How to Connect Google Drive to Your WordPress Media Library?

Connecting Google Drive to your WordPress Media Library can greatly enhance your website’s storage capabilities and streamline the process of managing media files. By integrating Google Drive, you can directly access, upload, and manage files from your Drive within the WordPress dashboard. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you achieve this integration:

Step 1: Install and Activate a Plugin

To connect Google Drive to your WordPress Media Library, you will need a plugin that facilitates this integration. One popular and effective plugin for this purpose is “External Media: Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box”. Here’s how to install and activate it:

• Go to your WordPress dashboard.
• Navigate to Plugins ⟶ Add New.
• Search for “External Media: Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box”.
• Click Install Now and then Activate.

Read: How to Change the Default Media Upload Location in WordPress

Step 2: Configure Google API

To connect your WordPress site to Google Drive, you’ll need to set up a Google API project and obtain the necessary credentials. To create a Google Cloud project:

• Go to the Google Cloud Console.
• Click on Select a project and then New Project.
• Give your project a name and click Create.

i) Enable the Google Drive API: Within your project dashboard, navigate to APIs & Services ⟶ Library.

• Search for “Google Drive API” and click on it.
• Click Enable to activate the Google Drive API for your project.

ii) Create OAuth 2.0 Credentials: Go to APIs & Services ⟶ Credentials.

• Click on Create Credentials and select OAuth 2.0 Client ID.
• Configure the consent screen by clicking Configure consent screen.
• Choose External and click Create.
• Fill in the required fields such as Application name and contact email.
• Under Authorized domains, add your domain and click Save.

After configuring the consent screen, select Web application as the application type. Add your website’s URL under Authorized redirect URIs. You can get this URL from the plugin settings. Click Create to generate your OAuth 2.0 Client ID and Client Secret.

Step 3: Configure the Plugin

Go back to your WordPress dashboard. Navigate to Settings ⟶ External Media.

• Select Google Drive from the list of available services.
• Enter the Client ID and Client Secret obtained from the Google Cloud Console. Save the settings.
• After saving the settings, click on the Authenticate button.

You will be redirected to Google to grant access to your Google Drive. Allow access and you will be redirected back to your WordPress site.

Step 4: Access Google Drive in WordPress

Once authenticated, you can start accessing your Google Drive files from within WordPress.

• Upload and Manage Files: Go to Media ⟶ Add New. You will see an option to import files from Google Drive. Browse your Google Drive files, select the ones you want to add, and import them into your WordPress Media Library.
• Manage Imported Files: Imported files will appear in your Media Library alongside your existing files. You can manage these files just like any other media files within WordPress.

Learn: A Guide to Clean Image Filenames in WordPress

Additional Tips

To keep your Google Drive organized, create specific folders for different types of media files before importing them to WordPress. If you frequently update files in Google Drive, consider regularly syncing your media library to ensure all updates are reflected on your WordPress site. While Google Drive integration helps with storage, always keep a backup of your critical files to prevent data loss.

Conclusion

Connecting Google Drive to your WordPress Media Library offers a seamless way to manage and utilize cloud storage directly from your WordPress dashboard. By following these steps, you can easily set up the integration, streamline your media management, and enhance your website’s functionality. Whether you are a blogger, a business owner, or a developer, this integration can save you time and provide a more flexible way to handle your media file.