How to Connect Google Drive and OneDrive in CrmLeaf
All editions. Requires the DriveIntegration add-on module to be enabled for your account by an Administrator. Confirm the module is included in your plan.
Availability: All editions. Requires the DriveIntegration add-on module to be enabled for your account by an Administrator. Confirm the module is included in your plan.
Overview
The drive integration lets your team attach files that already live in Google Drive or OneDrive to records in CrmLeaf, instead of downloading and re-uploading copies. The connection is authorised per company through OAuth, so your account uses your own cloud storage. This is separate from where CrmLeaf keeps its own uploaded files, which is configured in the account's storage settings.
How It Works
An Administrator enables the module and authorises the company's Google Drive or OneDrive account. Once connected, files held in that drive can be attached to CrmLeaf records, so the document stays in its original location and CrmLeaf references it.
Enable module → Authorise drive account → Attach file to record → File available from the record
- Authorisation uses OAuth, so you grant access by signing in to Google or Microsoft rather than storing a password in CrmLeaf.
- The connection is per company, so each account attaches from its own drive.
- CrmLeaf's own file storage (local or S3) and the File Manager folder tree are configured separately and are not replaced by this integration.
- Access to a file still depends on the permissions set in the drive itself, so a recipient who has no access there cannot open the document.
Who Can Use This Feature?
Administrator
- Enable the drive integration module for the account.
- Authorise the company's Google Drive or OneDrive account.
- Agree which drive account or shared drive is used for business documents.
- Reconnect the integration if the authorisation stops working.
This functionality is available only to Administrators. Users attach files where their role permits it once the connection exists.
Prerequisites
- Administrator access to CrmLeaf.
- A Google account with Google Drive, or a Microsoft account with OneDrive, and administrator rights in that service if your organisation restricts which applications may be authorised.
- A decision on which drive account or shared drive holds the documents your team will attach.
- Drive-side sharing permissions set so the people who need a document can open it.
For Administrators
Step 1: Enable the drive integration module
What to do: Enable the drive integration module for the account.
What to verify: The integration's settings screen is available.
Step 2: Choose and prepare the drive account
What to do: Decide whether the company will connect Google Drive or OneDrive, and which account or shared drive holds the business documents. Confirm you can authorise a third-party application against it. If your provider requires an application registration first, obtain those credentials.
What to verify: You can sign in to the intended drive account and grant access.
Step 3: Authorise the connection
What to do: Open the drive integration settings for your company and start the connection for Google Drive or OneDrive. Sign in at the provider, grant the requested access, and return to CrmLeaf.
What to verify: The settings screen shows the drive account as connected.
Step 4: Attach one file as a test
What to do: Open a test record and attach one file from the connected drive.
What to verify: The file is listed against the record and can be opened by a colleague who has drive access.
Step 5: Confirm the separation from CrmLeaf file storage
What to do: Review the account's file storage configuration so you know which files are stored by CrmLeaf and which remain in the connected drive.
What to verify: Your team understands where each kind of document lives before you publish internal guidance.
Expected Result
The company's Google Drive or OneDrive account is connected, and files held there can be attached to CrmLeaf records without downloading and re-uploading them.
Important Notes
- Menu names and their position can differ between product editions and can be customised for your account, so your sidebar may not match these paths exactly. Use Search or your Quick Access items if you cannot find a screen.
- This is an add-on module. Confirm plan inclusion before adopting it as your document process.
- The integration attaches files from your drive; it does not move CrmLeaf's own file storage, which stays under storage settings.
- Sharing permissions remain with the drive. A file attached in CrmLeaf is still governed by who can access it in Google Drive or OneDrive.
- If the drive account belongs to an individual who leaves, the connection and access can break. Prefer an account or shared drive owned by the organisation.
Common Scenarios
Example: site photographs. A field team stores site photographs in a shared drive folder. The office attaches the relevant folder items to the site or project record, so nothing is duplicated into CrmLeaf.
Example: large specification documents. Engineering documents remain in the drive where they are edited, and the CrmLeaf record points to the current version instead of an out-of-date copy.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Possible Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Drive integration settings cannot be found | The add-on module is not enabled for the account | Enable the module in module settings, or confirm plan inclusion |
| Authorisation cannot be completed | The organisation restricts third-party application access to the drive | Ask the provider's administrator to permit the authorisation, then retry |
| A colleague cannot open an attached file | They do not have access to the file in the drive | Correct the sharing permissions in the drive |
| Attaching from the drive stops working | The authorisation is no longer valid, or the drive account was deactivated | Reconnect using an account owned by the organisation |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this replace uploading files to CrmLeaf?
No. Direct uploads and the File Manager continue to work; the integration adds attaching from your drive.
Can I connect both Google Drive and OneDrive?
Both providers are supported by the module. Confirm with the product team whether both can be connected at the same time.
Is this the same as configuring S3 storage?
No. Where CrmLeaf stores its own uploads is set in storage settings and is a separate decision.
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