---
title: "External Storage"
description: "Connect cloud storage and mail to a project without turning every source item into a project document."
---

> Documentation Index
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# External Storage

External storage connects a cloud account to Praktik so that selected content can be used in a project. It is a read-only connection: Praktik can browse, read, and use authorized items; supported files can also be opened in Praktik or at their provider. It does not edit, move, or delete source items in the provider.

## Supported providers

You can connect:

- Google Drive
- OneDrive
- SharePoint
- Outlook

Google Drive, OneDrive, and SharePoint provide files and folders. Outlook provides mailbox folders, messages, and conversations.

## Where connections are managed

### Personal connections

Open **Settings → External storage** to connect your own cloud account. A personal connection can be granted only to your private projects, and only the owner of a private project can use that personal connection.

### Organization connections

Open **Organization → External storage** to connect organization-owned storage. Only an **organization owner** can connect, rename, activate, deactivate, remove, or grant organization storage. The owner chooses both the source item and the organization project that may use it.

People with read access to an organization project can browse and use its granted external content. They cannot change the organization connection or its grants unless they are also an organization owner. Importing a file into project documents requires write access to that project.

For the distinction between project ownership, members, and read/write access, see [Projects](/en/docs/projects/).

## Connect or disconnect a provider

1. In the relevant personal or organization area, select **Add cloud storage**.
2. Choose Google Drive, OneDrive, SharePoint, or Outlook.
3. Sign in to the provider account and approve the requested read access.
4. Return to Praktik and, if needed, give the connection a recognizable name.

The connection card shows its connected account and can be renamed, checked, activated, or deactivated.

- **Deactivate** temporarily stops the connection from being used by projects. Its grants remain, so they can work again after the connection is activated and healthy.
- **Remove** disconnects the connection from Praktik and removes its access from every project. It does not delete anything in Google, Microsoft, or SharePoint.

To revoke Praktik's provider consent as well as remove the connection from Praktik, remove the app's permission in the relevant Google or Microsoft account controls.

## Grant content to a project

A **grant** is the rule that makes a particular external item visible to one project. It is not a copy of the item.

In the connection manager, choose a project and select the source item:

- Granting a **file** makes that file available to the project.
- Granting a **folder** makes the folder and all of its current and future descendants available to the project.
- An Outlook grant is for the **entire mailbox**. It gives the project read-only access to current and future mail in that mailbox.

Choose folders carefully: a folder grant includes new files added below that folder later. Removing a grant stops linked access to that item in that project; it does not affect the original provider content or any file already imported into the project.

For organization connections, only organization owners manage grants. For personal connections, the connected user manages grants for their own private projects.

## Browse, search, and use granted content

Open a project and go to **Documents**. In the **Source** selector, choose the connected provider. You can then:

- browse only the folders and files granted to that project;
- open a file in Praktik or open it at the provider when a source link is supplied;
- search within the authorized external source or folder; and
- use the connection in project chat, where the assistant can read relevant authorized items and cite them.

Google Drive shows **My Drive** and shared drives that the connected account can read. OneDrive and SharePoint use their provider folder hierarchy.

### Outlook mail

For Outlook, the project Documents area becomes a mailbox view. You can switch mailbox folders, search mail, load more messages, open a message, and read its conversation. Outlook messages remain linked, read-only mailbox items.

## Linked items and imported documents are different

A linked external item stays at its provider. Praktik reads the current item only when it is opened, searched, or used in the project. The external Documents area is therefore not the same as the project's persistent document library.

For files from Google Drive, OneDrive, or SharePoint, a project member with write access can select one or more files and choose **Import into project documents**, then choose a destination folder. Importing creates a one-time persistent copy in Praktik's project documents.

Changes made later in the external provider and changes made to the imported project document are **not synchronized** in either direction. The current Outlook mailbox view does not offer an import action for email messages; use those messages directly as linked project content instead.

See [Documents](/en/docs/documents/) for how persistent project documents are stored and used.

## Errors, revoked access, and reconnecting

If a provider is temporarily unavailable, refresh the source and open External storage again; Praktik checks active connections there. If the provider rejects the saved authorization, the connection is marked as failed and it cannot be used by projects until it is reauthorized.

Reconnect by starting the provider connection flow again and signing in to the appropriate account. If you removed the connection, add it again and recreate the grants. If an individual source file or folder was moved, deleted, or made inaccessible at the provider, restore its provider access or adjust the project grant.

If Microsoft rejects an organization sign-in, resolve the Microsoft consent or Entra policy with the organization's Microsoft administrator, then try the connection again.

Canonical: https://praktik.ai/en/docs/external-storage/