Upload files to Google Drive from Google Forms

Coding level: Beginner
Duration: 10 minutes
Project type: Automation with an event-driven trigger

Objectives

  • Understand what the solution does.
  • Understand what the Apps Script services do within the solution.
  • Set up the script.
  • Run the script.

About this solution

Simultaneously upload and organize files in Google Drive using Google Forms. The form includes inputs for the files to upload and for how the files should be organized.

Screenshot of form to upload files

How it works

A setup function creates a folder to store all uploaded files and a trigger that fires each time someone submits the form. When a user fills out the form, they choose files to upload and a subfolder to store the files in. Once the user submits the form, the script routes the files to the corresponding subfolder. If the folder doesn't exist yet, the script creates it.

Apps Script services

This solution uses the following services:

  • Script service–Creates the trigger that fires each time someone submits the form.
  • Properties service–Stores the ID of the trigger that the script creates during setup to prevent duplicate triggers.
  • Drive service–During setup, gets the form's location in Drive and creates a folder in the same location. When a user submits the form, Drive service routes the files to that folder, and if selected, a designated subfolder. If the subfolder doesn't exist yet, the script creates it.
  • Forms service–Gets the files and folder name the user chose after they submit the form and sends it to Drive service.

Prerequisites

To use this sample, you need the following prerequisites:

  • A Google Account (Google Workspace accounts might require administrator approval).
  • A web browser with access to the internet.

Set up the script

Create the form

  1. Go to forms.google.com and click Blank .
  2. Click Untitled form and rename the form to Upload files to Drive.
  3. Click Untitled question and rename the question to Subfolder.
  4. On the Subfolder question, click More > Description.
  5. For Description, enter Select the subfolder to store your files in. If you select <None>, the files are stored in the Uploaded files folder.
  6. Add the following options to the Subfolder question:
    • <none>
    • Project A
    • Project B
    • Project C
  7. To make the question required, click Required.
  8. Click Add question .
  9. Click Multiple choice and select File upload.
  10. Click Continue.
  11. For Question, enter Files to upload. You can choose the file types and maximum number of files you want to let people upload.
  12. To make the question required, click Required.

Create the Apps Script project

  1. From the form, click More > Script editor.
  2. Click Untitled project and rename the project to Upload files to Drive.
  3. To create another script file, click Add a file > Script. Name the file Setup.

  4. Replace the content of both script files with the following content:

    Code.gs

    solutions/automations/upload-files/Code.js
    // TODO Before you start using this sample, you must run the setUp() 
// function in the Setup.gs file.

// Application constants
const APP_TITLE = "Upload files to Drive from Forms";
const APP_FOLDER_NAME = "Upload files to Drive (File responses)";

// Identifies the subfolder form item
const APP_SUBFOLDER_ITEM = "Subfolder";
const APP_SUBFOLDER_NONE = "<None>";


/**
 * Gets the file uploads from a form response and moves files to the corresponding subfolder.
 *  
 * @param {object} event - Form submit.
 */
function onFormSubmit(e) {
  try {
    // Gets the application root folder.
    var destFolder = getFolder_(APP_FOLDER_NAME);

    // Gets all form responses.
    let itemResponses = e.response.getItemResponses();

    // Determines the subfolder to route the file to, if any.
    var subFolderName;
    let dest = itemResponses.filter((itemResponse) =>
      itemResponse.getItem().getTitle().toString() === APP_SUBFOLDER_ITEM);

    // Gets the destination subfolder name, but ignores if APP_SUBFOLDER_NONE was selected;
    if (dest.length > 0) {
      if (dest[0].getResponse() != APP_SUBFOLDER_NONE) {
        subFolderName = dest[0].getResponse();
      }
    }
    // Gets the subfolder or creates it if it doesn't exist.
    if (subFolderName != undefined) {
      destFolder = getSubFolder_(destFolder, subFolderName)
    }
    console.log(`Destination folder to use:
    Name: ${destFolder.getName()}
    ID: ${destFolder.getId()}
    URL: ${destFolder.getUrl()}`)

    // Gets the file upload response as an array to allow for multiple files.
    let fileUploads = itemResponses.filter((itemResponse) => itemResponse.getItem().getType().toString() === "FILE_UPLOAD")
      .map((itemResponse) => itemResponse.getResponse())
      .reduce((a, b) => [...a, ...b], []);

    // Moves the files to the destination folder.
    if (fileUploads.length > 0) {
      fileUploads.forEach((fileId) => {
        DriveApp.getFileById(fileId).moveTo(destFolder);
        console.log(`File Copied: ${fileId}`)
      });
    }
  }
  catch (err) {
    console.log(err);
  }
}


/**
 * Returns a Drive folder under the passed in objParentFolder parent
 * folder. Checks if folder of same name exists before creating, returning 
 * the existing folder or the newly created one if not found.
 *
 * @param {object} objParentFolder - Drive folder as an object.
 * @param {string} subFolderName - Name of subfolder to create/return.
 * @return {object} Drive folder
 */
function getSubFolder_(objParentFolder, subFolderName) {

  // Iterates subfolders of parent folder to check if folder already exists.
  const subFolders = objParentFolder.getFolders();
  while (subFolders.hasNext()) {
    let folder = subFolders.next();

    // Returns the existing folder if found.
    if (folder.getName() === subFolderName) {
      return folder;
    }
  }
  // Creates a new folder if one doesn't already exist.
  return objParentFolder.createFolder(subFolderName)
    .setDescription(`Created by ${APP_TITLE} application to store uploaded Forms files.`);
}

    Setup.gs

    solutions/automations/upload-files/Setup.js
    // TODO You must run the setUp() function before you start using this sample.

/** 
 * The setUp() function performs the following:
 *  - Creates a Google Drive folder named by the APP_FOLDER_NAME
 *    variable in the Code.gs file.
 *  - Creates a trigger to handle onFormSubmit events.
 */
function setUp() {
  // Ensures the root destination folder exists.
  const appFolder = getFolder_(APP_FOLDER_NAME);
  if (appFolder !== null) {
    console.log(`Application folder setup.
    Name: ${appFolder.getName()}
    ID: ${appFolder.getId()}
    URL: ${appFolder.getUrl()}`)
  }
  else {
    console.log(`Could not setup application folder.`)
  }
  // Calls the function that creates the Forms onSubmit trigger.
  installTrigger_();
}

/** 
 * Returns a folder to store uploaded files in the same location
 * in Drive where the form is located. First, it checks if the folder
 * already exists, and creates it if it doesn't.
 *
 * @param {string} folderName - Name of the Drive folder. 
 * @return {object} Google Drive Folder
 */
function getFolder_(folderName) {

  // Gets the Drive folder where the form is located.
  const ssId = FormApp.getActiveForm().getId();
  const parentFolder = DriveApp.getFileById(ssId).getParents().next();

  // Iterates through the subfolders to check if folder already exists.
  // The script checks for the folder name specified in the APP_FOLDER_NAME variable.
  const subFolders = parentFolder.getFolders();
  while (subFolders.hasNext()) {
    let folder = subFolders.next();

    // Returns the existing folder if found.
    if (folder.getName() === folderName) {
      return folder;
    }
  }
  // Creates a new folder if one doesn't already exist.
  return parentFolder.createFolder(folderName)
    .setDescription(`Created by ${APP_TITLE} application to store uploaded files.`);
}

/**
 * Installs trigger to capture onFormSubmit event when a form is submitted.
 * Ensures that the trigger is only installed once.
 * Called by setup().
 */
function installTrigger_() {
  // Ensures existing trigger doesn't already exist.
  let propTriggerId = PropertiesService.getScriptProperties().getProperty('triggerUniqueId')
  if (propTriggerId !== null) {
    const triggers = ScriptApp.getProjectTriggers();
    for (let t in triggers) {
      if (triggers[t].getUniqueId() === propTriggerId) {
        console.log(`Trigger with the following unique ID already exists: ${propTriggerId}`);
        return;
      }
    }
  }
  // Creates the trigger if one doesn't exist.
  let triggerUniqueId = ScriptApp.newTrigger('onFormSubmit')
    .forForm(FormApp.getActiveForm())
    .onFormSubmit()
    .create()
    .getUniqueId();
  PropertiesService.getScriptProperties().setProperty('triggerUniqueId', triggerUniqueId);
  console.log(`Trigger with the following unique ID was created: ${triggerUniqueId}`);
}

/**
 * Removes all script properties and triggers for the project.
 * Use primarily to test setup routines.
 */
function removeTriggersAndScriptProperties() {
  PropertiesService.getScriptProperties().deleteAllProperties();
  // Removes all triggers associated with project.
  const triggers = ScriptApp.getProjectTriggers();
  for (let t in triggers) {
    ScriptApp.deleteTrigger(triggers[t]);
  }
}

/**
 * Removes all form responses to reset the form.
 */
function deleteAllResponses() {
  FormApp.getActiveForm().deleteAllResponses();
}

Run the script

  1. In the Apps Script editor, switch to the Setup.gs file.
  2. In the function dropdown, select setUp.
  3. Click Run.

  4. When prompted, authorize the script. If the OAuth consent screen displays the warning, This app isn't verified, continue by selecting Advanced > Go to {Project Name} (unsafe).

  5. Return to the form and click Preview Preview icon.

  6. On the form, select a subfolder and upload a file.

  7. Click Submit.

  8. Go to Drive and open the Upload files to Drive (File responses) folder. Your uploaded files are in the subfolder you selected on the form.

Contributors

This sample is maintained by Google with the help of Google Developer Experts.

Next steps