Auto-sort shared drive content by creator

Automatically sorting shared drive content by creator can streamline organization and improve collaboration. Here’s how you can achieve this in Google Drive, since most shared drives typically refer to that context:

Limitations of Google Drive:

Google Drive doesn’t offer native auto-sorting by creator for shared drives, but there are manual and script-based workarounds.

Manual Method (Using Google Drive Interface)

1. Open your Shared Drive.

2. Switch to “List View” for better visibility.

3. Click the “Last modified” column dropdown and select “Owner”.

4. This will show the file creator (original owner) in that column — sort manually by clicking the column header.

⚠️ This method shows creators but doesn’t auto-sort or group by default.

Automatic Method (Using Google Apps Script)

You can use Google Apps Script to create a script that will:

• Go through a Shared Drive.

• Group files by creator.

• Optionally, move them into subfolders named after each creator.

Sample Script:

javascript
CopyEdit
function autoSortByCreator() {
  const sharedDriveId = 'YOUR_SHARED_DRIVE_ID';
  const drive = DriveApp.getFolderById(sharedDriveId);
  const files = drive.getFiles();
  
  const creatorsMap = {};

  while (files.hasNext()) {
    const file = files.next();
    const owner = file.getOwner() ? file.getOwner().getEmail() : 'Unknown';

    if (!creatorsMap[owner]) {
      // Create folder for each creator if it doesn't exist
      const subFolder = drive.createFolder(owner);
      creatorsMap[owner] = subFolder;
    }

    // Move file into respective creator folder
    const fileId = file.getId();
    const newFolder = creatorsMap[owner];
    newFolder.addFile(file);
    drive.removeFile(file); // Optional: remove file from root after moving
  }
}

Steps to Use:

1. Go to Google Apps Script.

2. Create a new project.

3. Paste the script above.

4. Replace YOUR_SHARED_DRIVE_ID with your actual shared drive ID.

5. Save and run the script with the necessary permissions.

Third-Party Tools

Alternatively, tools like:

• Google Workspace Admin SDK

• File management tools (e.g., SysCloud, AODocs)

…can help automate file organization with more advanced filtering and rule-building features.

Best Practices

• Use naming conventions with creators’ names.

• Encourage users to use shared folders labeled with their name.

• Use Google Drive Activity Dashboard for audit and tracking.

Let me know if you want a version of this script to sort only files created after a specific date or by file type.