharing documents. The source describes only subscription management, so do not expect it to access file contents.

  • Create a subscription that sends events to a Pub/Sub topic
  • List active subscriptions
  • Renew a subscription before it expires

What you need before you start

The recipe cannot run without its dependencies. Check all of these before installing.

  • The gws command-line tool (Google Workspace CLI)
  • The gws-events skill, which this recipe lists as a prerequisite
  • A Google Cloud project with a Pub/Sub topic
  • Google Workspace and Drive permissions that allow the commands to run. The source implies these but does not detail them, so confirm them with your administrator.

How to install the skill

Download the ZIP file for this skill from this page. Then install it in one of two ways.

For Claude Code, unzip the file into ~/.claude/skills/ to make it available for you across projects, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder to make it available only in that project.

For the Claude apps, upload the ZIP under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.

  • Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
  • Project install: .claude/skills/ inside your project folder
  • Claude apps: Settings, Capabilities, Skills, then upload

How to trigger the skill with natural requests

You do not need to type a special command to use the skill. Describe the outcome you want in plain language and mention Drive changes, notifications or subscriptions. The agent should then follow the recipe. Be specific about the file or folder and the Pub/Sub topic, because the recipe needs those details to build the subscription.

The source does not list exact trigger phrases, so the wording below is an example of a clear request rather than a required formula.

  • Subscribe to updates on this Drive folder and send events to my Pub/Sub topic
  • Show me my active Drive watch subscriptions
  • Renew subscription SUBSCRIPTION_ID before it expires

The three commands the recipe uses

The recipe is built on three gws commands. The first creates a subscription for the update event type and sends notifications to a Pub/Sub topic. Replace DRIVE_ID, PROJECT and TOPIC with your own values. The second lists your active subscriptions. The third renews a subscription by its ID.

The create example in the source uses a drives target path with the placeholder DRIVE_ID. Use the target form given in the recipe and check the result with the list command.

  • Create: gws events subscriptions create
  • List: gws events subscriptions list
  • Renew: gws events +renew --subscription SUBSCRIPTION_ID
gws events subscriptions create --json '{"targetResource": "//drive.googleapis.com/drives/DRIVE_ID", "eventTypes": ["google.workspace.drive.file.v1.updated"], "notificationEndpoint": {"pubsubTopic": "projects/PROJECT/topics/TOPIC"}, "payloadOptions": {"includeResource": true}}'

Safety notes: scripts and network access

This skill runs scripts and uses the network. The commands create and change subscriptions in your Google Cloud and Google Workspace environment, and they send events to your Pub/Sub topic. Review the commands the agent proposes before it runs them, and use a project and topic you are authorised to change.

Subscriptions expire, so an active subscription needs periodic renewal. Plan for that rather than assuming a one-time setup keeps running.

  • The skill runs scripts and uses the network
  • Review proposed commands before the agent runs them
  • Use only a Google Cloud project and Pub/Sub topic you are allowed to change

Tips for using the skill well

Keep a record of subscription IDs so you can renew them. Run the list command after creating a subscription to confirm it exists. If you are setting this up for a team, agree on who owns renewals before you start.

If you need to check the source behaviour before relying on it, read the SKILL.md file in the skill folder. It is the only file this skill includes.

  • Save each subscription ID when you create it
  • Use the list command to confirm subscriptions
  • Assign an owner for renewals

What people use it for

  • A developer wants a Pub/Sub message whenever a specific Drive folder is updated, so a downstream service can react.
  • An ops engineer checks which Drive change subscriptions are active and renews any that are close to expiring.
  • A team connects Drive activity to an existing Google Cloud Pub/Sub pipeline and manages the subscriptions through an agent.

Frequently asked questions

How do I install the watch Google Drive changes agent skill?

Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, upload the ZIP under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.

Is the Watch Google Drive Changes skill free?

The source lists the skill under Apache-2.0 licence. It does not describe pricing for Google Workspace, Google Cloud or the gws tool, so check those services separately.

What do I need to run this skill?

You need the gws command-line tool, the gws-events skill, a Google Cloud project with a Pub/Sub topic, and suitable Google Workspace and Drive permissions. The recipe cannot run without these.

Can this skill read or edit my Google Drive files?

No. The skill only manages change subscriptions. The source describes no file reading, editing or sharing features.

Why does my Drive watch subscription stop working?

Subscriptions expire and need renewal. Use the renew command with the subscription ID before expiry, and use the list command to check which subscriptions are still active.

Are there alternatives to this skill?

The source does not compare this skill with other tools. If you only need to read or edit Drive files, this skill is not the right choice, because it covers change notifications only.

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Our verdict

This skill suits engineers and ops staff who already use Google Cloud Pub/Sub and the gws CLI and want an agent to create, list and renew Drive change subscriptions. It is a poor fit for anyone who only needs to read, edit or share Drive files, or who wants set-and-forget monitoring, since subscriptions must be renewed.

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