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Engineering

Synchronizing files from a Dropzone to Google Drive

Brian Holyfield · 2 min read

This blog post illustrates how to use a SendSafely Dropzone and our Secure Package Export Utility to automatically move received files into Google Drive for permanent storage or access by other company teams and employees.

In order to enable this workflow, you will need to leverage the following tools:

The diagram and narrative below illustrates the end-to-end workflow.

drive_sync_workflow

Step 1: External customer submits documents using the SendSafely Dropzone. For example, if this is part of your new customer onboarding or KYC workflow the submitted documents could include pictures of signed contracts, or identity verification documentation such as scanned copies of Driver’s Licenses or Passport images.

Step 2: The SendSafely Secure Package Export Utility is used to poll the Dropzone for new submissions. The utility downloads and decrypts newly received files and stores them in a local folder.

Ideally this step should be run from an internal server so that you can schedule this task to automatically run at a regular timeframe (i.e. every 10 minutes).

Step 3 : The Google Drive Backup and Sync utility is then used to sync the local folder location from Step 2 where the exported files are stored. When a submitted file is saved to the local folder, it will automatically be copied up to the remote Google Drive folder.

A detailed walkthrough of how to configure the above workflow using Microsoft Windows is published in our Help Center.

It should be noted that the above example uses Google Drive as the destination for file storage, however this workflow can also be enabled for any other cloud storage provider that provides a similar sync utility:


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Frequently asked questions

Can SendSafely Dropzone files be synced to Google Drive automatically?

Yes. The SendSafely Package Export Utility polls the Dropzone, downloads and decrypts new submissions to a local folder, and a Google Drive sync utility copies that folder to Google Drive. A Windows walkthrough is available in the SendSafely Help Center.

What is the SendSafely Package Export Utility?

It is a Windows command-line app that exports and saves items transferred through your SendSafely Enterprise portal. SendSafely also provides a Node.js script as an alternative for Mac. It is listed among the sample projects on the SDKs and developer tooling page.

How often should the export utility check a Dropzone for new files?

Run it from an internal server as a scheduled task at a regular interval, for example every 10 minutes, so new submissions are exported automatically without anyone needing to check the Dropzone manually.

Can I sync Dropzone uploads to OneDrive, SharePoint, Box or Dropbox instead?

Yes. The same workflow works with any cloud storage provider that has a similar sync utility, such as the OneDrive app for Windows (OneDrive and SharePoint), Box Sync and Dropbox Sync.

What kinds of documents does this Dropzone-to-Drive workflow suit?

A typical example is customer onboarding or KYC, where customers submit signed contracts or identity documents such as driver’s license or passport images. The Dropzone page covers more intake use cases.