如何通过Google Drive API创建兼容Backup & Sync的Shift+Z式文件夹多位置关联项

Unfortunately, the short answer is no—you cannot currently create these multi-location folder associations using the Google Drive API.

Let’s break down why this is the case, and what context matters here:

1. Two distinct "association" types in Google Drive

   • The application/vnd.google-apps.shortcut MIME type creates web-focused shortcuts. These work fine in the Drive web app, but in Backup & Sync, they turn into .gshortcut files that only open web links—they don’t function as actual, offline-accessible folder references.
   • The Shift+Z-style association (officially named "add the folder to an additional location") is a legacy behavior: it lets a single folder exist in multiple parent directories. This works seamlessly with Backup & Sync because it’s the same folder entity appearing in multiple places, not a shortcut.

2. Google Drive’s 2020 structural update

   • Back in 2020, Google overhauled Drive’s folder and sharing model to simplify organization. A core restriction from this update is that API requests can only specify one parent directory when creating or moving folders/files.
   • While the Drive web interface still retains the Shift+Z functionality for single folders (to maintain compatibility with Backup & Sync), this action is not exposed via the Drive API. There’s no endpoint, parameter, or MIME type that lets you replicate this programmatically.

3. Legacy multi-parent folders

   • Folders that were configured with multiple parents before the 2020 update will continue to work as expected, and you can still view their parent lists via the API. However, you cannot create new multi-parent folder associations using the API.

In summary, the only way to create these Backup & Sync-compatible multi-location folder associations right now is manually via the Drive web interface using Shift+Z on individual folders. There’s no programmatic alternative through the Drive API at this time.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者ununnamed