How to Copy a Shared Google Drive Folder Recursively
Why Can't Google Drive Copy Folders Natively?
Google restricts folder duplication within its web UI to prevent accidental server overload. A shared folder might contain tens of thousands of subfolders and files spanning gigabytes of data. Duplicating such structures requires creating a new folder node for every directory, re-mapping parent IDs, and minting individual file copies.
Most users try the standard workaround: right-clicking the shared folder and clicking "Download". However, this creates several severe roadblocks:
- Archive Fragmentation: Google compresses the folder into multiple 2GB ZIP archives (e.g.,
drive-download-001.zip,002.zip), which frequently fail to extract or mix up deeply nested folder structures. - Document Degradation: Native Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are converted into Microsoft Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), and PowerPoint (.pptx). Comments, formulas, version history, and real-time collaboration links are permanently lost.
- Bandwidth & Storage Waste: A 20GB shared repository burns 40GB of internet data (20GB download + 20GB upload) and takes hours on typical home internet connections.
The Cloud-to-Cloud Solution
The cleanest way to duplicate a shared Google Drive folder is pure cloud-to-cloud cloning using the official Google Drive API v3. By issuing server-side files.copy commands directly within Google's cloud infrastructure, your browser acts solely as an orchestrator: zero files touch your local hard drive, and zero local bandwidth is consumed.
Step-by-Step Guide Using MyDrive Copier
Download and install the official MyDrive Copier extension from the Chrome Web Store. The extension runs securely within Chrome's Manifest V3 service worker with zero third-party tracking.
Open Google Drive in Chrome and navigate into the shared folder. This can be a folder shared directly with you under "Shared with me" or any public/restricted Google Drive link with Viewer permissions (e.g., https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ABC...XYZ).
Click the MyDrive Copier icon in your browser toolbar. Click "Auto-Detect Tab". The extension automatically extracts the folder ID, queries its metadata via the Google Drive API, and displays a preview including the folder name and child count.
By default, the destination is set to your root "My Drive". If you want to place the copied folder inside a specific directory in your Drive, open that directory in another tab, copy its folder ID, and paste it into the Destination Folder ID input field.
Click "Start Recursive Copy". The extension will automatically:
- Scan the entire folder tree recursively using Breadth-First Search (BFS).
- Recreate the exact folder hierarchy inside your Google Drive.
- Clone all files in parallel worker pools using Google Drive API v3.
- Preserve 100% native Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides format.
- Automatically handle HTTP 403 / 429 rate limits via randomized exponential backoff.
You can track real-time transfer progress, logs, and success rates inside the dedicated Task Manager Dashboard.
Method Comparison Overview
| Method | Local Bandwidth | Preserves Folder Tree | Keeps Google Docs Native | Rate-Limit Handling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual ZIP Download | 100% Download + Upload | Often splits into 2GB chunks | Converted to docx/xlsx | Manual retry |
| Google Apps Script | 0% (Cloud) | Yes (script-dependent) | Requires custom code | Fails at 6-min execution wall |
| rclone CLI | Config dependent | Yes | Requires export flags | CLI retry flags |
| MyDrive Copier | 0% (Pure Cloud) | Exact 1:1 Mirror | 100% Native Preserved | Automated Exponential Backoff |
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Install MyDrive Copier on Chrome