Location of Google Drive Service Account Uploads

Question

I'm trying to upload a file to my Google Drive using a service account. When I deploy this code, I don't want the user to give authorization, I want them to upload to my account. I'm using this via PHP, and below is where I am so far.

This code is based on the examples given by the official documentation. When I run the php script, I get no errors, and I print_r the result variable. It has multiple URLs, when I go to it with the same account I created all this with, it says I need to request permission. When I look in my Google Developers console, it says it got the request and successfully ran it.

However, the file doesn't show anywhere in my Google Drive. I'm not really sure where to see these files on the service account, and how to get this file into my Google Drive. Below is my code.

Am I missing a permission somewhere, or am I supposed to somehow connect the service account to a normal account?

DEFINE("TESTFILE", 'testfile-small.txt');
    if (!file_exists(TESTFILE)) {
      $fh = fopen(TESTFILE, 'w');
      fseek($fh, 1024 * 1024);
      fwrite($fh, "!", 1);
      fclose($fh);
    }

// The setup

// Authentication Credentials
$client_id = '<my client id>'; //Client ID
$service_account_name = '<my client email'; //Email Address
$key_file_location = '<path to key>'; //key.p12

// Create the client
$client = new Google_Client();
$client->setApplicationName("IEEE_File_Upload");
$service = new Google_Service_Drive($client);

// Check for token
if (isset($_SESSION['service_token'])) {
  $client->setAccessToken($_SESSION['service_token']);
}

// Get the key
$key = file_get_contents($key_file_location);

// Create the credentials
$cred = new Google_Auth_AssertionCredentials(
    $service_account_name,
    array('https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive'),
    $key
);

// Set the credentials
$client->setAssertionCredentials($cred);

// Something with tokens
if ($client->getAuth()->isAccessTokenExpired()) {
  $client->getAuth()->refreshTokenWithAssertion($cred);
}
$_SESSION['service_token'] = $client->getAccessToken();

// Actual file stuff

  // Now lets try and send the metadata as well using multipart!
  $file = new Google_Service_Drive_DriveFile();
  $file->setTitle("Hello World!");
  $result = $service->files->insert(
      $file,
      array(
        'data' => file_get_contents(TESTFILE),
        'mimeType' => 'application/octet-stream',
        'uploadType' => 'multipart'
      )
  );

echo "<h3>Results Of Call:</h3>";
foreach ($result as $item) {
  echo $item['volumeInfo']['title'], "<br /> \n";

score 12 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 16 '15 at 07:52

12

A service account is NOT YOU, a service account is its own sudo user entity type of thing. A service account has its own drive account, its own Google calendar .. when you preform an upload to a service account files are uploaded to its Google drive account not yours.

I suggest you use the same script and do a file list to see if the file was uploaded to the service accounts drive account.

There is no web interface for a service account so you cant log in and check it via the web it will all have to be done though your service account code.

answered Feb 16 '15 at 07:52

Linda Lawton - DaImTo

106,405
32
180
449

I was aware that the service account isn't the user, but your explanation on web interfaces clears things up. In that case, is there a way to get the uploaded file on the server side (so to speak), and copy it into an arbitrary user's (in this case mine) account, if given permission? Using something like Google App Engine? – Anit Gandhi Feb 16 '15 at 08:09
1

you could create a directory on the service account. give said user access to that directory. But after the files are uploaded you will also have to patch the permissions on the file granting said user access to the file. then the user should be able to see it in there web interface – Linda Lawton - DaImTo Feb 16 '15 at 08:11

score 1 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:16

"I'm trying to upload a file to my Google Drive using a service account."

As DaImTo said, a Service Account is not the same as your own Drive Account. The clue is in the word "Account", ie. it's a separate Account.

If you want to upload to your own account, you simply need to acquire a refresh token for that account, then use it to generate an access token each time you want to do an upload. The steps required are documented here How do I authorise an app (web or installed) without user intervention? (canonical ?)

Location of Google Drive Service Account Uploads

2 Answers2

Linked