Upload Files to Google Drive from AnyDB with Make

Upload files to Google Drive from AnyDB with Make

This scenario copies every file uploaded to AnyDB into Google Drive, once per file, after the upload has finished. It has four modules, numbered as Make numbers them:

Module	App and module	What it does
1	AnyDB → Watch a record for updates	fires when a File record's file cell A1 is written with the finished upload
4	HTTP → Make a request	asks AnyDB, with your API key, for a short-lived download link
3	HTTP → Download a file	downloads the file from that link, with no credentials
2	Google Drive → Upload a File	saves the file to Drive

Why two HTTP modules? The request to AnyDB uses an API key connection that is only allowed to send your key to AnyDB. AnyDB's file link points at a different host (storage), so Make will not follow a redirect there under that connection. Allowing the storage host would send your AnyDB key to it. So module 4 gets the link as JSON, and module 3 fetches it without credentials.

note

The screenshots below were taken against a test server (dev1.anydb.com); use https://app.anydb.com, or your own AnyDB server address, everywhere they show it. IDs, the email and the download link are blacked out. In Make, {{1.teamid}} means "the teamid output of module 1". You can type it, or pick 1. Team ID from the mapping panel.

Module 1: AnyDB → Watch a record for updates

1. Create a scenario and add AnyDB → Watch a record for updates.
2. Click Add next to Webhook, choose or create your AnyDB connection (your email and API key), and fill in the webhook:

Field	Value	Why
AnyDB Team / AnyDB Database	your team and database
Record ID	(empty)	not watching one particular record
Record ID: also watch its children	No	ignored when Record ID is empty
Parent Record ID	(empty), or a folder's record ID	empty watches every file in the database. A folder's ID watches only files uploaded directly into that folder
Record Type	File	only File records, the records AnyDB creates for uploaded files
Cell IDs	A1	A1 is a File record's file cell, written once the upload completes

3. Save. When the scenario runs, module 1 outputs the uploaded file's record:

Output in Make	Expression	Used for
Team ID	{{1.teamid}}	module 4 URL
Database ID	{{1.adbid}}	module 4 URL
Record ID	{{1.adoid}}	module 4 URL
Record Name	{{1.name}}	the file name in Drive, e.g. IMG_3940.jpg

Module 4: HTTP → Make a request

1. Add HTTP → Make a request after module 1.
2. Authentication type: API key. Under Connection, click Add and create an API key connection:

Connection field	Value
API Key	your AnyDB API key
API key placement	In the header
API key parameter name	X-ANYDB-API-KEY
Restrict requests to service URLs	Yes
Allowed service origins	https://app.anydb.com

3. Fill in the module:

Field	Value
URL	https://app.anydb.com/api/integrations/ext/download?teamid={{1.teamid}}&adbid={{1.adbid}}&adoid={{1.adoid}}&cellpos=A1&redirect=false
Method	GET
Headers	Name X-ANYDB-EMAIL, Value your AnyDB email
Parse response	Yes

4. Module 4 outputs Data with status success and data, the short-lived file link (hidden below). Module 3 uses {{4.data.data}}.

Module 3: HTTP → Download a file

1. Add HTTP → Download a file after module 4.
2. Fill in:

Field	Value
Authentication type	No authentication
URL	{{4.data.data}}
Headers	none

Module 2: Google Drive → Upload a File

1. Add Google Drive → Upload a File after module 3 and connect your Google account.
2. Fill in:

Field	Value
Enter a Folder ID	Enter manually
Folder ID	root (the top of My Drive), or a folder ID, see the note below
File	leave Map off. File Name = {{1.name}} (1. Record Name); Data = {{3.data}} (3. Data)

Google Drive folders

Make's built-in Google Drive connection may only reach files and folders Make created. Uploading into a folder you created in Drive fails with [403] Request had insufficient authentication scopes, and the folder picker shows Failed to load data. Use root, use a folder created by a Google Drive module in Make, or create the Google Drive connection with your own Google Cloud OAuth client so that it can request full Drive access.

Turn it on and test

Save the scenario and switch it to Active. Upload a file to AnyDB, into the folder if you set a Parent Record ID. The scenario's History shows one successful run with 4 operations, and the file appears in Drive.

If it does not work

Symptom	Fix
No run	Record Type must be File and Cell IDs A1. The AnyDB user must be able to read the file.
Two runs per upload	Your AnyDB server predates the fix that ignores the upload's placeholder write. Ask your AnyDB administrator to update it.
The initial URL is allowed, but the redirect destination is not allowed by this connection	Use redirect=false and the separate Download a file module shown above.
[403] Request had insufficient authentication scopes at Google Drive	See the Google Drive folders note above.
Make deactivated the scenario after an error	Fix the error, switch the scenario back to Active, and choose Process old data to replay the queued upload.

The same flow in Zapier is in Upload files to Google Drive from AnyDB with Zapier.