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This guide explains the main components of a response in the Google Drive Activity API,
showing examples and how to interpret them.
Objects
DriveActivity: This is the primary
resource returned by queries to the Drive Activity API. It describes one
or more actors performing one or more actions affecting one or more targets.
TimestampandTimeRange: These describe,
respectively, either a single point in time when the activity occurred, or
the start and end of when the activity occurred over a span of time.
Actor: Typically, anActoris an end user.
However, sometimes, a system event can trigger anActionwhen an administrator is acting as a user or as
themselves, or when performed by an unidentifiable person. TheActormessage encapsulates each of these cases.
Target: ATargetis the object of an
activity, like a file, a folder, a shared drive, or a file comment. Note
that many action types support more than one kind of target. For example,
thoughEditgenerally applies to Drive files, other actions
likeRenameandCreatecan also apply to Drive folders
and shared drives. Targets that aren't Drive items can still
refer to one, such as the root folder of a drive or the parent document
containing a file comment.
Action: EachDriveActivityresource has one
or more related actions. AnActionis self-contained, like anevent, in that it comprises not only the detailed type and information
about the action, but also anActor, aTarget, and either aTimestamporTimeRange. To avoid redundancy, anActiondoesn't populate its ownTarget,Actor, or time fields when those are the same as the overallDriveActivity.
ActionDetail: This is the specific type
and detailed information about anAction. For example, aMoveaction
detail has a source and destination location, and aPermissionChangespecifies who can now access a document and with what privileges.
Example responses
Review the following to see sample responses.
A user edited a file in Drive
ADriveActivityresource might include only one action, such as a user
editing one file.
ACCOUNT_ID: the ID of the user. It can be used with thePeople APIto get more information.
ITEM_ID: the ID of the Drive item.
TITLE: the title of the Drive item.
Note that theActionobject in this response doesn't include theActor,Target, ortimestampbecause they're the same as the overallDriveActivity.
Two users edited the same file at similar times
When aConsolidationStrategyis used, related actions are grouped into one combinedDriveActivity. In this
example, two similar actions are grouped: oneEditaction type from two
different users.
ACCOUNT_ID_1: the ID of the first user. It can be used with
thePeople APIto get more information.
ACCOUNT_ID_2: the ID of the second user.
ITEM_ID: the ID of the Drive item.
TITLE: the title of the Drive item.
Note that theActionobject in this response doesn't include theTargetbecause it's the same as the overallDriveActivity.
The example also illustrates how apps might use only the summary information inDriveActivity, without looking at the individual actions. The response
indicates that two users edited a given file over a span of time.
A user moved two files into a new directory
In this example, theConsolidationStrategygrouped two relatedMoveactions
because the files were moved from the same source to the same destination at the
same time.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-28 UTC."],[],[],null,["# Drive Activity API data model\n\nThis guide explains the main components of a response in the Google Drive Activity API,\nshowing examples and how to interpret them.\n\nObjects\n-------\n\n- [`DriveActivity`](/drive/activity/v2/reference/rest/v2/activity/driveactivity): This is the primary\n resource returned by queries to the Drive Activity API. It describes one\n or more actors performing one or more actions affecting one or more targets.\n\n- [`Timestamp`](https://protobuf.dev/reference/protobuf/google.protobuf/#timestamp)\n and [`TimeRange`](/drive/activity/v2/reference/rest/v2/activity/timerange): These describe,\n respectively, either a single point in time when the activity occurred, or\n the start and end of when the activity occurred over a span of time.\n\n- [`Actor`](/drive/activity/v2/reference/rest/v2/activity/actor): Typically, an `Actor` is an end user.\n However, sometimes, a system event can trigger an [`Action`](/drive/activity/v2/reference/rest/v2/activity/action) when an administrator is acting as a user or as\n themselves, or when performed by an unidentifiable person. The `Actor`\n message encapsulates each of these cases.\n\n- [`Target`](/drive/activity/v2/reference/rest/v2/activity/target): A `Target` is the object of an\n activity, like a file, a folder, a shared drive, or a file comment. Note\n that many action types support more than one kind of target. For example,\n though `Edit` generally applies to Drive files, other actions\n like `Rename` and `Create` can also apply to Drive folders\n and shared drives. Targets that aren't Drive items can still\n refer to one, such as the root folder of a drive or the parent document\n containing a file comment.\n\n- [`Action`](/drive/activity/v2/reference/rest/v2/activity/action): Each `DriveActivity` resource has one\n or more related actions. An `Action` is self-contained, like an\n *event* , in that it comprises not only the detailed type and information\n about the action, but also an `Actor`, a `Target`, and either a `Timestamp`\n or `TimeRange`. To avoid redundancy, an `Action` doesn't populate its own\n `Target`, `Actor`, or time fields when those are the same as the overall\n `DriveActivity`.\n\n- [`ActionDetail`](/drive/activity/v2/reference/rest/v2/activity/actiondetail): This is the specific type\n and detailed information about an `Action`. For example, a `Move` action\n detail has a source and destination location, and a `PermissionChange`\n specifies who can now access a document and with what privileges.\n\nExample responses\n-----------------\n\nReview the following to see sample responses.\n\n### A user edited a file in Drive\n\nA `DriveActivity` resource might include only one action, such as a user\nediting one file. \n\n \"activities\":[{\n \"primaryActionDetail\":{ \"edit\":{} },\n \"actors\":[ { \"user\":{ \"knownUser\":{ \"personName\":\"people/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eACCOUNT_ID\u003c/var\u003e\" } } } ],\n \"targets\":[ { \"driveItem\":{ \"name\":\"items/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eITEM_ID\u003c/var\u003e\", \"title\":\"\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eTITLE\u003c/var\u003e\", \"file\":{} } } ],\n \"timestamp\":{ \"seconds\":\"1536794657\", \"nanos\":791000000 },\n \"actions\":[ { \"detail\":{ \"edit\":{} } } ]\n }]\n\nThis output includes the following values:\n\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eACCOUNT_ID\u003c/var\u003e: the ID of the user. It can be used with the [People API](/people) to get more information.\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eITEM_ID\u003c/var\u003e: the ID of the Drive item.\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eTITLE\u003c/var\u003e: the title of the Drive item.\n\nNote that the `Action` object in this response doesn't include the `Actor`,\n`Target`, or `timestamp` because they're the same as the overall\n`DriveActivity`.\n\n### Two users edited the same file at similar times\n\nWhen a [`ConsolidationStrategy`](/drive/activity/v2/reference/rest/v2/activity/query#consolidationstrategy)\nis used, related actions are grouped into one combined `DriveActivity`. In this\nexample, two similar actions are grouped: one `Edit` action type from two\ndifferent users. \n\n \"activities\":[{\n \"primaryActionDetail\":{ \"edit\":{} },\n \"actors\":[\n { \"user\":{ \"knownUser\":{ \"personName\":\"people/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eACCOUNT_ID_1\u003c/var\u003e\" } } },\n { \"user\":{ \"knownUser\":{ \"personName\":\"people/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eACCOUNT_ID_2\u003c/var\u003e\" } } }\n ],\n \"targets\":[\n { \"driveItem\":{ \"name\":\"items/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eITEM_ID\u003c/var\u003e\", \"title\":\"\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eTITLE\u003c/var\u003e\", \"file\":{} } }\n ],\n \"timeRange\":{\n \"startTime\":{ \"seconds\":\"1541089823\", \"nanos\":712000000 },\n \"endTime\":{ \"seconds\":\"1541089830\", \"nanos\":830000000 }\n },\n \"actions\":[\n {\n \"detail\":{ \"edit\":{} },\n \"actor\":{ \"user\":{ \"knownUser\":{ \"personName\":\"people/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eACCOUNT_ID_1\u003c/var\u003e\" } } },\n \"timestamp\":{ \"seconds\":\"1541089830\", \"nanos\":830000000 }\n },\n {\n \"detail\":{ \"edit\":{} },\n \"actor\":{ \"user\":{ \"knownUser\":{ \"personName\":\"people/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eACCOUNT_ID_2\u003c/var\u003e\" } } },\n \"timestamp\":{ \"seconds\":\"1541089823\", \"nanos\":712000000 }\n }\n ]\n }]\n\nThis output includes the following values:\n\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eACCOUNT_ID_1\u003c/var\u003e: the ID of the first user. It can be used with the [People API](/people) to get more information.\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eACCOUNT_ID_2\u003c/var\u003e: the ID of the second user.\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eITEM_ID\u003c/var\u003e: the ID of the Drive item.\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eTITLE\u003c/var\u003e: the title of the Drive item.\n\nNote that the `Action` object in this response doesn't include the `Target`\nbecause it's the same as the overall `DriveActivity`.\n\nThe example also illustrates how apps might use only the summary information in\n`DriveActivity`, without looking at the individual actions. The response\nindicates that two users edited a given file over a span of time.\n\n### A user moved two files into a new directory\n\nIn this example, the `ConsolidationStrategy` grouped two related `Move` actions\nbecause the files were moved from the same source to the same destination at the\nsame time. \n\n \"activities\":[{\n \"primaryActionDetail\":{\n \"move\":{\n \"addedParents\":[ { ... } ]\n \"removedParents\":[ { ... } ]\n }\n },\n \"actors\":[ { \"user\":{ \"knownUser\":{ \"personName\":\"people/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eACCOUNT_ID\u003c/var\u003e\" } } } ],\n \"targets\":[\n { \"driveItem\":{ \"name\":\"items/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eITEM_ID_1\u003c/var\u003e\", \"title\":\"\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eTITLE_1\u003c/var\u003e\", \"file\":{} } },\n { \"driveItem\":{ \"name\":\"items/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eITEM_ID_2\u003c/var\u003e\", \"title\":\"* \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eTITLE_2\u003c/var\u003e\", \"file\":{} } }\n ],\n \"timestamp\":{ \"seconds\":\"1541090960\", \"nanos\":985000000 },\n \"actions\":[\n {\n \"detail\":{ \"move\":{ \"addedParents\":[ { ... } ] \"removedParents\":[ { ... } ] } },\n \"target\":{ \"driveItem\":{ \"name\":\"items/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eITEM_ID_1\u003c/var\u003e\", \"title\":\"\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eTITLE_1\u003c/var\u003e\", \"file\":{} } }\n },\n {\n \"detail\":{ \"move\":{ \"addedParents\":[ { ... } ] \"removedParents\":[ { ... } ] } },\n \"target\":{ \"driveItem\":{ \"name\":\"items/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eITEM_ID_2\u003c/var\u003e\", \"title\":\"* \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eTITLE_2\u003c/var\u003e\", \"file\":{} } }\n }\n ]\n }]\n\nThis output includes the following values:\n\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eACCOUNT_ID\u003c/var\u003e: the ID of the user. It can be used with the [People API](/people) to get more information.\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eITEM_ID_1\u003c/var\u003e: the ID of the first Drive item.\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eITEM_ID_2\u003c/var\u003e: the ID of the second Drive item.\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eTITLE_1\u003c/var\u003e: the title of the first Drive item.\n- \u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003eTITLE_2\u003c/var\u003e: the title of the second Drive item.\n\nNote that the `Action` object in this response doesn't include the `Actor` or\n`timestamp` because they're the same as the overall `DriveActivity`."]]
