generated: '2026-06-20'
method: searched
source: >-
  https://developers.google.com/workspace/drive/api/guides/about-files,
  https://developers.google.com/workspace/drive/api/guides/fields-parameter,
  https://developers.google.com/workspace/drive/api/guides/manage-uploads,
  and derived from openapi/google-drive-openapi.yml
description: >-
  Cross-cutting request/response conventions that apply to every Google Drive
  API v3 operation: authentication style, pagination, the fields partial-response
  selector, upload protocols, change tracking, versioning, error envelope, and
  rate-limit signaling.
base_url: https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3
api_style: REST over HTTPS, JSON request/response
authentication:
  scheme: OAuth 2.0 Bearer access token (Authorization header); API key for public reads only.
  detail: authentication/google-drive-authentication.yml
pagination:
  style: cursor
  request_params:
    pageSize: 1-1000 (endpoint-dependent default, e.g. 100 for files.list)
    pageToken: opaque token from the previous response's nextPageToken
  response_fields:
    nextPageToken: present when more pages exist
  detail: openapi listFiles / listPermissions
partial_response:
  supported: true
  mechanism: fields query parameter (a FieldMask selector, e.g. "files(id,name,mimeType),nextPageToken")
  note: Responses default to a limited field set; request nested fields explicitly to reduce payload.
  docs: https://developers.google.com/workspace/drive/api/guides/fields-parameter
uploads:
  protocols: [simple (uploadType=media), multipart (uploadType=multipart), resumable (uploadType=resumable)]
  host: https://www.googleapis.com/upload/drive/v3/files
  note: Resumable is recommended for large or unreliable-network uploads.
  docs: https://developers.google.com/workspace/drive/api/guides/manage-uploads
change_tracking:
  mechanism: changes.list with a startPageToken; push notifications via watch channels; Workspace Events API subscriptions.
  docs: https://developers.google.com/workspace/drive/api/guides/manage-changes
versioning:
  scheme: uri-path
  current: v3
  detail: lifecycle/google-drive-lifecycle.yml
error_envelope:
  shape: '{"error": {"code", "message", "errors": [{"domain","reason","message"}]}}'
  detail: errors/google-drive-problem-types.yml
rate_limiting:
  signaling: 403/429 with reason rateLimitExceeded / userRateLimitExceeded; no standard RateLimit headers.
  guidance: Exponential backoff with jitter; per-project and per-user quotas.
  detail: rate-limits/google-drive-rate-limits.yml
  docs: https://developers.google.com/workspace/drive/api/guides/limits
idempotency:
  supported: false
  note: No Idempotency-Key header; GET/PATCH/DELETE are naturally idempotent, POST (create/copy) is not.