FAQ & Troubleshooting — Drive Folder Re-Color
Last Updated: 12/06/2025
Find answers to the most common questions about installing, using, and troubleshooting the Drive Folder Re-Color add-on.
What does Drive Folder Re-Color do?
The add-on applies color to folders in Google Drive™ using a clean, pre-set color palette.
You can color:
Only the folders you select
Or all folders within the same directory
The add-on processes folders in batches of up to 20 for reliability and stability.
Do I need to change any Google Drive settings?
No. Drive Folder Re-Color works immediately after installation—there are no configuration steps.
Does this add-on change files?
No. The add-on only updates the folderColorRgb metadata of folders.
It does not modify file contents.
Is Drive Folder Re-Color currently in beta?
Yes. The add-on is in an active public beta as we continue improving performance and stability.
Users may occasionally experience small interruptions during batch processing, which are usually resolved by clicking "Continue Coloring".
We welcome feedback at support@colorfuldrive.com as we refine the experience.
Can I undo the color changes?
Folder colors can be manually changed back in Google Drive at any time.
The add-on does not currently include an automated “undo” feature.
How do I start coloring folders?
Select one or more folders in Google Drive
Open the add-on
Choose:
"Color Selected Folder(s)"
"Color All in This Directory'
Click "Continue Coloring" until processing completes
What does “Color All in This Directory” mean?
This option works within the parent directory of the folder you selected, then colors all sibling folders inside it.
They are processed in alphabetical order.
Why does it only color 20 folders at a time?
To prevent issues like:
Google Drive throttling
Script timeouts
Failed API requests
Smaller batches ensure smooth, reliable performance.
You simply click "Continue Coloring" to process the next part of the batch.
What does the “Continue Coloring” button do?
As batch system processes the batch, the add-on pauses and saves your progress.
Clicking "Continue Coloring" runs the next part of the batch until all folders are done.
This helps avoid interruptions and failed operations.
What does “Cancel” do?
Pressing "Cancel" stops the current batch from progressing through the rest of the folders.
Already-colored folders remain unchanged.
Check the following:
Make sure you have selected at least one folder in Google Drive before or after opening the add‑on
The add-on only processes items with the folder MIME type
Regular files (PDFs, Docs, Sheets) cannot be colored
Refresh the add-on and try again
The add‑on only processes Drive items with the folder type (application/vnd.google-apps.folder), not regular files.
This message appears when no folder is selected yet.
To fix it:
Click once on a folder in Google Drive
Open or refresh the add-on
Action buttons should now appear
Most errors occur because Drive temporarily rejected a request due to load or timing.
Try this:
Click "Continue Coloring" again
The add-on will retry and resume where it left off
The add-on includes an automatic retry system for reliability.
Possible reasons:
Script time limit reached
Temporary Drive API slowdown
A folder was deleted or moved mid-process
In almost all cases, clicking "Continue Coloring" resumes coloring normally.
No. Coloring operations are lightweight and only update metadata.
Drive may take a moment to visually refresh colors, especially when coloring many folders, but performance impact is minimal.
Install through the Google Workspace Marketplace™ using the “Install” button on the add-on’s listing page.
Go to the Google Workspace Marketplace
Open the add-on
Select "Uninstall"
Or:
Go to your Google™ Account
Open Security → Third-Party Apps with Account Access
Remove Drive Folder Re-Color
It must be able to:
Read folder information
Write folder color metadata
Detect which folder(s) you selected
No other actions are performed.
The add-on never accesses file contents.
No.
All processing stays inside your Google™ account.
Temporary batch progress is automatically deleted when the operation finishes.
Does this change or read my files?
No. The add‑on only:
Reads folder metadata (such as ID, name, and parent folders), and
Updates the folder’s color (folderColorRgb) through the Google Drive API™.
It does not read, modify, or move the contents of the files inside your folders.