Detect and quarantine duplicate files in Google Drive automatically

New Drive uploads are checked against past files by content, and duplicates are moved aside with a Slack alert.

How the work actually flows

It branches. Exactly one path is taken.

Pattern: Exclusive Choice (4) · Simple Merge (5)

flowchart TD trig>"new file uploaded to Drive"]:::trig s0["Generate content fingerprint"]:::task s1[("Check against previous uploads")]:::store s2[("Log the outcome")]:::store trig --> s0 s0 --> s1 gx{"× is file a duplicate"}:::gate s1 --> gx p00["Move file to quarantine folder"]:::task gx -->|"duplicate found"| p00 p01["Alert team on Slack"]:::task p00 --> p01 p10["Leave file in shared folder"]:::task gx -->|"unique file"| p10 jn{"○ outcome logged"}:::gate p01 --> jn p10 --> jn jn --> s2 out[/"duplicates quarantined automatically"/]:::out pay{{"clean shared folder with no manual checking"}}:::pay s2 --> out out --> pay s1 -. "failures recorded, run continues" .-> out classDef task fill:#e7f6fe,stroke:#34b8f0,color:#2c2a29 classDef svc fill:#f6f8fa,stroke:#7c8795,color:#2c2a29 classDef mi fill:#e7f6fe,stroke:#0079a8,color:#2c2a29,stroke-width:2px classDef human fill:#fff,stroke:#0079a8,color:#0079a8 classDef store fill:#f6f8fa,stroke:#0079a8,color:#2c2a29 classDef trig fill:#00a4eb,stroke:#0079a8,color:#fff,font-weight:bold classDef trigtime fill:#00a4eb,stroke:#0079a8,color:#fff,font-weight:bold classDef trigdata fill:#8ad4f5,stroke:#0079a8,color:#06314c,font-weight:bold classDef gate fill:#fff,stroke:#e8a23d,color:#6b4708,font-weight:bold classDef out fill:#1f9d6b,stroke:#167a53,color:#fff,font-weight:bold classDef pay fill:#06314c,stroke:#021f33,color:#fff
Starts itA stepA record or sheetOne path onlyPaths rejoinResultPayoff
Build size
Advanced

A larger build with multiple systems, AI reasoning, and custom rules.

Business functions
Messaging & NotificationsSpreadsheet & Database OpsFile & Cloud Storage
Connects
Google DriveSupabaseSlack

The problem it solves

The same file gets uploaded to a shared folder more than once, wasting space and creating confusion about which version is current. Checking filenames alone doesn't catch true duplicates, and doing it by hand isn't realistic for a busy team.

Who it fits

A team that handles a high volume of shared files and needs reliable duplicate detection, not just filename matching.

How it works

  1. Watches a shared Google Drive folder for new file uploads
  2. Generates a unique fingerprint from each file's actual content
  3. Checks that fingerprint against previously uploaded files
  4. Moves confirmed duplicates to a separate folder and alerts the team on Slack
  5. Logs every upload, duplicate, and error for later review
What you get

Duplicate files caught before they clutter shared drives

New files uploaded to your shared drive get checked against everything already there, so duplicates get flagged and set aside automatically.

What you get

A clean shared folder with duplicates automatically separated out, plus a full audit log.

What you need

A Google Drive account, a Supabase account, and a Slack workspace.

We can build this. But should you?

The hard question is not how to build it. It is whether this is the right thing to build first.

That is what a Fractional Chief AI Officer figures out with you, before anyone writes a line of code.

Let's Talk Strategy

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