search
Search for files in Google Drive. Results are sorted most-recently-modified first by default; use orderBy for a different order. Set rawQuery=true to pass a raw Google Drive API query supporting operators like modifiedTime, createdTime, mimeType, name contains, etc.
This record as markdown: /tools/ark7-google-drive-mcp/search.md
What search does on Google Drive
AI agents call search 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
query | string | Yes | Search query. When rawQuery=true, this is passed directly to the Google Drive API as the q parameter. |
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 |
orderBy | string | — | Sort order for results. Keys without 'desc' sort ascending, so 'modifiedTime' is oldest-first. When paging, repeat the same value on every pageToken call. |
pageSize | number | — | Results per page (default 50, max 100) |
rawQuery | boolean | — | If true, pass query directly to Google Drive API without wrapping in fullText contains. Enables date filters, mimeType filters, etc. |
pageToken | string | — | Token for next page of results |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why search is rated Low
Tool queries and retrieves file metadata without modifying, deleting, or executing operations.
From the tool's definition Search for files in Google Drive. Results are sorted most-recently-modified first.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs search 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 search, this is the rule to start with:
search is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Google Drive, apply this rule, and every search call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about search
Search for files in Google Drive. Results are sorted most-recently-modified first by default; use orderBy for a different order. Set rawQuery=true to pass a raw Google Drive API query supporting operators like modifiedTime, createdTime, mimeType, name contains, etc. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Google Drive MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
search accepts 6 parameters: query, account, orderBy, pageSize, rawQuery, pageToken. Required: query. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Google Drive MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search: 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.
search is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the search 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.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for search. 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.
search 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.
More on Google Drive, and thousands of servers like it.
This server
Across the catalogue