downloadFile

SERVERGoogle Drive SOURCE@ark7/google-drive-mcp

Low RISK CLASS

Category Read

Parameters 52 required

Recommended Allowedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity unverified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/ark7-google-drive-mcp/downloadfile.md

WHAT IT DOES

What downloadFile does on Google Drive

AI agents call downloadFile to retrieve information from Google Drive without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`fileId`	string	Yes	Google Drive file ID
`account`	string	—	Alias of the Google account to target. Optional — defaults to the session/global default account, or the sole authenticated account. Run manage_accounts list to
`localPath`	string	Yes	Absolute local path to save the file (must start with /). Can be a directory (filename auto-resolved from Drive metadata) or a full file path. Path is normalize
`overwrite`	boolean	—	Whether to overwrite if file already exists at localPath. When false (default), returns an error instead of replacing the file.
`exportMimeType`	string	—	For Google Workspace files: MIME type to export as (e.g., 'application/pdf', 'text/csv'). Auto-detected from file extension if omitted. Ignored for non-Workspac

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

RISK

Why downloadFile is rated Low

This tool retrieves and exports file content without creating side effects on the source files or data. It reads from Google Drive and writes to local storage, which is a one-directional data transfer with no modifications to the originating resource. The most severe consequence of misuse would be unauthorized disclosure of file contents, consistent with Read severity.

From the tool's definition Tool description explicitly states 'Download a Google Drive file to a local path' and 'downloads as-is', which are retrieval operations with no modification or deletion of source data.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs downloadFile safely

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Google Drive, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For downloadFile, this is the rule to start with:

downloadFile Allowed

downloadFile is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "downloadFile": {}
  }
}

ALLOW ONLY THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Google Drive, apply this rule, and every downloadFile call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about downloadFile

What does the downloadFile tool do? +

Download a Google Drive file to a local path. For Google Workspace files (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings), exports to the specified format. For regular files, downloads as-is. Streams directly to disk. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Google Drive MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

What parameters does downloadFile accept? +

downloadFile accepts 5 parameters: fileId, account, localPath, overwrite, exportMimeType. Required: fileId, localPath. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.

How do I enforce a policy on downloadFile? +

Register the Google Drive MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for downloadFile: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Google Drive. Nothing to install.

What risk level is downloadFile? +

downloadFile is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit downloadFile? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the downloadFile rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block downloadFile completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for downloadFile. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides downloadFile? +

downloadFile is provided by the Google Drive MCP server (@ark7/google-drive-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

KEEP EXPLORING

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