> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.expandrive.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.expandrive.com/connections/object-storage/google-cloud-storage.md).

# Google Cloud Storage

[Google Cloud Storage](https://cloud.google.com/storage) is Google's object storage service. Like [Amazon S3](/connections/object-storage/amazon-s3.md), it organizes objects in buckets and controls access through cloud identities and permissions.

ExpanDrive can connect to your Google Cloud Storage so you can interact with the contents of your buckets directly from your desktop.

## Google Cloud Storage Authentication

ExpanDrive uses [OAuth authentication](/security.md#oauth-authentication). You sign in with Google and authorize ExpanDrive to access your storage. Google returns a token that ExpanDrive stores in your operating system's credential store.

Make sure the user account you are using has access to the bucket(s) you want to connect to in Google Cloud Storage. ExpanDrive only has the permissions granted to your authenticated user account.

### Nickname

The nickname is a display name for this connection. This name is used as the volume label on the mounted drive.

### Bucket Name

Enter the name of the specific Google Cloud Storage bucket you want to connect to. Bucket names are globally unique across all of Google Cloud, so this is the exact name you set when you created the bucket. If you leave this field blank, ExpanDrive shows you all buckets your account has access to.

If you only have access to a particular bucket or don't have the permissions to list the buckets for an account, you must add the *Bucket Name* in the connection setup within ExpanDrive.

### Folder

If you want ExpanDrive to connect to a specific folder within your bucket rather than the root, enter the folder path here. Leave it blank to start at the top level of the bucket.