24 KiB
name, description
| name | description |
|---|---|
| skill-google-gmail-tool | Access Google Gmail, Calendar, Tasks, Drive APIs |
When to use
- Access Gmail messages, send emails, export to Obsidian
- Manage Google Calendar events and export schedules
- Work with Google Tasks and to-do lists
- Search, upload, download Google Drive files
Google Gmail Tool Skill
Purpose
The google-gmail-tool is a professional CLI that provides comprehensive access to Google services including Gmail, Calendar, Tasks, and Drive. It enables agent-friendly JSON output, human-readable text formats, multi-level verbosity logging, and seamless Obsidian integration.
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when:
- Reading or sending Gmail messages programmatically
- Managing calendar events and schedules
- Working with Google Tasks and to-do lists
- Searching, uploading, or downloading files from Google Drive
- Exporting Google data to Obsidian markdown notes
- Automating Google service workflows
Do NOT use this skill for:
- Direct Google API programming (this is a CLI wrapper)
- Google Workspace admin tasks (requires different APIs)
- Real-time synchronization (uses polling-based access)
CLI Tool: google-gmail-tool
A CLI that provides access to Google services with OAuth2 authentication, supporting Gmail, Calendar, Tasks, and Drive operations.
Installation
# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/dnvriend/google-gmail-tool.git
cd google-gmail-tool
# Install globally with uv
uv tool install .
# Verify installation
google-gmail-tool --version
Prerequisites
- Python: 3.14 or higher
- OAuth Credentials: Google Cloud Console OAuth 2.0 Client ID (Desktop application)
- Environment Variables:
GOOGLE_GMAIL_TOOL_CREDENTIALS: Path to credentials JSON fileGOOGLE_GMAIL_TOOL_CREDENTIALS_JSON: Full OAuth2 credentials as JSON stringOBSIDIAN_ROOT: Path to Obsidian vault (for export commands)
Quick Start
# 1. Get OAuth credentials from Google Cloud Console
# Visit: https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/credentials
# 2. Set credentials environment variable
export GOOGLE_GMAIL_TOOL_CREDENTIALS=~/.config/google-gmail-tool/credentials.json
# 3. Verify authentication
google-gmail-tool auth check
# 4. List Gmail threads
google-gmail-tool mail list --today
# 5. List calendar events
google-gmail-tool calendar list --this-week
Progressive Disclosure
📧 Gmail Commands (Click to expand)
mail list - List Gmail messages or threads
List Gmail messages or threads with optional filtering, supporting full Gmail search syntax.
Usage:
google-gmail-tool mail list [OPTIONS]
Options:
--query "TEXT": Gmail search query (supports full Gmail search syntax)--today: Filter emails from today only--max-results N/-n N: Maximum results (default: 50, max: 500)--format FORMAT/-f FORMAT: Output format (json, text)--text: Shorthand for--format text--message-mode: List individual messages instead of threads-v/-vv/-vvv: Verbosity (INFO/DEBUG/TRACE)
Gmail Search Operators:
is:unread,is:read,is:starred- Message statushas:attachment,filename:pdf- Attachmentsfrom:email@example.com- Senderto:email@example.com- Recipientsubject:keyword- Subject lineafter:YYYY/MM/DD,before:YYYY/MM/DD- Date rangeolder_than:2d,newer_than:1m- Relative dateslabel:important,in:inbox- Labels
Examples:
# List 50 most recent threads
google-gmail-tool mail list
# Find unread emails from today
google-gmail-tool mail list --today --query "is:unread"
# Search for specific sender
google-gmail-tool mail list --query "from:team@company.com" -n 10
# Find emails with attachments
google-gmail-tool mail list --query "has:attachment" --text
# Complex query
google-gmail-tool mail list \
--query "from:john@example.com subject:report after:2025/01/01" \
--message-mode
Output (JSON):
[
{
"id": "19a90f13e3c7af52",
"threadId": "19a90f13e3c7af52",
"snippet": "Meeting notes from...",
"from": "sender@example.com",
"to": "recipient@example.com",
"subject": "Meeting Notes",
"date": "2025-11-20T10:30:00Z"
}
]
mail send - Send email via Gmail
Send emails via Gmail API with support for HTML, CC, BCC, and attachments.
Usage:
google-gmail-tool mail send [OPTIONS]
Options:
--to EMAIL: Recipient email (required)--subject TEXT: Email subject (required)--body TEXT: Email body (required)--from EMAIL: Sender email (optional, uses default)--cc EMAIL: CC recipients (comma-separated)--bcc EMAIL: BCC recipients (comma-separated)--html: Send as HTML instead of plain text--dry-run: Preview email without sending-v/-vv/-vvv: Verbosity (INFO/DEBUG/TRACE)
Examples:
# Send plain text email
google-gmail-tool mail send \
--to "user@example.com" \
--subject "Meeting Notes" \
--body "Here are the notes from today's meeting..."
# Send HTML email with CC
google-gmail-tool mail send \
--to "user@example.com" \
--cc "team@example.com" \
--subject "Weekly Report" \
--body "<h1>Report</h1><p>Details...</p>" \
--html
# Preview without sending
google-gmail-tool mail send \
--to "user@example.com" \
--subject "Test" \
--body "Test email" \
--dry-run
mail get - Get email message details
Retrieve detailed information about a specific Gmail message.
Usage:
google-gmail-tool mail get MESSAGE_ID [OPTIONS]
Options:
MESSAGE_ID: Gmail message ID (required)--format FORMAT/-f FORMAT: Output format (json, text)--include-body: Include full message body-v/-vv/-vvv: Verbosity (INFO/DEBUG/TRACE)
Examples:
# Get message metadata
google-gmail-tool mail get 19a90f13e3c7af52
# Get message with full body
google-gmail-tool mail get 19a90f13e3c7af52 --include-body
# Text format output
google-gmail-tool mail get 19a90f13e3c7af52 --include-body --format text
mail export-obsidian - Export Gmail to Obsidian
Export Gmail threads to Obsidian markdown notes with attachments.
Usage:
google-gmail-tool mail export-obsidian [OPTIONS]
Options:
--query "TEXT": Gmail search query--today: Export emails from today only--max-results N/-n N: Maximum threads to export--obsidian-root PATH: Obsidian vault root path (or useOBSIDIAN_ROOTenv var)--download-attachments: Download email attachments (default)--no-download-attachments: Skip downloading attachments-v/-vv/-vvv: Verbosity (INFO/DEBUG/TRACE)
Obsidian Structure:
$OBSIDIAN_ROOT/emails/<timestamp>-<sender>-<subject>/
├── thread.md # Thread with all messages
└── attachments/ # Downloaded attachments
├── document.pdf
└── image.png
Examples:
# Export today's emails
google-gmail-tool mail export-obsidian --today
# Export specific threads
google-gmail-tool mail export-obsidian --query "from:important@example.com"
# Export without attachments
google-gmail-tool mail export-obsidian \
--query "subject:report" \
--no-download-attachments
📅 Calendar Commands (Click to expand)
calendar list - List calendar events
List calendar events with time range and query filtering.
Usage:
google-gmail-tool calendar list [OPTIONS]
Options:
--today: Events for today--tomorrow: Events for tomorrow--this-week: Events this week (Monday-Sunday, default)--next-week: Events next week--days N: Events for next N days--date YYYY-MM-DD: Events for specific date--range-start YYYY-MM-DD: Start of custom range--range-end YYYY-MM-DD: End of custom range--query "TEXT": Free-text search (title, description, location)--max-results N/-n N: Maximum results (default: 100)--format FORMAT/-f FORMAT: Output format (json, text)--text: Shorthand for--format text-v/-vv/-vvv: Verbosity (INFO/DEBUG/TRACE)
Examples:
# List this week's events (default)
google-gmail-tool calendar list
# Today's events
google-gmail-tool calendar list --today
# Next 7 days
google-gmail-tool calendar list --days 7
# Search for meetings
google-gmail-tool calendar list --query "team meeting"
# Custom date range
google-gmail-tool calendar list \
--range-start 2025-11-20 \
--range-end 2025-11-27
Output (JSON):
[
{
"id": "event123",
"summary": "Team Meeting",
"start": "2025-11-20T10:00:00Z",
"end": "2025-11-20T11:00:00Z",
"location": "Conference Room A",
"attendees": ["user1@example.com", "user2@example.com"]
}
]
calendar create - Create calendar event
Create a new calendar event with optional attendees and Google Meet.
Usage:
google-gmail-tool calendar create [OPTIONS]
Options:
--title TEXT/-t TEXT: Event title (required)--start DATETIME: Start datetime (YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM)--end DATETIME: End datetime (YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM)--date YYYY-MM-DD: Date for all-day event--all-day: Create all-day event (requires--date)--location TEXT/-l TEXT: Event location--description TEXT/-d TEXT: Event description--attendees EMAILS/-a EMAILS: Comma-separated attendee emails--add-meet: Add Google Meet video conferencing-v/-vv/-vvv: Verbosity (INFO/DEBUG/TRACE)
Examples:
# Create simple event
google-gmail-tool calendar create \
--title "Team Meeting" \
--start "2025-11-20 10:00" \
--end "2025-11-20 11:00"
# Create event with Google Meet
google-gmail-tool calendar create \
--title "Remote Standup" \
--start "2025-11-21 09:00" \
--end "2025-11-21 09:30" \
--add-meet
# Create all-day event
google-gmail-tool calendar create \
--title "Conference" \
--date "2025-11-25" \
--all-day
# Create event with attendees
google-gmail-tool calendar create \
--title "Project Review" \
--start "2025-11-22 14:00" \
--end "2025-11-22 15:00" \
--location "Room 301" \
--attendees "user1@example.com,user2@example.com"
calendar export-obsidian - Export calendar to Obsidian
Export calendar events to Obsidian daily notes as checklist items.
Usage:
google-gmail-tool calendar export-obsidian [OPTIONS]
Options:
--today: Export today's events--this-week: Export this week's events (default)--date YYYY-MM-DD: Export specific date--range-start YYYY-MM-DD: Start of custom range--range-end YYYY-MM-DD: End of custom range--query "TEXT": Filter events by search query--obsidian-root PATH: Obsidian vault root path-v/-vv/-vvv: Verbosity (INFO/DEBUG/TRACE)
Smart Merge Logic:
- Preserves checked-off items
- Updates event times if changed
- Removes cancelled events
- Adds new events
Examples:
# Export today's schedule
google-gmail-tool calendar export-obsidian --today
# Export this week to daily notes
google-gmail-tool calendar export-obsidian --this-week
# Export filtered events
google-gmail-tool calendar export-obsidian --query "meeting"
✅ Task Commands (Click to expand)
task list - List Google Tasks
List Google Tasks with status and date filtering.
Usage:
google-gmail-tool task list [OPTIONS]
Options:
--completed: Show only completed tasks--incomplete: Show only incomplete tasks (default)--show-all: Show both completed and incomplete--today: Tasks due today--overdue: Tasks past due date--max-results N/-n N: Maximum results (default: 100)--format FORMAT/-f FORMAT: Output format (json, text)--text: Shorthand for--format text-v/-vv/-vvv: Verbosity (INFO/DEBUG/TRACE)
Examples:
# List incomplete tasks (default)
google-gmail-tool task list
# Show all tasks including completed
google-gmail-tool task list --show-all
# Tasks due today
google-gmail-tool task list --today
# Overdue tasks
google-gmail-tool task list --overdue
# First 10 incomplete tasks
google-gmail-tool task list --incomplete -n 10
Output (JSON):
[
{
"id": "task123",
"title": "Review PR #456",
"notes": "Check code quality and tests",
"due": "2025-11-20",
"status": "needsAction",
"updated": "2025-11-19T15:30:00Z"
}
]
task create - Create new task
Create a new Google Task with optional notes and due date.
Usage:
google-gmail-tool task create [OPTIONS]
Options:
--title TEXT/-t TEXT: Task title (required)--notes TEXT/-n TEXT: Task notes/description--due YYYY-MM-DD/-d YYYY-MM-DD: Due date-v/-vv/-vvv: Verbosity (INFO/DEBUG/TRACE)
Examples:
# Create minimal task
google-gmail-tool task create --title "Review PR #123"
# Create task with due date
google-gmail-tool task create \
--title "Submit report" \
--due "2025-11-25"
# Create task with notes
google-gmail-tool task create \
--title "Team meeting prep" \
--notes "Prepare slides and agenda" \
--due "2025-11-20"
task complete - Mark tasks as completed
Mark one or more tasks as completed.
Usage:
google-gmail-tool task complete TASK_ID [TASK_ID...] [OPTIONS]
Options:
TASK_ID: One or more task IDs (space-separated)-v/-vv/-vvv: Verbosity (INFO/DEBUG/TRACE)
Examples:
# Complete single task
google-gmail-tool task complete abc123xyz
# Complete multiple tasks
google-gmail-tool task complete abc123 def456 ghi789
# Pipeline with jq
TASK_ID=$(google-gmail-tool task list -n 1 | jq -r '.[0].id')
google-gmail-tool task complete "$TASK_ID"
task export-obsidian - Export tasks to Obsidian
Export Google Tasks to Obsidian daily notes as checklist items.
Usage:
google-gmail-tool task export-obsidian [OPTIONS]
Options:
--today: Export tasks due today--this-week: Export tasks due this week--date YYYY-MM-DD: Export tasks for specific date--range-start YYYY-MM-DD: Start of custom range--range-end YYYY-MM-DD: End of custom range--obsidian-root PATH: Obsidian vault root path-v/-vv/-vvv: Verbosity (INFO/DEBUG/TRACE)
Smart Merge Logic:
- Preserves checked-off items
- Updates task details if changed
- Removes completed tasks (optional)
- Adds new tasks
Examples:
# Export today's tasks
google-gmail-tool task export-obsidian --today
# Export this week's tasks
google-gmail-tool task export-obsidian --this-week
# Export custom date range
google-gmail-tool task export-obsidian \
--range-start 2025-11-20 \
--range-end 2025-11-27
📁 Drive Commands (Click to expand)
drive list - List Drive files
List files in Google Drive with filtering and sorting.
Usage:
google-gmail-tool drive list [OPTIONS]
Options:
--query "TEXT": Drive query string--max-results N/-n N: Maximum results (default: 50)--folder FOLDER_ID: List files in specific folder--order-by FIELD: Sort by field (name, createdTime, modifiedTime desc)--format FORMAT/-f FORMAT: Output format (json, text)--text: Shorthand for--format text-v/-vv/-vvv: Verbosity (INFO/DEBUG/TRACE)
Examples:
# List 50 most recent files
google-gmail-tool drive list
# List files in folder
google-gmail-tool drive list --folder 0ALlMmd1yT2TNUk9PVA
# Sort by name
google-gmail-tool drive list --order-by name -n 20
Output (JSON):
[
{
"id": "1abc...xyz",
"name": "document.pdf",
"mimeType": "application/pdf",
"size": "1048576",
"modifiedTime": "2025-11-20T10:30:00Z",
"webViewLink": "https://drive.google.com/..."
}
]
drive search - Search Drive files
Search for files and folders with common filters.
Usage:
google-gmail-tool drive search [OPTIONS]
Options:
--name "TEXT": Search by file/folder name--type TYPE: Filter by type (document, spreadsheet, presentation, folder, pdf, image)--owner OWNER: Filter by owner (me, others, anyone)--shared: Show only shared files--max-results N/-n N: Maximum results (default: 50)--format FORMAT/-f FORMAT: Output format (json, text)-v/-vv/-vvv: Verbosity (INFO/DEBUG/TRACE)
Examples:
# Search by name
google-gmail-tool drive search --name "report"
# Find PDFs I own
google-gmail-tool drive search --type pdf --owner me
# Find shared spreadsheets
google-gmail-tool drive search --type spreadsheet --shared
# Complex search
google-gmail-tool drive search \
--name "2025" \
--type document \
--owner me \
-n 100
drive upload-file - Upload file to Drive
Upload a local file to Google Drive.
Usage:
google-gmail-tool drive upload-file LOCAL_PATH [PARENT_ID] [OPTIONS]
Options:
LOCAL_PATH: Local file path (required)PARENT_ID: Parent folder ID (optional, defaults to My Drive root)--name NAME: Drive file name (defaults to local filename)--description TEXT: File description--mime-type TYPE: Override MIME type--force/-f: Skip duplicate check--format FORMAT: Output format (json, text)-v/-vv/-vvv: Verbosity (INFO/DEBUG/TRACE)
Examples:
# Upload to My Drive root
google-gmail-tool drive upload-file document.pdf
# Upload to specific folder
google-gmail-tool drive upload-file report.pdf 0ALlMmd1yT2TNUk9PVA
# Upload with custom name
google-gmail-tool drive upload-file data.csv \
--name "Sales Report 2025.csv"
drive download - Download file from Drive
Download a file from Google Drive to local filesystem.
Usage:
google-gmail-tool drive download FILE_ID OUTPUT_PATH [OPTIONS]
Options:
FILE_ID: Drive file ID (required)OUTPUT_PATH: Local output path (required)-v/-vv/-vvv: Verbosity (INFO/DEBUG/TRACE)
Examples:
# Download file
google-gmail-tool drive download 1abc...xyz document.pdf
# Download to specific directory
google-gmail-tool drive download 1abc...xyz ~/Downloads/report.pdf
🔐 Authentication Commands (Click to expand)
auth check - Verify credentials
Verify Google OAuth credentials and API access.
Usage:
google-gmail-tool auth check [-v|-vv|-vvv]
Environment Variables:
GOOGLE_GMAIL_TOOL_CREDENTIALS_JSON: Full OAuth2 credentials as JSON stringGOOGLE_GMAIL_TOOL_CREDENTIALS: Path to OAuth2 credentials JSON file
Validates:
- OAuth credential format and validity
- Access token refresh capability
- Gmail API access
- Calendar API access
- Tasks API access
- Drive API access
Examples:
# Check authentication
google-gmail-tool auth check
# Check with debug output
google-gmail-tool auth check -vv
Output:
🔐 Checking Google OAuth credentials...
✓ Credentials loaded successfully
✓ Gmail API access granted
✓ Calendar API access granted
✓ Tasks API access granted
✓ Drive API access granted
auth login - Complete OAuth flow
Complete OAuth flow to generate authorized credentials.
Usage:
google-gmail-tool auth login [OPTIONS]
Options:
--client-id ID: OAuth Client ID--client-secret SECRET: OAuth Client Secret--json-file PATH: Path to client secret JSON (alternative)--output PATH/-o PATH: Output file for credentials (default:~/.config/google-gmail-tool/credentials.json)-v/-vv/-vvv: Verbosity (INFO/DEBUG/TRACE)
Examples:
# Login with client ID and secret
google-gmail-tool auth login \
--client-id "123...apps.googleusercontent.com" \
--client-secret "GOCSPX-..."
# Login with JSON file
google-gmail-tool auth login \
--json-file ~/Downloads/client_secret.json
# Custom output location
google-gmail-tool auth login \
--json-file ~/Downloads/client_secret.json \
--output ~/.credentials/google.json
⚙️ Advanced Features (Click to expand)
Multi-Level Verbosity
Control logging detail with -v/-vv/-vvv flags:
- No flag (WARNING): Only critical issues
-v(INFO): High-level operations, important events-vv(DEBUG): Detailed operations, API calls, validation steps-vvv(TRACE): Full request/response, library internals
Examples:
# Normal mode (warnings only)
google-gmail-tool mail list
# Info level
google-gmail-tool mail list -v
# Debug level
google-gmail-tool mail list -vv
# Trace level (includes Google API internals)
google-gmail-tool mail list -vvv
Shell Completion
Install tab completion for bash, zsh, or fish:
Bash:
eval "$(google-gmail-tool completion bash)"
# Or add to ~/.bashrc
Zsh:
eval "$(google-gmail-tool completion zsh)"
# Or add to ~/.zshrc
Fish:
google-gmail-tool completion fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/google-gmail-tool.fish
Output Formats
All commands support JSON and text output:
JSON (default):
google-gmail-tool mail list | jq '.[] | .subject'
Text (human-readable):
google-gmail-tool mail list --text
Pipeline Integration
Designed for Unix pipeline integration:
Examples:
# Extract email subjects
google-gmail-tool mail list | jq -r '.[] | .subject'
# Count unread messages
google-gmail-tool mail list --query "is:unread" | jq 'length'
# Complete first incomplete task
TASK_ID=$(google-gmail-tool task list -n 1 | jq -r '.[0].id')
google-gmail-tool task complete "$TASK_ID"
# Search and download Drive file
FILE_ID=$(google-gmail-tool drive search --name "report" | jq -r '.[0].id')
google-gmail-tool drive download "$FILE_ID" report.pdf
🔧 Troubleshooting (Click to expand)
Common Issues
Issue: "Credentials not found"
# Error
[ERROR] Credentials not found
Solution:
- Set credentials environment variable:
export GOOGLE_GMAIL_TOOL_CREDENTIALS=~/.config/google-gmail-tool/credentials.json - Or use
auth loginto generate credentials:google-gmail-tool auth login --json-file ~/Downloads/client_secret.json
Issue: "API access denied"
Solution:
- Check API is enabled in Google Cloud Console
- Verify OAuth scopes include required permissions
- Re-run auth check:
google-gmail-tool auth check -vv
Issue: "Token expired"
Solution: Credentials include refresh token, should auto-refresh. If not:
# Re-authenticate
google-gmail-tool auth login --json-file ~/Downloads/client_secret.json
Issue: "Obsidian export fails"
Solution:
- Set
OBSIDIAN_ROOTenvironment variable:export OBSIDIAN_ROOT=~/Documents/ObsidianVault - Or use
--obsidian-rootflag:google-gmail-tool mail export-obsidian --obsidian-root ~/Documents/ObsidianVault
Getting Help
# Main help
google-gmail-tool --help
# Command group help
google-gmail-tool mail --help
google-gmail-tool calendar --help
# Specific command help
google-gmail-tool mail list --help
google-gmail-tool task create --help
Exit Codes
0: Success1: General error (authentication, API error, validation failure)2: Not found (message/event/task/file not found)
Output Formats
JSON (default):
- Agent-friendly structured data
- Suitable for parsing with jq
- Consistent schema across commands
Text (--text flag):
- Human-readable format
- Tabular or list output
- Good for terminal viewing
Best Practices
- Use Environment Variables: Set
GOOGLE_GMAIL_TOOL_CREDENTIALSandOBSIDIAN_ROOTfor convenience - Enable Verbosity for Debugging: Use
-vvor-vvvwhen troubleshooting - JSON Output for Scripts: Default JSON output is ideal for automation
- Obsidian Integration: Use export commands to maintain synchronized notes
- Pipeline with jq: Combine with jq for powerful data processing
- Shell Completion: Install completion for better CLI experience
Resources
- GitHub: https://github.com/dnvriend/google-gmail-tool
- Google Cloud Console: https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/credentials
- Gmail Search Syntax: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/7190
- Obsidian: https://obsidian.md