Overview
Google Drive storage is a Bring Your Own Storage option: instead of keeping project files in Beeswax's cloud storage, Beeswax stores them in your own Google Drive. It sits alongside NAS storage as one of the two ways to use your own storage.
Connecting takes one click — you authorise Beeswax with Google, and from then on files attached to your projects live in a dedicated folder in your Drive.
Note: Google Drive storage is part of the Bring Your Own Storage feature and may not be included on every plan. If it isn't on your plan, the card shows an Upgrade to unlock badge.
Your privacy — Beeswax only touches its own folder
When you connect, Beeswax creates a single folder called Beeswax in your Drive and works only inside it. It uses Google's restricted drive.file permission, which means:
- Beeswax can only see and manage the files it creates.
- It cannot read, open or list the rest of your Google Drive.
So the rest of your Drive stays completely private to Beeswax.
How to connect
You can connect Google Drive from either place:
- Money → Connected Apps — click Connect on the Google Drive card, or
- Account Settings → File Storage — click Connect Google Drive
Then:
- A Google sign-in window opens. Sign in to the Google account whose Drive you want to use.
- Review the permission request and Allow.
- Beeswax returns you to Storage Settings and creates the Beeswax folder in that Drive.
Once connected, the Google Drive card shows the connected account (the Google email) and when it was last checked.
Note: Connecting, reconnecting and disconnecting are done by Account Owners and Super Admins. There is one Google Drive connection per business.
Making it your default storage
Connecting Google Drive makes it available — it doesn't automatically become where new files go. On the Account Settings → File Storage page you'll see all your storage locations (NAS and Google Drive) with a Default column. Set the one you want new project files to use as the default. From the same page you can test the connection and manage per-project folders.
Connection states
The Google Drive card reflects the health of the connection:
| State | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Connected | Working normally; new files can be stored in your Drive. | Nothing — manage the default and folders in Storage Settings. |
| Disconnected | The connection was deliberately turned off. Existing files stay linked. | Click Reconnect to store new files here again. |
| Needs attention | The Google authorisation expired or was revoked in your Google account. | Click Reconnect to re-authorise. |
| Upgrade to unlock | Google Drive storage isn't included on your current plan. | Upgrade your plan (or ask your account owner). |
Reconnecting
If a connection stops working — for example, access was revoked from your Google account — use Reconnect on the Google Drive card (or from Storage Settings). This re-runs the Google authorisation and restores storage without affecting files already saved.
Disconnecting
From the Google Drive card's ⋯ menu, choose Disconnect. Beeswax stops using that Drive for new files.
- Existing files stay linked — disconnecting doesn't delete anything from your Drive, and files already stored there remain attached to their projects.
- New files will fall back to your other default storage.
- To use the Drive again later, simply Reconnect.
Note: Only Account Owners can disconnect Google Drive.
What happens to my files?
Files Beeswax saves to Google Drive are organised into per-project folders inside the Beeswax folder. Because they live in your Drive, you can also see them in Google Drive directly. Disconnecting never removes them — it only stops Beeswax from adding new files there.