Introduction: The Growing Problem of Google Drive Clutter 


Let’s be honest—Google Drive can get messy fast. 


Maybe you’ve uploaded a bunch of videos, duplicated presentations, or forgot to delete outdated documents. Before you know it, you’re getting the dreaded “Storage Almost Full” notification. 


And if you’re on the free 15GB plan, it doesn’t take much to hit the limit. Between Gmail attachments, Google Photos, and large Drive files, your storage fills up quickly. 


So what do most people do? 


They either: 

  • Start manually deleting files (which is time-consuming and risky) 
  • Or… buy more storage. 

But what if you could automate your cleanup? 


✅ Meet the Google Drive Cleaner Bot 



The Google Drive Cleaner Bot is a simple script powered by Google Apps Script that helps you automatically detect and clean up clutter in your Google Drive. 


Instead of spending hours scrolling through your Drive, this bot does the heavy lifting: 


  • Scans all files in your Drive 
  • Flags files over a certain size (default: 50MB) 
  • Identifies duplicate files (by name and size) 
  • Compiles the results in a Google Sheet 
  • Sends you a summary email 

🎯 Why You Should Care: Real-Life Use Cases 


Let’s look at a few real-world examples of when this script can save your day: 


🎓 Student with Lots of PDFs and Assignments 


Ayesha, a university student, uses Google Drive to store lecture slides, recorded Zoom classes, PDFs, and assignments. Over two semesters, her Drive became bloated with duplicates and massive lecture recordings she never watched again. 


Instead of going through every folder manually, she used the Cleaner Bot. In minutes, she found: 


  • 15 video files over 100MB 
  • 8 duplicate PDFs 
  • Several unused files from group projects 

She recovered over 3GB of space in less than 10 minutes. 


📸 Photographer Backing Up Raw Files 


James, a freelance photographer, syncs raw images to Drive after every shoot. But RAW files are huge. After a year of shoots, he started getting low storage warnings. 


Running the Cleaner Bot showed him: 


  • 30 duplicate image sets (same name, same size) 
  • RAW files from 2021 he no longer needed 

With the report in Google Sheets, he deleted 8GB worth of old data confidently—and avoided paying for an upgraded plan. 


⚙️ How the Cleaner Bot Works (Behind the Scenes) 


Here’s how this automation helps you clean up: 


🔍 1. Scans All Files in "My Drive" 


The bot loops through all files in your Drive and pulls important metadata: 


  • File name 
  • Size (in MB) 
  • File type (MIME) 
  • Creation date 
  • Direct file URL 

Note: It only scans “My Drive,” not Shared Drives. 


📁 2. Flags Large Files 


By default, the bot flags files larger than 50MB, but you can change the threshold in the code. 


Perfect for spotting: 


  • Long video recordings 
  • Design files 
  • ZIP folders 

🔁 3. Identifies Duplicates 


Duplicate detection is based on: 


  • Matching file names 
  • Matching file sizes 

Simple, fast, and surprisingly accurate for most cluttered Drives. 


📊 4. Creates a Google Sheets Report 


All scanned files go into a neat Google Sheet: 


  • File Name 
  • File Size 
  • File Type 
  • Creation Date 
  • URL 
  • Flag: Large, Duplicate, or Normal 

You can sort, review, and decide what stays or goes—without opening each file. 


📧 5. Sends a Summary Email 


You’ll get a helpful email with: 


  • Number of files scanned 
  • Large files count 
  • Duplicate file count 
  • Link to your Google Sheet report 

No guesswork. No stress. 


🛠️ How to Set It Up in 5 Minutes 


You don’t need to be a developer to use this. Here’s how: 


🔧 Step-by-Step Setup: 


  1. Open Google Sheets 
  1. Click Extensions → Apps Script 
  1. Delete the placeholder code and paste the Cleaner Bot script 
  1. Save and Run the script 
  1. When prompted, authorize access 
  1. Let it run! Then check your email and the sheet 

Pro Tip: Use a backup or test account first if you’re unsure. 


🎁 Bonus: Who This Is Perfect For 


👨‍🎓 Students 


Organize years of lecture notes, projects, and study materials. 


📸 Creatives 


Clear out high-res videos, photos, and project drafts. 


🏢 Teams & Businesses 


Clean Drive clutter across team members or departments. 


🧑‍💻 Developers 


Use this as a base to build even more complex Drive management tools. 


🤔 FAQs 


Will this delete my files? 


No! It only scans and flags files. You decide what to delete by reviewing the Google Sheet. 


Does it work on Shared Drives? 


Currently, it only supports “My Drive.” But you can modify the script to include Shared Drives with Drive API v2. 


Can I change the size threshold for large files? 


Yes! Just change the value in the script to suit your needs (e.g., 100MB instead of 50MB). 


Download Apps Script

🧾 Conclusion: Take Back Control of Your Google Drive 


Whether you're a student, creative, or professional, your Google Drive is your digital workspace. But like any workspace, it needs maintenance. 


The Google Drive Cleaner Bot is a free, fast, and effective way to: 


  • Regain valuable storage 
  • Eliminate duplicates
     
  • Identify oversized files 
  • Stay organized 

No need to upgrade your Google One plan or scroll endlessly through cluttered folders. Let the bot do the hard work for you—and enjoy a faster, leaner Google Drive experience.