Gmail

Flexible, RESTful access to the user's inbox

The Gmail API gives programmatic access to Gmail mailboxes — read, send, draft, label, search, and manage emails via a RESTful interface. It supports OAuth 2.0 authentication and provides fine-grained scopes so you can request read-only access or full mailbox control. For OpenClaw agents, Gmail integration enables powerful email automation: checking for urgent messages during heartbeats, summarizing unread emails, drafting replies, or alerting you on Telegram when specific senders or keywords appear. The OAuth setup is non-trivial but once configured, it's one of the highest-value integrations for a personal AI assistant.

Tags: business, ai-models, productivity

Category: Business

Use Cases

  • Check for urgent unread emails during OpenClaw heartbeat cycles
  • Summarize new emails and send digests to Telegram
  • Draft email replies based on agent analysis of incoming messages

Tips

  • Request only the scopes you need (gmail.readonly is usually sufficient for monitoring)
  • Use Gmail's powerful search syntax in the q parameter: 'from:boss@company.com is:unread'
  • Store OAuth refresh tokens securely and implement automatic token refresh in your skill

Known Issues & Gotchas

  • OAuth setup requires a Google Cloud project and consent screen — not a quick 5-minute job
  • Token refresh must be handled or the integration will silently stop working
  • Google's verification process is strict for apps requesting sensitive Gmail scopes

Frequently Asked Questions

How hard is it to set up Gmail API with OpenClaw?

You need to create a Google Cloud project, enable the Gmail API, set up OAuth credentials, and complete the consent flow. It takes 15-30 minutes but only needs to be done once. Token refresh is handled automatically.

Can my OpenClaw agent send emails through Gmail?

Yes, with the gmail.send scope. Your agent can compose and send emails programmatically. Be careful with this — always confirm with the user before sending.

Is there a simpler alternative for just reading emails?

IMAP is simpler to set up but less powerful. For OpenClaw, the Gmail API is preferred because it supports search queries, labels, and structured data without parsing raw email.