Connecting Google Drive and Dropbox

Pull files directly from your cloud storage without downloading them first.

May 21, 2026

Vulgate can read files directly from Google Drive and Dropbox so you don't have to download, then re-upload, every document by hand. The connection is one-time, then any subsequent upload starts with a familiar file-picker for that service.

Connect Google Drive

  1. Open Uploads → Upload in the sidebar.
  2. In the upload picker, choose Google Drive.
  3. Sign in to the Google account that owns the files and grant Vulgate read-only access to your Drive.
  4. A standard Drive picker opens. Select one or more files, or a whole folder, and click Open.

Vulgate copies the files into your Library and ingests them. The originals stay in Drive untouched, and Vulgate does not sync future changes back from Drive.

Connect Dropbox

  1. Open Uploads → Upload.
  2. In the upload picker, choose Dropbox.
  3. Sign in to Dropbox and approve the read-only permission request.
  4. Pick files or a folder in the Dropbox chooser and click Choose.

Behavior is identical to Drive: Vulgate copies and ingests; no two-way sync.

Connect by URL

For files hosted somewhere public — a university archive, an Internet Archive scan, or a personal website — pick the URL option in the upload picker and paste the direct link. The link must:

  • Return the file body directly (no HTML wrapper or download page).
  • Be publicly accessible (no login or session cookies).
  • Use HTTPS.

Vulgate fetches the file once, then ingests it like any other upload.

Disconnecting a source

Revoke Vulgate's access directly from Google's security settings or Dropbox's linked apps page.

What permissions do we ask for?

We request a read-only scope in each case so we can read the items you pick in the file picker. The full list of permissions is shown by Google and Dropbox during the connect flow — read it before approving. We never modify, move, or delete anything in your cloud storage.

Common issues

  • "Permission denied" after selecting a file. Make sure the file isn't owned by a different Google account or restricted by a Google Workspace policy.
  • A Drive folder uploads zero files. The folder may contain only Google Docs / Sheets / Slides files, which Vulgate can't read directly. Export each as PDF in Drive first.

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