Google Workspace MCP
Google Workspace MCP server: Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs and Sheets tools in one server.
Documentation
Google Workspace MCP is a free MCP server that gives your AI agent 16 tools across Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Google Docs, and Google Sheets. You ask in plain language, and the agent reads your inbox, checks your schedule, finds a file, or updates a spreadsheet without you leaving the editor. It runs on your machine as a VS Code extension and talks to your own Google account.
It works with eight agents: VS Code Copilot, Claude Code, Cursor, OpenAI Codex, Google Gemini, Windsurf, Continue.dev, and Cline. Install it, sign in once, and the extension registers itself with every agent it finds on your machine. There are no config files to edit by hand.
What you can ask
- “Show me my unread emails”
- “What meetings do I have today?”
- “Find the budget spreadsheet in my Drive”
- “Read the project proposal doc”
- “Append a row to my tracking sheet”
- “Draft a reply to the client and book a call for Thursday”
The last one is the point of having all five services in one server. The agent can find a file in Drive, read it with the Docs tool, and write a draft in Gmail about it, in a single request.
The 16 tools, by service
Each service has its read tools and one admin tool that groups the write actions. Each also has its own page with the full detail.
| Service | Read tools | What the admin tool adds | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | gmail_list, gmail_read, gmail_search, and gmail_send for sending | Drafts, labels, trash, read status | Gmail MCP |
| Calendar | calendar_list_events, calendar_get_event | Create, update, and delete events. List and create calendars | Google Calendar MCP |
| Drive | drive_list, drive_search | Folders, move, copy, rename, delete, sharing | Google Drive MCP |
| Docs | docs_read | Create, append, insert, find and replace, delete a range | Google Docs MCP |
| Sheets | sheets_read | Create, append rows, update cells, add and delete tabs, clear a range | Google Sheets MCP |
That is ten service tools, five admin tools, and a ping tool that checks the server is running.
Each service is also published as its own extension, for people who want one service and nothing else. Install Google Workspace MCP or the single-service ones, not both, because they register the same tools.
Destructive actions need explicit confirmation
Deleting a file, trashing an email, deleting an event, removing text from a document, and clearing a cell range all require confirm: true before they run. The agent is told this up front, so it has to ask you before it can do something you cannot easily undo. Reading never needs it.
Three ways to sign in
A setup wizard appears the first time you launch the extension and walks you through whichever method fits.
| Method | Best for | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| OAuth 2.0 (recommended) | Personal Gmail and Workspace accounts | A Google Cloud project with OAuth credentials |
| Application Default Credentials | Developers already using the gcloud CLI | One terminal command |
| Service account key | Workspace admins using domain-wide delegation | A JSON key file plus domain admin setup |
Set it up with OAuth
- Create a project in the Google Cloud Console, or pick one you already have.
- Under APIs and Services, enable the Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Google Docs, and Google Sheets APIs. Enable only the ones you plan to use if you prefer.
- Create an OAuth client ID of type Desktop app and copy the client ID and secret.
- If the consent screen is set to External, add yourself as a test user.
- Paste the client ID and secret into the wizard, then sign in to Google in the browser window that opens.
Which agents it registers with
| Agent | How it registers |
|---|---|
| VS Code Copilot | VS Code API, automatic |
| Claude Code | ~/.claude.json |
| Cursor | ~/.cursor/mcp.json |
| OpenAI Codex | ~/.codex/config.toml |
| Google Gemini | ~/.gemini/settings.json |
| Windsurf | ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json |
| Continue.dev | ~/.continue/config.yaml |
| Cline | VS Code global storage |
You can switch individual agents on or off in VS Code settings under gwsMcp.agents, and choose whether the registration is global or only for the current workspace.
How it compares with Google’s own Workspace MCP servers
Google now offers remote MCP servers for Workspace, one per product. They are in Developer Preview, so you need to join the Google Workspace Developer Preview Program, and you set them up through a Google Cloud project and the gcloud CLI.
| Google Workspace MCP (this extension) | Google’s Workspace MCP servers | |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Released, installs from the extension stores | Developer Preview |
| Where it runs | On your machine, one local server | Remote, one server per product |
| Products | Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets | Those five, plus Slides, Chat, Classroom, and People |
| Send email | Yes | Drafts only |
| Delete and trash | Yes, with confirmation | Calendar events only |
| Agent setup | Automatic for eight agents | You configure each MCP client |
Google’s list was read from its developer documentation on November 12, 2026, and a preview can change. If you need Slides, Chat, or Classroom, Google’s servers are the ones that have them.
Commands and troubleshooting
Open the Command Palette and type “Google Workspace MCP” to find the commands. The ones you will use:
- Setup Authentication runs the wizard again, for example after a credential expires.
- Show Status tells you the sign-in method and whether the server is running.
- View Server Logs opens the log when a tool call fails.
- Remove from All Agents cleans up every registration. Run it before you uninstall.
A “Permission denied” error almost always means the API for that service is not enabled in your Google Cloud project. If the status bar shows “GWS MCP: Setup”, the credentials are not configured yet, and clicking it starts the wizard.
Common questions
Is Google Workspace MCP free?
Yes. The extension is free and MIT licensed.
Does it need a paid Google Workspace account?
No. OAuth works with a free personal Google account as well as a Workspace account. Only the service account method needs a Workspace admin.
Is this Google’s official Workspace MCP server?
No. It is an independent extension that calls Google’s public APIs with your own sign-in.
Does it work with Claude Code and Cursor?
Yes. Both are registered automatically, along with Copilot and five other agents. It is a local server for coding agents, so it is not a connector for the Claude web app.
Do I have to enable all five services?
No. Enable the APIs you want. A tool for a service you did not enable returns a permission error and the rest keep working.
Where does my data go?
Nowhere except Google. The MCP server runs on your own machine and calls Google’s APIs with your credentials. There is no telemetry, and the sign-in token is kept in VS Code’s encrypted secret storage.
Use it without VS Code
Google Workspace MCP is also on npm, for Claude Code, Cursor, or any other MCP client. It needs Node.js 22 or newer.
npx -y @renzo.johnson/google-workspace-mcp
In Claude Code, one command adds it:
claude mcp add google-workspace-mcp -- npx -y @renzo.johnson/google-workspace-mcp
Outside VS Code there is no setup wizard, so the server takes your Google sign-in from the environment. It uses the first one it finds: an OAuth client ID, secret, and refresh token in GOOGLE_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID, GOOGLE_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET, and GOOGLE_OAUTH_REFRESH_TOKEN; a key file named in GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS; or the gcloud CLI’s Application Default Credentials. The npm package page has the config block for Claude Code and Cursor.
Install it
Google Workspace MCP is free and MIT licensed.
- Install from the VS Code Marketplace
- Install from Open VSX for VSCodium, Cursor, and Windsurf
- Run Google Workspace MCP from npm with npx, in any MCP client
Listed in the official MCP Registry as com.renzojohnson/google-workspace-mcp.
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