Google Drive files

Displays a single Drive file, or the contents of a Drive folder, on a page. Appears in two places.

For OneDrive and Office 365, which read files through your district's connected account instead of public link sharing, see OneDrive and Office 365 files.

File block

A block on Grid pages.

Title — a heading for the block.
Sort by — the order files are listed (for example, Filename A–Z).
Url field plus a File/Folder Picker to choose the source.

Files & Folders terrace

The Terraced-page equivalent, turned on from the Terrace Menu — but it works differently from the Grid File block: it shows the files and folders from all of the page's connected Google Drive / Office 365 content sources combined. You don't pick a source on the terrace itself; you add or remove sources in Manage Content Sources, and everything appears in the one terrace.

How a folder source behaves

A folder shows its contents, not the folder itself. A source pointed at "2026 Budgets" lists the files and subfolders inside it, not a "2026 Budgets" item to open. Pointed at a single file, the block shows just that file.
Subfolders open in place. Inside a folder source, subfolders display as folders visitors click into, rather than being flattened into one list. (Rolling out; if your block shows a flat list, your site doesn't have it enabled yet.)
On Grid pages: one source per File block. To show files from more than one folder, use a separate block per folder. On Terraced pages, the single Files & Folders terrace shows all connected file sources together — to show two folders, add both as content sources.

Visitors aren't signed in to your Google account, so the source must be shared publicly:

In Google Drive, open the file or folder → right-click → Share.
Under General access, choose "Anyone with the link", role Viewer.
Click Copy link, then Done.

"Anyone with the link" makes the file viewable to signed-out visitors without making it findable in Google search. Do not use Files blocks for sensitive material (student information, internal-only documents) — put that on a restricted page instead. See User access and roles.

Adding a source

Grid page: + (lower-left admin menu) → Files → paste the Drive link into the Url field, or use the File/Folder Picker → optionally set Title and Sort by → save.

Terraced page: + → Manage Content Sources → under Add New Source, click the Google Drive icon (Office 365 also appears here if your district signs in with Office 365) → where it says "Enter the url of the file or folder, or use the file picker to select one," paste the link or use the File/Folder Picker → Go. Turn on the Files & Folders terrace from the Terrace Menu if needed.

Refresh

Google Drive notifies SchoolBlocks when files are added, removed, or renamed, and the source also refreshes automatically about once an hour.
To update now: click Force refresh now. in a Grid File block, or save the block.
A source with a problem shows a red caution triangle on a Grid block — open it and choose Attempt Repair (which refreshes the source). On a Terraced page the error appears in the content-source manager as a red notice with View full error and Refresh Feed. Not every error repairs this way; some need a fix at the source first.

FAQ

Permission denied / the file is private. The file is no longer shared publicly. Re-share it as "Anyone with the link — Viewer," then Attempt Repair or re-save the block. This is the most common cause.
File not found. The file was moved, renamed, or deleted in Drive. Restore or locate it, re-share it, and paste a fresh link.
The block is empty with no error. The folder is empty, or the link points to a shortcut rather than the folder itself. Confirm the folder has files and use the link to the folder.
The block never finishes loading. The source folder has a very large number of files. Point the block at a more specific folder.
Can one block show two folders? On Grid pages, no — one source per File block; use a separate block per folder. On Terraced pages, yes — add both folders as content sources and the Files & Folders terrace shows them together.

Last updated: May 2026.