Automate Gmail Attachments to Google Drive with Make.com

Using make.com, you can automatically save Gmail attachments to Google Drive without manual downloads, repetitive clicks, or complex scripting. This guide walks you step by step through creating a simple automation that watches your Gmail inbox and sends every new attachment to a specific folder in your Google Drive.

The procedure below is based on the official how-to guide from make.com and is adapted to help you build, test, and maintain the scenario efficiently.

What You Need Before Getting Started with Make.com

Before you build the automation, confirm you have access and permissions for all required tools. The integration between Gmail and Google Drive on make.com is cloud based and does not require local installations.

• An active make.com account with access to the scenario builder
• A Google account with Gmail enabled
• Google Drive access with permission to create folders and upload files
• Stable internet connection and a modern browser

If you are planning a broader automation strategy, you can also review optimisation and consulting resources at Consultevo for workflow planning and integration help.

Create a New Scenario in Make.com

The core of this automation is a scenario, which is what make.com calls a workflow. The scenario defines when the automation runs and which actions it performs.

1. Sign in to your make.com dashboard.
2. Click Create a new scenario from the main dashboard or the Scenarios section.
3. In the empty canvas, you will see a large plus icon where you will add your first module.

Add the Gmail Trigger Module in Make.com

The first module tells make.com when to start the automation. In this case, the trigger is receiving a new email in Gmail.

1. Click the large plus icon in the center of the scenario canvas.
2. Search for Gmail and select it from the list of apps.
3. Choose the trigger event, typically Watch emails or a similar option that monitors new messages.
4. Click Add or Authorize to connect your Gmail account, and follow the on-screen authorization prompts.

Once connected, you can configure how often the Gmail module should run and which messages it will watch.

Configure Gmail Search Criteria in Make.com

To avoid processing every email in your inbox, you can narrow down which messages trigger the scenario.

• Use search filters such as has:attachment to ensure only emails with files are processed.
• Set the folder or label to Inbox or a specific label where you expect attachments.
• Optionally filter by sender, subject, or date range, depending on your use case.

This configuration helps make.com focus only on relevant emails and keeps the automation efficient.

Add the Google Drive Module in Make.com

Next, you will add an action module that saves the Gmail attachments into a folder on Google Drive. This is where make.com transfers the file data from your email to cloud storage.

1. Click the small plus icon to the right of the Gmail module on the scenario canvas.
2. Search for Google Drive and select it.
3. Choose the action Upload a file or a closely named variant for file creation.
4. Connect your Google Drive account if you have not already done so, following the authorization prompts.

Map Gmail Attachments to Google Drive with Make.com

With both modules added, you need to map the data from the Gmail trigger to the Google Drive action so that the file is uploaded correctly.

• In the Google Drive module, select the target folder where attachments should be stored.
• Use the data mapping panel to set the File name field from the Gmail attachment name.
• Set the File content or Data field to the Gmail attachment data output.

Data mapping is the key to making sure make.com knows exactly which content to upload for each incoming email.

Test and Schedule Your Scenario in Make.com

After basic configuration, it is important to test your scenario and define how often it should run. Make.com provides interactive tools for quick testing and scheduling.

Run an Initial Test

1. Click Run once in the scenario editor.
2. Send a test email to your Gmail account with one or more attachments.
3. Watch the scenario execution in real time as the Gmail module retrieves the message and the Google Drive module uploads the file.
4. Check the Google Drive folder to confirm that the attachment appears with the expected name and format.

If anything fails, review the module configuration, especially the data mapping between Gmail and Google Drive in make.com.

Activate and Schedule the Automation

1. When the test run is successful, click the toggle to ON to activate the scenario.
2. Set the schedule interval, such as every 5 minutes or every 15 minutes, depending on how quickly you need new attachments processed.
3. Save the scenario so that make.com continues to monitor your Gmail inbox and send attachments to Google Drive automatically.

Tips for Managing and Optimizing Make.com Scenarios

Once the basic flow is running, you can refine the scenario to improve organization, performance, and maintainability.

• Use labels in Gmail: Apply labels when an email is processed to avoid duplicate uploads.
• Create subfolders in Google Drive: Sort attachments by sender, subject, or date using dynamic folder paths.
• Add filters in the Gmail module: Limit processing to specific clients, file types, or projects.
• Monitor run history: Review the execution log in make.com to troubleshoot errors and confirm successful uploads.

These enhancements help keep your automation reliable as the volume of emails and attachments grows over time.

Where to Learn More About Make.com Automations

You can always return to the original tutorial on the official site at make.com for screenshots, updates, and additional configuration details.

By following the steps in this guide, you now have a working scenario on make.com that automatically saves Gmail attachments to Google Drive. This frees you from repetitive download tasks and ensures your important files are centrally organized and always backed up.