5 Best Google Drive Integrations For Managing Your Workflow In 2024

Staying on top of deliverables and action items across a large team is the key to success when working in groups or inside a larger organization. One of the most important components? Making sure that notable files, memos, design prompts and other documents are shared in a common space and can easily be accessed by anyone on the team.

Not only does this help manage workflow, but it can also lead to better team morale overall, as it gives everyone access to the same documents and info. One of the most widely available and straightforward tools that organizations use for document storage and sharing is Google Drive, and that’s why it hit a billion users last year. Google Drive is simple to pick up and run with, but offers a surprising amount of tools to enable teams to collaboratively manage their files hassle free. 

Even if you’re just using Google Drive for file storage, being able to specify access and create shared folders in a few clicks gives you precise control over who can and can not see certain files, which helps your team focus on the materials and task at hand. Drive also allows you to dynamically edit files online with a number of word processing tools that are all totally MS Office compatible. Plus, with the layered access permissions that you get with Google Drive, it’s easy for multiple users to collaborate on a document or sheet at the same time. You can even highlight and annotate documents if you want to make proposed but non-permanent changes. No wonder Google Drive has become such a key part of our working culture. 

So with that in mind, how can we integrate some of our other favorite productivity apps into our Google Drive workflow? Some apps integrate natively, and with the help of powerful automation tools like Zapier or Hive Automate, you can enable even more Google Drive integrations in just a few clicks.

Keep reading for some of our favorite Google Drive integrations to help you stay productive, communicative and efficient.

1. Hive

Hive is a leading project management tool built with integrations and ease-of-use in mind. Hive can be integrated with Google Drive quickly, efficiently and in a number of useful ways. 

With Hive and Google Drive working together, you can easily start a workflow and kick off an action based on a new file coming in. Whether that’s a design prompt, an invoice, a new proposal or a design suggestion, Hive and Google Drive will work together to get the ball rolling so your team can pick it up and run with it immediately, without having to be briefed — saving you time and money. Once the workflow is established, it’s a simple matter of fleshing out the necessary detail later on. So if you’re looking to bring Google Drive closer to your working world, consider adopting the project management platform built around 3rd party integration to avoid any of the shortfalls and hassles that other platforms can sometimes offer.

To enable the Hive x Google Drive integration, visit your Hive Apps page, click Google Drive, and type in the login information for your Google account. If the slider is to the right, Google Drive is already linked to your Hive account.

How to get it: Available inside the Hive app. Start using Hive now with a 14-day free trial.

2. Slack

Ah, Slack. The office communication tool heard round the world. A fan favorite! With minimal setup, you can sync Google Drive and Slack to post a totally customizable message to a specific Slack group whenever there is a file change to a designated shared folder. This is helpful because it provides a real-time file history report in a chat box, complete with whatever update settings you already have with Slack.

You could also configure this integration to post as an announcement, or even just as a private message if you want to keep a closer eye on things. The next step up from that is configuring things so that you can directly search your Google Drive files in Slack, and have an automated message post with a direct link to the named file. This will allow you to locate and open the exact file you’re after without having to close Slack and open Google Drive manually.

How to get it: Install the Google Drive App in Slack

3. Trello

From a more specific team project perspective, another Google Drive integration to consider is that of an app like Trello. Some easily accessed integrations include automatically creating Trello cards from files saved in a specific folder, giving you the opportunity to quickly move a file and create an actionable list immediately. You can also do this in reverse if you’re more Trello heavy and primarily use Drive for backing your data up. Whenever you make a new Trello card or board, you can set it up so that a folder will be created in Google Drive. If you use Trello to help keep your team organized, integrating the two can clearly help you collect and manage your resources.

How to get it: Add the Google Drive Power Up option to your Trello dashboard

4. HelloSign

HelloSign is an easy way to get documents signed online — the signed documents are legally binding and can be completed in minutes. HelloSign is especially useful for anyone in a client-facing field where you’re dealing with proprietary information or non-disclosure agreements.

HelloSign and Google Drive work together easily. Simply upload a file into Google Drive, selectthat file, and use HelloSign to add your signature, the date, or a check mark. Additionally, you can sign a file in several formats, including PDF, Word or Excel. Meanwhile, another document signing platform, CocoSign, allows signing parties to sign any document online via all types of e-devices including smartphone, computer, Mac with its user-friendly electronic signature services.

How to get it: Hello Sign x Google Drive Integration

5. Evernote Business

Evernote Business operates as a sort of digital whiteboard — storing information on tasks and projects to be distributed across teams. If you utilize Evernote Business, then there are some great integrations on offer to help you manage your projects, including the Google Drive integration. With a few simple steps, you can simply designate a Google Drive folder as an Evernote Business folder, and you’ll automatically populate your Evernote space with the relevant information, so you don’t have to spend any time at all repeating information you’ve already typed out.

From a backup perspective, this can also be done in reverse — simply define your Evernote folder on Drive and whenever you create a note it will automatically be posted and stored in Google Drive. Possibly the most useful part is that you can also have this apply to your attachments too, so if you spend a lot of time working in Evernote Business and find yourself dealing with a lot of important attachments, you can have them backed up automatically. How’s that for peace of mind? 

How to get it: Download the Google Drive integration for Evernote

Are there any additional Google Drive integrations you love for productivity and project management? Let us know in the comments below.