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Link to your Google Drive (home to all your AI expert know-how)

Created: June 17, 2025 9:37 PM

In order for your AI Expert to learn and draw on knowledge specific to your expertise, he or she needs a place to upload all relevant material. These materials can be text documents, PDF files, audio recordings, video transcripts, links to websites and other sources of your know-how. The BuddyPro platform uses Google Drive for this purpose.

In this step, you will create a special folder in your Google Drive account and link it to your newly created BuddyPro instance. Don't worry, it's easier than it may seem, and we'll walk you through it step by step.

6.1 Using the /setup command in your new BuddyPro instance​

Now go back to Telegram, specifically to the chat window with your newly created BuddyPro instance. This is the chat you accessed by clicking the link in the confirmation message from Personal Buddy (if you followed step 5.3). It should have the name you assigned to it (e.g., "MyGreatAI").

Type and send the following command in the chat box. Be sure to be precise, including the slash - commands are case-sensitive:

/setup

After sending this command, your BuddyPro instance will reply with a message containing detailed instructions for further action. These instructions will be crucial for the next sub-step.

6.2 Create a new folder on your Google Drive and share it​

The BuddyPro instance will prompt you for the following actions in response to the /setup command:

  1. Go to your Google Drive: open drive.google.com in a web browser and log in to your Google account (can be personal or business).
  2. Create a new, empty folder: Click "+ New" (or similar, depending on your Google Drive language setting) and select "New Folder".
    • Name the folder: you can name the folder whatever you want so that it's easily identifiable to you and you know it's for your AI Expert (e.g. "Data for AI Expert Marketing", "Personal Development Coach Know-How", "BuddyPro - My AI Expert"). The name of this folder does not affect the functionality. The important thing is that you know which one it is.
  3. Share this folder to a specific service email address: this is a key step. Your BuddyPro instance will tell you the unique service email address in Telegram. It will be in a long, technical-looking format, something like this: buddy-fm-service-xxxxxx@buddy-fm-yyyyyy.iam.gserviceaccount.com
    • Important: Copy the exact address directly from your BuddyPro instance's message in your Telegram chat! Do not use this example.
    • Sharing procedure:
      • On Google Drive, right-click on the folder you have newly created.
      • Select "Share" from the context menu.
      • The share dialog box opens. In the "Add people and groups" field, enter the exact service email address you copied from Telegram.
      • Key: Make sure the permission for this address is set to "Editor". This is necessary so that BuddyPro can write to the folder and create the necessary structure.
      • You can uncheck the "Notify people" box, as the service account does not read notifications.
      • Click the "Send" or "Share" button. If you use a corporate Google account, the system may additionally ask you if you really want to share content outside your organisation - confirm this option.

⚠️ By doing so, you are granting the BuddyPro platform access to this one specific folder and its content only. The BuddyPro platform has no access to any other files, folders or data on your Google Drive account. This is the same principle as when you share a specific folder with a colleague or external collaborator. Your other data on Google Drive remains completely private.

6.3 Getting the URL of your shared folder and using /setFolder​

After you have successfully created and shared a folder, you need to communicate its address to your BuddyPro instance.

  1. Open the shared folder: On your Google Drive, double-click the folder you just created and shared to open it.

  2. Copy the folder's URL: Look in the address bar of your web browser. You'll see the full web address (URL) of the folder. Highlight this entire address and copy it (e.g. using Ctrl+C or Cmd+C).

    • The address will look something like this: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aB2cDEFG3hijKLMN4oPQRST5uvWXYZ6?usp=sharing (yours will be different, of course).

  3. Return to Telegram: Go back to the chat with your BuddyPro instance.

  4. Type /setFolder: Type and send the following command, replacing {URL_Folder} with the complete URL you just copied from your browser:

    /setFolder:{URL_Folder}

    Example of a real command (with a dummy URL): /setFolder:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aB2cDEFG3hijKLMN4oPQRST5uvWXYZ6?usp=sharing

    Be sure to word the command exactly, including a colon after /setFolder and no spaces between the colon and the URL.

6.4 Your Google Drive folder is now linked and automatically structured! 🎉​

If you have done everything correctly, your BuddyPro instance will respond with a confirmation message, for example: folder and structure created successfully. Please read the README file in your Google Drive folder for instructions on how to proceed. Please read the README file in your Google Drive folder for further instructions.)

Now the best part: when you go back to your (originally empty) Google Drive folder and restore its contents (using the F5 key or the restore icon), you'll see that BuddyPro has automatically created a specific file and subfolder structure within it. This structure is necessary for the next steps - training and managing your AI Expert.

Typically, you will find the following (names may vary slightly, but the purpose remains the same):

  • 📄 README.gdoc (or .txt): this document contains basic (usually English) instructions and an overview of how to work with content on Google Drive, how to upload different types of know-how, how System Prompt works, etc. We recommend at least skimming through it (or translating key parts using AI if English is not your strong suit).
  • 📁 sources. This is where you will put all your expert know-how. It itself contains additional subfolders for better organization:
    • 📁 Files: for files uploaded directly from your computer (e.g. PDF documents, .docx or .txt text files, .mp3 audio recordings, . mp4 video files - for videos, the audio track and its text transcription will be used primarily for training).
    • 📁 Texts: this subfolder is ideal for creating and storing Google Docs with your textual know-how. This can be frequently asked questions (FAQs), detailed procedures, up-to-date information that you want to easily edit and maintain.
    • 📁 URLs: Here you will find a text file (usually named URL SOURCES.gdoc or .txt). In this file, you'll insert URL links to publicly accessible resources - websites, blog articles, or videos on platforms like YouTube or Vimeo (for videos, they must be publicly accessible or "unlisted" - not public, but accessible via a link) on individual lines.
    • 📁 Conversations: this folder is ready for future features related to learning from conversations. It is not currently in active use and can be ignored for now.
  • 📁 ROLES: In this folder, BuddyPro will manage information about so-called expert subroles. These are specialties that your AI Expert will automatically create based on the analysis of your uploaded know-how (e.g. "Facebook Advertising Specialist", "Stress Management Coach"). After the initial processing of the content, you will find here the file list_of_roles.gdoc (list of proposed role names) and later, after running the corresponding command (see Part C), also individual Google Docs with detailed definitions (=instructions) for each role.
  • 📄 system_prompt.gdoc: Extremely important Google Document! Here you will define the main personality, character, communication style, core values and rules of conduct of your AI Expert. It is his "heart", his "DNA", his "constitution". We will pay close attention to this file.
  • 📄 initiated messsages.gdoc: This document contains example messages that Buddy can use when he initiates conversations with users on his own (unless you’ve turned this feature off using the command /shouldInitiateMessages:false). The more examples you include, the more varied Buddy’s initiated messages will be — which is a good thing! That said, Buddy doesn’t rely solely on these examples — he may also ask about relevant topics that he comes up with based on the user’s past conversation. We recommend tailoring this document to better guide what kinds of topics Buddy brings up when initiating chats. Define your message examples in a general way, so Buddy doesn’t repeat something too specific, and can approach each topic in a personalized way for any user.
  • 📄 onboarding.gdoc: In this Google Doc, you set up the welcome messages your AI Expert tells new users when they first start a conversation with him. You can also define other automatic onboarding messages here that can be sent after a certain number of exchanges, for example, to better introduce users to the capabilities of your AI Expert.
  • 📄 transcription_settings.gdoc: The last of the key files. This Google Doc allows you to adjust some settings related to the transcription process (transcription) of your audio and video materials. For example, here you can specify a preferred language for transcription (if most of your material is in one language), specify keywords to refine the recognition of specific terms, or choose between standard and so-called "enhanced" transcription, which is more readable but more expensive in AI credits.

With this automatically created structure of files and folders on your Google Drive, you'll continue to be proactive in training, debugging, and managing your unique AI Expert. We'll cover each element and its uses in more detail in the following PART C: TRAINING YOUR AI EXPERT.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for this step:​

  • **Can I use an existing folder on my Google Drive for BuddyPro, or do I always need to create a new folder?**BuddyPro will automatically create the specific file and sub-folder structure needed for its operation in that folder. If you were to use an existing folder with different content, there could be conflicts or clutter.
  • **What if the /setup or /setFolder command gives me an error?**First, carefully check that you have typed the command exactly (including slashes, colons, no unnecessary spaces, and the correct case - commands are case-sensitive). For the /setFolder command, verify that you have copied the full and correct URL of your shared folder. Also make sure you have correctly shared the folder to a service email with "Editor" permissions. If the problem persists, try entering the command again after a while, or contact BuddyPro support (see the information resources at the end of the documentation).
  • **Is sharing a folder with that long service email address really safe?**Yes, it is safe. As we mentioned, BuddyPro only accesses the contents of this single, you specified folder by doing this. It does not have access to any other data on your Google Drive. Service accounts of this type are the standard way apps securely access limited resources on Google Drive.
  • **How much Google Drive space will I need for my AI Expert?**This depends purely on the amount and type of know-how you plan to upload. Text documents take up minimal space. Audio and especially video files can be bulkier. The standard free Google account offers 15GB of space, which should be enough for most experts to start with. The transcripts (transcriptions) and role definitions that BuddyPro generates are text-based and don't take up much space.
  • **Can I later change the Google Drive folder that my BuddyPro instance uses?**If for some reason you needed to change the location of your AI Expert's data to a different folder on Google Drive (or even a different Google Drive account), you would do essentially the same thing: you would create a new folder, share it correctly, and then use the /setFolder:{URL_new_folders} command again in your BuddyPro instance in Telegram. The instance would then start working with the new folder. However, it is important to note that you would have to re-upload and process all the know-how into this new folder. We recommend that you consider the necessity of such a step or consult support before doing so.
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