# Export Paige documents to a synced Google Drive folder

Run an SFTP server on a PC that has Drive for desktop, sync the Paige export folder to Google Drive, and every finished document uploads itself — PDFs plus Paige's data files, nothing to build and no automation subscription.

Product: paige · Audience: system-administrator · Time: 45 minutes · Last verified: 2026-09-05

Canonical: https://help.ademero.com/paige/integrations/export-paige-documents-to-a-synced-google-drive-folder

**At the end of this guide, every document Paige finishes appears in Google Drive as a searchable PDF, minutes after export, with nothing to build — because the export folder on a PC is mirrored to Drive by Drive for desktop.**

## How it works

1. Drive for desktop mirrors a folder on the PC to Google Drive, where it appears under **Computers** in Drive on the web.
2. An SFTP server on that PC exposes that folder (or a subfolder) as Paige's export folder.
3. Paige exports finished documents there. Drive for desktop uploads them.

> **IMPORTANT:** Drive for desktop syncs only while the account is signed in to Windows and the app is running. Use a PC or VM that stays on and signs in automatically. Synced computer folders appear under **Computers**, not in **My Drive** or a shared drive; if the documents must live in a shared drive, use the [automation path](/paige/integrations/send-paige-documents-to-google-drive-with-an-automation) instead, or move them afterwards.

## Step 1 — Sync a folder with Drive for desktop

1. Create the folder Paige will write into, for example `D:\PaigeExport\Invoices`. One subfolder per scan job.
2. Install Drive for desktop, sign in, and open its settings (click the Drive icon in the system tray, then the gear > **Preferences**).
3. Under **My computer**, click **Add folder**, choose the folder from step 1, select **Sync with Google Drive** (not the Photos backup option), and save.
4. **What you should see:** the folder listed under **My computer** in Drive for desktop, and in Drive on the web under **Computers** > your PC's name.

## Step 2 — Run an SFTP server on the PC

Windows' built-in **OpenSSH Server** is free and enough:

1. **Settings > System > Optional features > Add a feature**, install **OpenSSH Server**, and set the **OpenSSH SSH Server** service to start automatically.
2. Create a local Windows user for Paige (for example `paige-sftp`) with a strong password and modify rights on the folder from Step 1.
3. Forward port 22 on your firewall or router to this PC, allowing only Paige's address ranges — [Outbound IP ranges for firewall allow-lists](/paige/document-processing/outbound-ip-ranges-for-firewall-allow-lists).

Test from an SFTP client outside your network first and note the exact path that reaches the folder (for example `/D:/PaigeExport/Invoices`).

## Step 3 — Point Paige at the folder

1. In Paige, open **Settings** (the gear at the bottom of the left menu — administrators only), pick the scan job, and choose **Export**.
2. Click the **FTP** card. Enter your public address in **FTP Address**, **Port** `22`, the SFTP user's **Username** and **Password**, and the path from Step 2 in **FTP Folder Path**.
3. Click **Test Connection**. **What you should see:** `FTP connection successful!` Connect — `Connected to FTP Server!` and a green **Connected** label.
4. Turn on **Enable Auto Export**, switch on **Only documents having a document type**, set **Human Reviewed** to **Reviewed** if a person checks documents in Paige first, and click **Save**.

## Step 4 — Test it

1. Process one document through the scan job and wait for the export.
2. On the PC, open the folder. **What you should see:** the PDF plus `.json`, `.xml`, and `.csv` files with the same base name, each marked synced by Drive for desktop within a minute.
3. Open Drive on the web, **Computers** > your PC > the folder. **What you should see:** the same files. Search Drive for a word from the document — it's found, because the PDF is searchable.

## Living with it

- **Filenames** are Paige's generated ones. Rename by hand, or use the [automation path](/paige/integrations/send-paige-documents-to-google-drive-with-an-automation) to name files from their contents.
- **The data files** arrive too. The `.csv` opens in Google Sheets if someone wants the values.
- **Generate combined metadata file** in Paige's FTP settings adds one JSON, XML, and CSV per export run summarizing every document.

## When it doesn't work

| Symptom | Where to look |
| --- | --- |
| `FTP connection failed:` from Paige | Port 22 isn't reachable from the internet, the firewall rule doesn't include Paige's ranges, or the Windows user's password is wrong. |
| Files arrive on the PC but never reach Drive | Drive for desktop isn't running or signed in, the PC is asleep, or the folder isn't the one added under **My computer**. Check the Drive icon in the system tray for errors. |
| Files reach Drive but not where you expected | Synced computer folders live under **Computers**, not My Drive. |
| Nothing arrives from Paige | Auto-export criteria aren't met, or the document was processed before you turned auto export on. Export it once from the **Documents** page. |

If the Paige side is the problem, contact Ademero support with the scan job name and the message from **Test Connection**.

## What's next

- [Send Paige documents to Google Drive with an automation](https://help.ademero.com/paige/integrations/send-paige-documents-to-google-drive-with-an-automation)
- [Connect Paige to Google Drive](https://help.ademero.com/paige/integrations/connect-paige-to-google-drive)