Upload Files to Google Drive from AnyDB with Zapier

Upload files to Google Drive from AnyDB with Zapier

This Zap copies every file uploaded to AnyDB into a Google Drive folder, once per file, after the upload has finished. It has three steps:

Step	App and event	What it does
1	AnyDB → Updated Record	fires when a File record's file cell A1 is written with the finished upload
2	Webhooks by Zapier → GET	asks AnyDB for a short-lived download link to that file
3	Google Drive → Upload File	downloads the file from the link and saves it to Drive

note

You need AnyDB Zapier app 1.2.1 or later for the Record Type and optional Record ID fields, and your AnyDB API key from the Profile dialog. 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 API key and the email are blacked out.

Step 1: Trigger, AnyDB → Updated Record

1. Create a Zap and choose AnyDB as the trigger app, with the event Updated Record.
2. Connect your AnyDB account: AnyDB URL https://app.anydb.com, your email, and your API key.
3. On Configure, fill in:

Field	Value	Why
Team	your team
Database	your database
Record ID	(empty)	not watching one particular record
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
Filter	(empty), or a condition	for example '{{context:meta.name}}' ENDSWITH '.pdf'. See Filter syntax
Record ID: also watch its children	either	ignored when Record ID is empty

4. On Test, pick a record and continue. When the Zap runs, step 1 hands on the uploaded file's record. These are the values the next steps use:

Field in Zapier	Key	Used for
Team ID	teamid	the download request
Database ID	adbid	the download request
Record ID	adoid	the download request
Record Name	name	the file name in Drive. For a file it is the name with its extension, e.g. IMG_3940.jpg

Step 2: Action, Webhooks by Zapier → GET

1. Add an action: Webhooks by Zapier, event GET.
2. On Configure, fill in:

Field	Value
URL	https://app.anydb.com/api/integrations/ext/download
Query String Params	teamid → step 1 Team ID; adbid → step 1 Database ID; cellpos → A1; adoid → step 1 Record ID
Send As JSON	No
Unflatten	Yes (the default)
Headers	X-ANYDB-API-KEY → your AnyDB API key; X-ANYDB-EMAIL → your AnyDB email

The request this sends looks like this:

3. AnyDB answers with Status success and Data, a short-lived link to the file (hidden below). Step 3 uses Data.

The raw response is:

{ "status": "success", "data": "https://<storage-host>/<path>?X-Amz-Signature=..." }

Step 3: Action, Google Drive → Upload File

1. Add an action: Google Drive, event Upload File, and connect your Google account.
2. On Configure, fill in:

Field	Value
Drive	My Google Drive, or a shared drive
Folder	the folder for the copies
File	step 2 Data. Zapier downloads the file from the link
Convert to Document?	False
File Name	(optional) step 1 Record Name. Empty keeps the name from the link
File Extension	(empty)

Turn it on and test

Publish the Zap, then upload a file to AnyDB, into the folder if you set a Parent Record ID. Within a few seconds Zap History shows one successful run (2 tasks), 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.
Step 2 returns 401 or 403	Check the X-ANYDB-EMAIL and X-ANYDB-API-KEY headers, and that the user can read the record.
Turning the Zap on fails with A record, a parent record, a type or a filter is required	Set Record Type, or a Parent Record ID.

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