> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.retellai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Google Drive knowledge base sync

> Sync Google Drive files into a Retell AI knowledge base: pick Docs and Sheets once, and changed files re-sync automatically on a 24-hour refresh cycle.

Files you add from Google Drive become [knowledge base](/build/knowledge-base) sources that follow the document: when the Doc or Sheet changes, Retell re-syncs it automatically, so your agent answers from the version your team edits. This page covers picking the files and keeping them current.

Adding Drive files requires a [connected Google Drive account](/integrations/google-drive).

## Add Drive files

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the knowledge base">
    Go to **Knowledge Base**, open or create one, and open the **Add** menu. Your connected Drive accounts are listed there.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick the files">
    Select the Drive account, then pick files in the Google file picker. This is Google's own picker embedded in the dashboard, so your browser must allow third-party cookies from Google for it to load (see [troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)).

    Google Docs and Google Sheets work natively, and so does every file format the knowledge base supports for [document upload](/build/knowledge-base). Each file's type decides how its content is extracted.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for processing">
    Picked files are fetched, chunked, and embedded like any other source. The knowledge base shows each file with its processing status.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Keeping content in sync

With auto-refresh enabled on the knowledge base, Retell re-checks each Drive source's last-modified time on every refresh cycle (every 24 hours) and re-syncs only files that changed; unchanged files are skipped. If a file can't be re-fetched (deleted, permission lost, or the connection removed), the knowledge base keeps serving the previously synced content rather than dropping it.

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The picker doesn't load">
    The file picker is Google's own picker, embedded in the dashboard from Google's servers, and it needs a signed-in Google session inside that embedded frame. If your browser blocks third-party cookies, which is the default in incognito or private windows and in strict privacy settings, the picker can't establish that session and the dashboard reports **Google Picker failed to load** after about 10 seconds. Allow third-party cookies for Google's domains, or add an exception for the Retell dashboard, then try again.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A file I expect isn't in the picker">
    The picker shows what the connected Google account can see. If the file lives in someone else's Drive or a restricted shared drive, share it with the connected account first.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A Drive source stopped updating">
    Check three things: the knowledge base has auto-refresh enabled, the Drive connection still exists on the **Connected** tab, and the connected account still has access to the file.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A Sheet synced but the agent misses information in it">
    Sheets sync as cell values. Heavily formatted or sparse spreadsheets can chunk poorly for retrieval — see the [knowledge base formatting tips](/build/knowledge-base) for what retrieves well.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Which file types can I add?">
    Google Docs and Sheets, plus any format the knowledge base accepts for [document upload](/build/knowledge-base) — PDF, DOCX, TXT, HTML, CSV, and the rest of the list on that page. If a file would upload fine, it syncs fine from Drive.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How fresh is the content?">
    With auto-refresh enabled, changed files are re-synced on the knowledge base's refresh cycle, which runs every 24 hours. An edit made this morning reaches the agent after the next refresh, not instantly.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Knowledge base" icon="book" href="/build/knowledge-base">
    Create a knowledge base, tune retrieval, and see the formatting that retrieves well.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Connect Google Drive" icon="link" href="/integrations/google-drive">
    Set up the OAuth connection and see exactly what access the drive.file scope grants.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>