gdown

What it is and what it does

gdown is a command-line and Python library for downloading files and folders from Google Drive when standard tools like curl and wget fail. It solves the core problem that Google serves a confirmation page for large files, which blocks automated downloads. The tool extracts file IDs from share links, skips the virus-scan prompt, and handles recursive folder downloads. It also exports Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides to formats like PDF, DOCX, and CSV. Beyond Google Drive, it works as a general HTTP/HTTPS downloader.

The package requires Python 3.10 or later and depends on beautifulsoup4, filelock, requests, tqdm, and typing-extensions. It offers both a CLI interface (with options for resuming partial downloads, speed limiting, proxy support, and custom headers) and a Python API for programmatic use. The library supports hash verification, caching, and progress callbacks for integration into larger workflows.

Use it for:

• Download large files from Google Drive that curl and wget cannot retrieve due to confirmation pages.
• Recursively download entire shared folders from Google Drive to a local directory.
• Export Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides to PDF, DOCX, CSV, or other formats for offline use.
• Resume interrupted downloads of large files using the --continue flag.
• Use as a drop-in replacement for curl/wget when downloading from any public HTTP/HTTPS URL.

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

Downloads files and folders from Google Drive, bypassing confirmation pages that block curl and wget, and exports Google Docs/Sheets/Slides to standard formats.

Yes. gdown solves a real problem (Google Drive downloads fail with standard tools), has low install friction, is actively maintained, carries no known vulnerabilities, and uses a permissive MIT license. It is well-suited for automation scripts, data pipelines, and one-off downloads. Install it if you regularly need to download from Google Drive or want a curl/wget alternative.

Install

gdown on PyPI

pip install gdown

uv add gdown

poetry add gdown

Installing gdown

Before you install

Low friction install with five lightweight runtime dependencies. Actively maintained with a recent release; last commit 2026-08-07 and 5364 repository stars indicate ongoing support.

License in practice

MIT license permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions—suitable for commercial and private projects.

Quickstart

pip install gdown

# CLI: download a file by URL
gdown https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1l_5RK28JRL19wpT22B-DY9We3TVXnnQQ

# Python: download with output filename
import gdown
gdown.download(url="https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1l_5RK28JRL19wpT22B-DY9We3TVXnnQQ", output="file.npz")

Requires Python 3.10 or later. File must be shared publicly (set to 'Anyone with the link') on Google Drive.

Verify before relying

• Whether Google Drive's terms of service permit automated downloads of shared files via this tool.
• Rate limiting or throttling behavior when downloading multiple files in succession.
• Cookie-based authentication persistence and security implications of storing cookies locally.

Package facts

Evidence: gdown-6.1.0-py3-none-any.whl

Keywords: curl, download, google-drive, wget

Tags

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