Setting Up Google Drive Cloud Storage for WordPress Backups

Google Drive offers generous free storage (15 GB) and affordable paid plans, making it an excellent choice for WordPress backup cloud storage. Setting up Google Drive integration requires navigating Google Cloud Console, enabling APIs, and configuring OAuth 2.0 credentials—a more technical process than simple cloud storage, but one that provides secure, automated backup uploads without ongoing manual effort.

This comprehensive guide walks you through every step of Google Drive setup for WordPress backups. You’ll learn how to create a Google Cloud project, enable the Drive API, configure OAuth consent screens, and connect Backup Copilot Pro for automatic backup synchronization.

By the end of this tutorial, your WordPress backups will automatically upload to Google Drive immediately after creation, providing reliable offsite protection with Google’s enterprise-grade infrastructure. Whether you’re protecting a personal blog or managing client sites, this integration ensures your backups are always accessible and secure.

What You’ll Learn

Setting up Google Cloud Console project
Enabling Google Drive API
Creating OAuth 2.0 credentials
Configuring OAuth consent screen
Connecting Backup Copilot Pro to Google Drive
Managing automatic uploads
Handling resumable uploads for large files
Troubleshooting authentication issues

Prerequisites

Google Account Requirements

Google Account:

Personal Google account or Google Workspace account
Verified email address
Two-factor authentication recommended

Access Requirements:

Admin access to Google Cloud Console
Ability to create projects (not restricted by organization policies)
Google Drive enabled on account

Cost:

Google Cloud Console: Free (no charges for Drive API usage)
Drive storage: 15 GB free, paid plans starting $1.99/month for 100 GB

Understanding Google Drive API

Why API Instead of Direct Upload:

OAuth provides secure, token-based authentication
No password storage in WordPress
Granular permission control (access only Drive, not Gmail/Calendar)
Automatic token refresh (no re-authentication needed)
Resumable uploads for large files

API Quotas (Free Tier):

Queries per day: 1 billion (more than sufficient)
Queries per 100 seconds per user: 1,000
Upload file size: 5 TB maximum per file
No practical limits for WordPress backups

Storage Limits and Quotas

Google Drive Storage Plans:

Free (15 GB):

Shared with Gmail and Google Photos
Good for: Small sites with database-only backups
Typical capacity: 10-20 backups depending on size

Google One (100 GB – $1.99/month):

Good for: Personal blogs, small business sites
Typical capacity: 50-150 backups

Google One (200 GB – $2.99/month):

Good for: Business sites with daily full backups
Typical capacity: 100-300 backups

Google One (2 TB – $9.99/month):

Good for: E-commerce, agencies, multiple sites
Typical capacity: 1,000+ backups

Google Workspace:

Business Starter: 30 GB per user ($6/user/month)
Business Standard: 2 TB per user ($12/user/month)
Business Plus: 5 TB per user ($18/user/month)

Recommendation: For most WordPress sites, 100-200 GB provides ample storage for months of backup history.

Setting Up Google Cloud Console

Step 1: Create Google Cloud Project

Visit Google Cloud Console
Click Select a project dropdown (top navigation bar)
Click New Project in dialog
Configure project:
- Project name: WordPress Backups or [YourSite] Backups
- Organization: Leave as “No organization” (unless using Workspace)
- Location: Leave default
Click Create
Wait 10-30 seconds for project creation
Select your new project from dropdown

Screenshot: Google Cloud Console – New Project

Why Projects Matter:

Isolate credentials per site/client
Separate billing (if applicable)
Better organization for multi-site management

Step 2: Enable Google Drive API

With project selected, navigate to APIs & Services > Library (left sidebar)
Search for “Google Drive API” in search box
Click Google Drive API from results
Click Enable button
Wait for API to enable (5-10 seconds)
You’ll be redirected to API overview page

Screenshot: API Library – Google Drive API

Verification:

APIs & Services > Enabled APIs & services should show “Google Drive API”

Before creating credentials, configure the OAuth consent screen (what users see when authorizing).

Navigate to APIs & Services > OAuth consent screen
Choose user type:
- Internal: Only for Google Workspace users (not applicable for most)
- External: For anyone with Google account ✅ (select this)
Click Create

OAuth Consent Screen Configuration:

App Information:

App name: Backup Copilot Pro - [YourSite]
User support email: Select your email from dropdown
App logo: Optional (can skip)

App Domain:

Application home page: https://yoursite.com (your WordPress site URL)
Application privacy policy: https://yoursite.com/privacy-policy (if available)
Application terms of service: Optional

Authorized Domains:

Add: yoursite.com (your domain without https://)
Click Add Domain

Developer Contact Information:

Email addresses: Enter your email

Click Save and Continue

Screenshot: OAuth consent screen setup

Step 4: Add Authorized Scopes

On the Scopes step:

Click Add or Remove Scopes
Filter/search for: drive.file
Select scope: https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.file
- Description: “See, edit, create, and delete only the specific Google Drive files you use with this app”
- This limits access to only files created by your app (secure)
Click Update
Click Save and Continue

Screenshot: Scopes configuration

Alternative Scope (if drive.file doesn’t work):

https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive – Full Drive access
Less secure but works if drive.file has issues

Test Users Step:

Click Save and Continue (no test users needed for production use)

Summary:

Review all settings
Click Back to Dashboard

Creating OAuth 2.0 Credentials

Step 1: Navigate to Credentials

Go to APIs & Services > Credentials
You’ll see the credentials management page
Currently empty (no credentials yet)

Screenshot: Credentials page

Step 2: Create OAuth Client ID

Click Create Credentials dropdown (top of page)
Select OAuth client ID

Screenshot: Create credentials dropdown

Step 3: Configure Application Type

Application Type:

Select Web application from dropdown

Name:

Enter: WordPress Backup Client - [YourSite]

Screenshot: OAuth client ID form

Step 4: Add Authorized Redirect URIs

Critical step – redirect URI must match exactly.

Find Your Redirect URI:

Open new browser tab
Go to WordPress admin: Backup Copilot > Cloud Storage > Google Drive
Look for “OAuth Redirect URI” field
Copy the full URL (looks like: https://yoursite.com/wp-admin/admin.php?page=backup-copilot&tab=cloud&provider=google&oauth=callback)

Add to Google Cloud Console:

In Google Cloud Console, under Authorized redirect URIs
Click Add URI
Paste your WordPress redirect URI exactly
Ensure no trailing spaces or extra characters
Click Create

Screenshot: Redirect URIs section

Important: URI must start with https:// (SSL required). HTTP will not work.

Step 5: Get Client ID and Secret

After clicking Create:

Popup appears with your credentials
Client ID: Long string like 123456789-abcdef...apps.googleusercontent.com
- Copy this
Client Secret: Shorter string like GOCSPX-abc123...
- Copy this
Click OK

Screenshot: Credentials display

Save Credentials: Store these in a password manager or secure note. You’ll need them in next section.

Download JSON (Optional):

Click download icon next to your OAuth client
Saves JSON file with credentials for backup

Connecting Backup Copilot Pro

Step 1: Enter Google Drive Credentials

In WordPress, go to Backup Copilot > Cloud Storage
Click Google Drive tab
Enter credentials:
- Client ID: Paste from Google Cloud Console
- Client Secret: Paste from Google Cloud Console
Click Save Credentials

Screenshot: Plugin settings – Google Drive section

Verification:

Success message: “Credentials saved successfully”
Connect to Google Drive button appears

Step 2: Authorize Access

Click Connect to Google Drive button
WordPress redirects to Google authorization page
You’ll see Google sign-in screen (if not already logged in)
Log in with Google account that owns the Drive storage

Screenshot: Google authorization screen

Step 3: Grant Permissions

Google shows permission request screen:

App wants to:

“See, edit, create, and delete only specific Google Drive files it uses”

Important Checks:

Verify app name matches what you configured
Review scope (should be drive.file or drive)
Ensure requesting account is correct

Click Allow to grant access

Screenshot: Permission request

What This Grants:

App can upload backup files to your Drive
App can list and download files it created
App CANNOT access your other Drive files, Gmail, Calendar, etc.

Step 4: Verify Connection

After clicking Allow:

Google redirects back to your WordPress site
Success notification appears: “Google Drive connected successfully”
Connection status shows ✅ green checkmark
Account email displayed: your-email@gmail.com
Storage quota shown: “2.3 GB used of 15 GB”

Screenshot: Success notification

Test Connection: Click Test Connection button:

Creates small test file in Drive
Uploads to Backup Copilot Pro/test/ folder
Downloads file to verify access
Deletes test file
Displays: “Connection test passed”

Configuring Upload Settings

Resumable Upload Configuration

What are Resumable Uploads: Google Drive API supports resumable uploads for files > 5 MB:

Upload can pause and resume if connection drops
Ideal for large backup files
Backup Copilot Pro automatically uses resumable uploads for files > 5 MB

Configuration:

Enable Resumable Uploads: ON (default, recommended)
Chunk Size: 5 MB (default, adjust based on connection)

Benefits:

Upload large 2 GB backup reliably over unstable connection
If upload fails at 80%, resume from 80% instead of restarting
Reduces bandwidth waste from failed uploads

Upload Chunk Size

Chunk Size Options:

Small (1 MB): Very unstable connections, shared hosting
Medium (5 MB): Standard, works for most hosting (default)
Large (10 MB): Fast VPS/dedicated hosting
Extra Large (20 MB): High-speed cloud hosting

Recommendation: Start with 5 MB. If uploads complete quickly without errors, increase to 10 MB for better performance.

Bandwidth and Performance

Upload Speed Limiting:

Unlimited: Default, uses full server upload capacity
Limited: Set max KB/s (e.g., 512 KB/s = 4 Mbps)

When to Limit:

Shared hosting with bandwidth restrictions
Avoid impacting site performance during business hours
Hosting provider throttles after certain usage

Optimal Settings: Shared hosting: 512 KB/s (4 Mbps) VPS: Unlimited Dedicated: Unlimited

Automatic Upload Settings

Auto-Upload After Backup:

Toggle ON (recommended)
Every backup (manual and scheduled) uploads automatically
No manual cloud sync button needed

Upload Timing:

Uploads start immediately after backup creation finishes
Runs in background (doesn’t block WordPress)
Email notification sent when upload completes

Selective Upload: If auto-upload disabled:

Manually upload from Manage Backups page
Click cloud icon next to specific backup
Useful for testing or selective offsite storage

Folder Structure in Google Drive

Default Location: Backups stored in: /Backup Copilot Pro/backups/

Customizable Path:

Pattern: %site%/%year%/%month%/
Variables:
- %site% = yoursite-com
- %year% = 2025
- %month% = 02 (February)
- %day% = 15
- %type% = manual, scheduled, safety

Example Structure:

Google Drive/
└── Backup Copilot Pro/
    └── backups/
        └── mysite-com/
            └── 2025/
                ├── 01/
                │   ├── backup-abc123.zip
                │   └── backup-abc123.sql
                └── 02/
                    ├── backup-def456.zip
                    └── backup-def456.sql

Screenshot: Drive folder organization

Organization Tips:

Year/month folders make cleanup easy
Delete old year folders in bulk
Consistent structure across all sites

Testing Google Drive Integration

Manual Upload Test

Create backup: Backup Copilot > Create Backup
Select Database only (faster for testing)
Click Create Backup
Watch upload status: “Uploading to Google Drive…”
Verify completion: “Uploaded to Google Drive successfully”

Expected Time:

50 MB database: 10-30 seconds
500 MB full backup: 1-3 minutes
2 GB full backup: 5-10 minutes

Verifying Files in Drive

Open Google Drive
Navigate to My Drive
Open Backup Copilot Pro folder
Browse to backups/[yoursite]/[date]/
Verify files present:
- backup-[uuid].zip (if full backup)
- backup-[uuid].sql (database)
Check file sizes match WordPress backup sizes

Screenshot: Backups in Google Drive

Right-click file > Get info:

Shows file size
Upload date/time
Can download, share, or delete

Checking Sync Status

In WordPress Manage Backups table:

Cloud Status Column:

✅ Synced: Uploaded successfully to Google Drive
⏳ Uploading: Upload in progress (shows percentage)
❌ Failed: Upload failed (hover for error details)
⊝ Not Synced: Auto-upload disabled or manual backup

Screenshot: Upload progress indicator

Progress Tracking: Large uploads show real-time progress:

“Uploading to Google Drive: 35% (350 MB / 1 GB)”

Download from Drive Test

Test disaster recovery scenario:

In WordPress, delete local backup file (simulate server failure)
Click Download button on backup
Backup Copilot Pro detects local file missing
Automatically downloads from Google Drive
Serves file to your browser

This proves:

Cloud backup is complete and downloadable
Disaster recovery works if server files lost

Managing Google Drive Backups

Viewing Storage Usage

In Backup Copilot Pro:

Cloud Storage > Google Drive tab
Shows: “2.3 GB used of 15 GB (15.3%)”
Updates after each upload

In Google Drive:

Bottom left: Storage indicator
Click for breakdown by file type
Google One for detailed usage

Setting Alerts:

No built-in alerts in Backup Copilot Pro
Use Google Drive web: Settings > Get storage notifications
Email alert at 90% capacity

Managing Backup Files

Viewing in Drive:

All backups in /Backup Copilot Pro/backups/
Organized by site and date
Search by filename (UUID)

Deleting Files:

Delete in WordPress Manage Backups → removes from Drive
Or delete directly in Google Drive web/app
Deleted files move to Google Drive Trash (30-day recovery)

Recovering Deleted Files:

Google Drive > Trash
Right-click deleted backup > Restore
Returns to original location

Handling Large Backups

Resumable Upload in Action:

Uploading 5 GB backup:

Upload begins, chunks upload sequentially
At 60% complete, internet drops briefly
Connection restored
Upload resumes from 60% automatically
No data re-uploaded, saves time and bandwidth

Large Backup Tips:

Increase PHP max_execution_time to 900+ seconds
Monitor first large upload to estimate time
Schedule large backups during low-traffic hours
Consider database-only for frequent backups

Token Refresh and Expiration

Access Token Lifespan:

Google provides access token (valid ~1 hour)
Refresh token (valid indefinitely unless revoked)
Backup Copilot Pro auto-refreshes access token

No Action Required:

Automatic refresh before expiration
Seamless uploads without re-authentication
Only need to reconnect if you revoke access

Token Revoked Scenarios:

You manually disconnect in Google account settings
Password change forces re-authentication
Suspicious activity detected by Google

Fix: Reconnect by clicking “Connect to Google Drive” again

Troubleshooting Common Issues

“Invalid Client” Error:

Cause: Client ID/Secret incorrect or project disabled
Fix: Verify credentials copied correctly, check Google Cloud Console project is active

“Access Denied” Error:

Cause: OAuth consent screen not published or user denied permissions
Fix: Return to Google Cloud Console > OAuth consent screen, ensure status is “Production” or “Testing” with your email added

Token Expired Issues:

Cause: Refresh token invalidated (password change, manual revoke)
Fix: Click “Reconnect to Google Drive” in WordPress settings

Upload Failures:

Cause: Network timeout, file too large, API quota exceeded
Fix: Check PHP timeout settings, enable resumable uploads, verify internet connectivity

API Quota Exceeded:

Cause: Too many API requests (rare for backup usage)
Fix: Wait for quota reset (per 100 seconds), contact Google Support to increase quota if needed

Redirect URI Mismatch:

Cause: WordPress redirect URI doesn’t match Google Cloud Console setting
Fix: Copy exact URI from WordPress, paste in Google Cloud Console Authorized Redirect URIs, ensure HTTPS

Security Considerations

OAuth Security Best Practices:

Use drive.file scope (least privilege – access only app-created files)
Enable 2FA on Google account
Regularly review authorized apps: Google Account > Security > Third-party apps
Revoke access for unused apps

Protecting Client Credentials:

Never commit Client ID/Secret to public repositories
Store in WordPress database (encrypted by Backup Copilot Pro)
Regenerate secret if accidentally exposed
Use environment variables for multi-site deployments

Revoking Access:

Google Account > Security > Third-party apps with account access
Find “Backup Copilot Pro – [YourSite]”
Click Remove Access
WordPress uploads will fail until reconnected

Monitoring API Usage:

Google Cloud Console > APIs & Services > Dashboard
View API request metrics
Set up alerts for unusual activity

Performance Optimization

Optimizing Upload Speed

Connection Quality:

Upload during low-traffic hours (1-5 AM)
Avoid peak internet usage times
Use wired connection for server (not WiFi)

Chunk Size Tuning:

Test different chunk sizes: 5 MB, 10 MB, 20 MB
Monitor success rate and upload time
Larger chunks = faster on stable connections

Concurrent Uploads:

Backup Copilot Pro uploads one file at a time
Multiple simultaneous uploads can timeout
Sequential upload more reliable

Handling Rate Limits

Google Drive API Quotas:

1,000 queries per 100 seconds per user
Backup uploads rarely hit this limit
If hit, automatic retry with exponential backoff

Best Practices:

Don’t repeatedly re-upload same backup
Avoid connection test spam
Schedule backups to spread API usage

Related Resources

Want hassle-free cloud backups? Get Backup Copilot Pro with pre-configured Google Drive integration, automatic token refresh, and resumable uploads. Start your free trial today!