Create Google Drive Direct Download Links via API

Download Link Using API

Welcome to the Myke Educate blog.

In this post, I’ll show you how to create Google Drive direct download links for your media files — using the Google API key method.

The catch? Most links expire.

But when you create Google Drive direct links using the API, they don’t.

No redirects, no expiry.

Just a permanent, direct download link using API.

And yes — this works perfectly for MP4, MP3, MKV, and most other media files.

Let’s dive in.

What Is a Google Drive API Key?

API stands for Application Programming Interface.

The Google Drive API lets you plug Drive into your own projects, apps, or web pages.

In our case, it helps us create Google Drive direct download links that stay active — no matter what.

You’re basically telling Drive, “Hey, let me access that file via this backdoor.”

How to Get Your Google Drive API Key

Here’s the step-by-step:

• Go to Google Developers Console
• Log in with your Google Account
• Create a new project (you can name it anything)
• Click "Credentials" > "Create Credentials" > "API key"
• Boom. You’ve got your API key

Copy and save that key. You’ll need it when building your download link using API.

 

Now let’s enable access:

• Search for "Google Drive API" in the API Library
• Click on it, make sure it says "Produced by Google"
• Enable it

Done. You’re now connected to Google’s backend with your own secure key.

How to Extract File ID from Google Drive Share Link

Go to your Google Drive and select the media file (MP4, MP3, etc.) you want to share.

Make sure it’s set to "Anyone with the link can view".

Copy the sharing link.

 

Example:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WjplMikbbEbWKqNRsv-PaPL0H1OJKIrK/view?usp=sharing

 

In this link, your file ID is the string between /d/ and /view:

1WjplMikbbEbWKqNRsv-PaPL0H1OJKIrK




That’s the magic token we’ll insert into our direct link.

Creating the Direct Download Link

Use this structure:

 
https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files/[file_id]?alt=media&key=[api_key]&v=[.mp4]
 

Replace:

 

[file_id] with your actual file ID

[api_key] with your Google API key

[.mp4] with your file extension

 

Real Example:

 
https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files/1WjplMikbbEbWKqNRsv-PaPL0H1OJKIrK?alt=media&key=AIzaSyCJW6AO8ZfPDu-qxxPDJKFUGmNhha7ufmM&v=.mp4
 

This link directly downloads the file, bypassing the Google Drive interface.

This is how you create Google Drive direct download access using API.

 

Pro Tips

• Only works with media files like .mp3, .mp4, .mkv, etc.
• Doesn’t work on PDFs or Docs
• Perfect for embedding into HTML5 video/audio players

If you're running a blog, sharing content on Telegram, or embedding media — this trick will save your users a lot of time.

FAQs: Download Link Using API

Q1: Can I use this for PDFs or Docs?
Nope. This works best for media files. Docs require a viewer, not a direct download.

Q2: Do API links ever expire?
Not unless you delete the API key or disable the Drive API service.

Q3: Is this secure?
Yes. Your API key is private. But don’t expose it publicly in client-side code.

Q4: What if I hit a quota?
Google enforces usage quotas. But for personal or medium use, you’re fine.

Q5: Can I use this on my website to stream videos?
Absolutely. Just embed the direct link into your <video> or <audio> HTML5 tags.

Now you know how to create Google Drive direct download links using the Google Drive API.

Once you’ve done it a few times, it becomes second nature.

Whether you’re building a content site, setting up a video course platform, or just sharing files with friends — this trick makes it fast and frictionless.

Avoid the hassle. Use the download link using API technique and make it all smoother.

Final tip: Now you can avoid expired links forever — just create Google Drive direct links with this download link using API method.