Switch Google accounts in a Figma plugin for separate client Drive spaces

why designers need multiple google accounts in a figma export plugin

Most designers don't work from a single Google account. Freelancers juggle a personal account alongside client-managed Workspace accounts. Agency designers may have three or four active accounts — one per retainer, each with its own Drive structure and sharing permissions.

The problem isn't logging in. It's staying logged in to the right account at the right moment. A generic export plugin that only supports one connected account forces you to disconnect, re-authenticate, and reconnect every time you switch context. That's not a workflow — it's a chore.

Multi-account support solves this at the plugin level. Instead of managing sessions outside Figma, you keep all your authorised accounts in one place and select the right one before you export.

how google account switching works in exporthub

ExportHub connects to Google Drive via OAuth — the same authentication standard Google uses across its own products. When you authorise an account, ExportHub stores that connection so you don't need to log in again on your next session.

Adding a second account follows the same OAuth flow: open the account panel, select "add account," and authenticate through Google's standard permissions screen. Once connected, both accounts appear in a simple list inside the plugin. Switching is a single click — no logout, no re-authentication, no browser detour.

From there, each account shows its own Drive folder tree. You pick the destination folder from whichever account is active, and the export goes there. The plugin remembers which account you last used per session, so if you work on Client A in the morning and Client B in the afternoon, you're not resetting anything manually.

For a deeper look at how the OAuth connection is established and what permissions the plugin requests, see Connect a Figma plugin to Google Drive: OAuth and folders.

what permissions does exporthub request when you add a google account?

ExportHub requests access to Google Drive with a scope limited to files and folders the plugin creates or that you explicitly select. It does not request access to your Gmail, Google Calendar, or any other Google product.

The specific Drive scope requested is drive.file — this means the plugin can only interact with files it creates itself, or files you open through the plugin's folder picker. It cannot read, modify, or delete anything else in your Drive.

This scope is deliberately narrow. For client accounts — where your Drive may contain sensitive documents unrelated to design — that constraint matters. You're granting export access, not broad Drive access.

Each Google account you add goes through the same permissions screen independently. One authorisation does not carry over to another account.

how to set up separate client drive spaces with exporthub

The most effective setup for multi-client work is one connected Google account per client, each mapped to its own Drive folder structure. Here's how to build that in ExportHub:

1. Open ExportHub inside Figma and navigate to the account panel.
2. Add your first Google account via OAuth. This is typically your primary account or the first client's Workspace account.
3. Once connected, use the folder picker to navigate to or create the correct destination folder for that client.
4. Add your second account using "add account." Authenticate through Google's permissions screen.
5. Switch to the second account in the plugin, then select or create that client's destination folder.
6. Before each export, confirm the active account in the plugin matches the project you're working on.

If your client has shared a specific Drive folder with you — rather than giving you full account access — you can still use ExportHub. Connect with whatever Google account has access to that shared folder, navigate to it in the folder picker, and export directly into it.

For guidance on structuring those folders once you're exporting, Google Drive design handoff folder structure for agencies covers folder hierarchies that work well across clients and handoff stages.

can you stay logged in to multiple google accounts at the same time?

Yes. ExportHub does not log you out of one account when you add another. All connected accounts remain authorised simultaneously. You select which account is active at export time — the others stay connected in the background.

This is meaningfully different from browser-based Google account switching, where active session management can cause conflicts depending on which tab or window is in focus. Inside ExportHub, the account you've selected in the plugin is the one used for the export — no ambiguity.

If you revoke ExportHub's access from within Google's account security settings, that account will be removed from the plugin on your next session. All other connected accounts remain unaffected.

what happens if you export to the wrong google account?

The file lands in the wrong Drive. There's no automatic undo at the plugin level — you'd need to delete it from the incorrect account's Drive manually and re-export to the right destination.

The practical fix is confirming the active account before you export. ExportHub displays the currently selected account clearly in the interface — name and profile identifier — so a one-second check before clicking export is enough.

If you're running exports in batches across multiple clients in a single session, rename your assets before exporting so misrouted files are easy to identify and clean up. Batch rename Figma assets before Google Drive export covers the renaming workflow inside the plugin.

exporthub vs manually switching google accounts mid-export

The manual alternative looks like this: export assets locally from Figma, open a browser, switch Google accounts, navigate to the correct Drive folder, upload the files, delete the local copies. Repeat for the next client.

Each loop costs time — conservatively 3–5 minutes per client context switch. Across a week of active multi-client work, that adds up quickly. Beyond the time cost, local files accumulate in your Downloads folder, creating clutter that has to be managed separately.

ExportHub collapses that loop to three steps: select account, select folder, export. The assets go directly to the right Drive without touching your local machine. If you want the full picture on what the manual loop actually costs, Why the Figma export loop slows design teams down breaks it down.