Save email attachments to Google Drive automatically
Attachments from emails you choose (invoices, contracts, photos) are saved to a Drive folder without you lifting a finger.
What you need
- A Gmail account
- A Google Drive folder for the files
Steps
Decide which emails count
Pick a Gmail search, for example has:attachment from:accounting@client.com, or a label like save-to-drive.
Watch for those emails
Set the trigger to new emails matching that search, with attachments included.
Upload the file
Upload each attachment to your Drive folder. Optional: put the date in front of the file name so they sort nicely.
Build it in your tool
Gmail > Watch emails (with your search), Iterator over attachments, Google Drive > Upload a file.
Gmail Trigger with Download Attachments turned on, Google Drive (Upload file). The included file saves the first attachment; add a Split Out step if your emails often have several.
Gmail > New attachment trigger, Google Drive > Upload file. Only two steps, so it works on Zapier's free plan at low volume.
- n8n workflowDraft file: it imports into n8n (checked with n8n 2.43) but has not been run with real accounts yet. In n8n: create a workflow, open the menu, choose Import from file, then connect your own accounts.Download .json
- Make blueprintComing once this recipe has been built and tested in Make. Follow the Make notes above for now.Not yet
What it costs per month
| Tool | Monthly usage | Cheapest plan that fits |
|---|---|---|
| MakeCheapestPricing page | 880 credits How we counted720 hourly checks + 80 x 2 (iterator, upload) = 880. Fits the free plan but leaves little room; checking every 2 hours halves the check cost. |
FreeFree plan |
| n8nPricing page | 80 executions How we countedOne execution per matching email. |
$24/moCloud Starter plan$20/mo billed yearlyOr $0 for the software if you self-host the free Community Edition (you pay for your own server). |
| ZapierPricing page | 80 tasks How we counted80 uploads = 80 tasks. Two-step Zap, so the free plan works up to 100 a month. |
FreeFree planTwo-step Zap, so the free plan works. |
Assumption: 80 emails with one attachment a month, tool checks hourly. Prices in USD, checked 2026-10-17 on the official pricing pages. The plan shown is the cheapest that covers this recipe alone; if you run several automations, add their usage together.
Watch out for
- Email signatures with logos can count as attachments. Add a size filter or tighten your Gmail search.
- Files with the same name may be duplicated in Drive rather than replaced.