Gmail Integration

Supercharge Your Gmail with OpenClaw AI

Transform your Gmail inbox from overwhelming to organized. OpenClaw integrates with Gmail to summarize long threads, draft professional responses, intelligently categorize messages, find buried information, and automate email workflows. Spend less time managing email and more time on work that matters.

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How OpenClaw Gmail Integration Works

We Connect Your Gmail Account

We authenticate OpenClaw with your Gmail account through Google OAuth, configuring specific permissions for reading emails, sending messages, and managing labels. Your credentials are securely stored and you can revoke access anytime.

We Configure Access Scope

We define which email operations OpenClaw can perform - read-only monitoring, draft composition, send on your behalf, or full inbox management. We start conservative and expand permissions based on your needs.

We Set Up Automation Rules

We create rules for automatic email processing - summarizing newsletters, prioritizing messages from important contacts, drafting responses to common inquiries, and organizing emails into labels based on content and sender.

Start Chatting with Your AI

Ask OpenClaw about your emails through any connected interface. 'What urgent emails do I have?', 'Summarize the thread with John', 'Draft a response declining the meeting'. Email management becomes conversational.

Why Connect OpenClaw to {page.integration.name}

Intelligent Inbox Triage

Stop drowning in email. OpenClaw analyzes incoming messages and categorizes by urgency, topic, and required action. Get morning briefings of what needs attention. Important emails surface while noise fades to background.

Instant Thread Summaries

Long email threads condensed to key points in seconds. Understand 50-message discussions without reading every reply. Get the decisions, action items, and important updates extracted automatically.

AI-Drafted Responses

Generate professional email responses with a simple prompt. 'Politely decline' or 'accept and suggest Friday' turns into well-crafted messages in your voice. Review, edit, and send - or let OpenClaw send directly.

Natural Language Search

Find emails using natural questions instead of complex search operators. 'Find the contract John sent last month' or 'Show emails about the Chicago project' - OpenClaw understands context and finds what you need.

Automated Organization

Emails automatically labeled, starred, and archived based on intelligent rules. Newsletters to one folder, receipts to another, important client emails starred. Your inbox stays organized without manual effort.

Email Analytics

Understand your email patterns. Who emails you most? What time are you most responsive? Which threads consume the most time? Insights help you optimize communication and set better boundaries.

Setup Guide

Create Google Cloud Project

Set up a Google Cloud project to host your Gmail API credentials. This is where you'll configure OAuth consent and generate the credentials OpenClaw needs to access Gmail.

# 1. Go to Google Cloud Console
#    https://console.cloud.google.com

# 2. Create new project
#    - Click project dropdown > New Project
#    - Name: OpenClaw Gmail Integration
#    - Create

# 3. Enable Gmail API
#    - APIs & Services > Library
#    - Search 'Gmail API'
#    - Click Enable

# 4. Configure OAuth Consent Screen
#    - APIs & Services > OAuth consent screen
#    - User Type: External (or Internal for Workspace)
#    - Fill app information
#    - Add scopes (see next step)
#    - Add test users (your email)

Configure OAuth Scopes

Select the Gmail API scopes that OpenClaw will request. Start with minimal scopes and expand as needed. Each scope grants specific capabilities.

# Gmail API Scopes:

# Read-only access (safest start):
# https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.readonly
#   - Read messages and settings
#   - Cannot modify anything

# Compose and send:
# https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.send
#   - Send email on behalf of user
#   - Cannot read existing emails

# Modify labels and messages:
# https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.modify
#   - Read, send, and modify messages
#   - Cannot delete permanently

# Full access (use carefully):
# https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.compose
# https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.labels
# https://mail.google.com/
#   - Complete email control

# For most use cases, use:
# gmail.readonly + gmail.send + gmail.modify

Create OAuth Credentials

Generate OAuth 2.0 credentials that OpenClaw will use to authenticate with Gmail. You'll get a client ID and client secret.

# In Google Cloud Console:
# APIs & Services > Credentials

# 1. Create Credentials > OAuth client ID

# 2. Application type: Web application
#    (or Desktop app for local-only use)

# 3. Name: OpenClaw Gmail Client

# 4. Authorized redirect URIs:
#    https://yourdomain.com/auth/google/callback
#    http://localhost:3000/auth/google/callback (for dev)

# 5. Create

# 6. Download JSON or copy:
#    - Client ID
#    - Client Secret

# Keep these secure!

Install Gmail Bridge Module

Add the Gmail bridge to your OpenClaw installation. The bridge handles OAuth flows, API communication, and email processing.

# Using OpenClaw CLI
openclaw install gmail-bridge

# Or manual installation
cd /path/to/openclaw
npm install @openclaw/gmail-bridge

# This installs Google API packages
npm install googleapis google-auth-library

# Verify installation
openclaw plugins list | grep gmail

Configure Gmail Connection

Create your Gmail configuration file with OAuth credentials and processing settings. Define how OpenClaw interacts with your Gmail account.

# config/gmail.yaml
gmail:
  enabled: true
  
  # OAuth credentials
  client_id: "YOUR_CLIENT_ID.apps.googleusercontent.com"
  client_secret: "YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET"
  redirect_uri: "https://yourdomain.com/auth/google/callback"
  
  # Scopes to request
  scopes:
    - "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.readonly"
    - "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.send"
    - "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.modify"
  
  # Token storage
  token_store:
    type: "file"  # or 'database', 'redis'
    path: "./data/gmail-tokens.json"
  
  # Sync settings
  sync:
    enabled: true
    interval_minutes: 5
    history_days: 30  # How far back to sync

Authenticate Your Account

Complete the OAuth flow to authorize OpenClaw to access your Gmail. This generates access and refresh tokens for ongoing access.

# Start OAuth flow
openclaw gmail auth

# This will:
# 1. Open browser to Google sign-in
# 2. You select your Gmail account
# 3. Review and grant permissions
# 4. Redirect back with auth code
# 5. Exchange code for tokens
# 6. Store tokens securely

# Verify connection
openclaw gmail status

# Expected output:
# Gmail Connection: Active
# Account: your.email@gmail.com
# Scopes: gmail.readonly, gmail.send, gmail.modify
# Token expires: [date] (auto-refresh enabled)

Configure Email Processing Rules

Set up rules for how OpenClaw processes and categorizes emails. Define automation triggers and AI processing preferences.

# config/gmail-processing.yaml
processing:
  # Automatic summarization
  summarize:
    newsletters: true
    long_threads: true  # >10 messages
    weekly_digests: true
  
  # Priority detection
  priority:
    vip_contacts:
      - "boss@company.com"
      - "*@important-client.com"
    keywords_urgent:
      - "urgent"
      - "ASAP"
      - "deadline"
  
  # Auto-labeling
  labeling:
    enabled: true
    labels:
      - name: "AI/Newsletters"
        condition: "from:*newsletter* OR from:*digest*"
      - name: "AI/Receipts"
        condition: "subject:receipt OR subject:confirmation"
      - name: "AI/Action Required"
        condition: "ai_detected_action_item"
  
  # Draft suggestions
  drafts:
    suggest_responses: true
    auto_draft_simple: false  # Require confirmation

Test and Deploy

Test the Gmail integration by performing various email operations. Verify read, write, and processing functions work correctly.

# Test basic operations
openclaw gmail test

# Test specific functions
openclaw gmail test --read
openclaw gmail test --send-draft
openclaw gmail test --labels

# Try natural language queries
openclaw ask "What emails did I receive today?"
openclaw ask "Summarize my unread messages"
openclaw ask "Draft a response to the last email from John"

# Start background processing
openclaw gmail start

# View logs
openclaw logs gmail --follow

What You Can Do

Morning Email Briefing

Start each day with an AI-generated summary of overnight emails. Know what's urgent, what can wait, and what needs no action - all before opening your inbox. Configure briefings delivered to your preferred channel.

Meeting Follow-Up Automation

After calendar events, OpenClaw monitors for follow-up emails and can draft responses. 'Draft a thank you to everyone from today's client meeting' generates personalized messages ready for review.

Customer Inquiry Triage

For businesses receiving customer emails, automatically categorize by type (sales, support, billing), urgency, and sentiment. Route to appropriate team members or draft initial responses for review.

Newsletter Digestion

Subscribe to many newsletters but rarely read them? OpenClaw summarizes each newsletter into key takeaways. Get the value without the time investment. Unsubscribe suggestions for consistently skipped content.

Email Search Assistant

Find that email from months ago with natural language. 'Find the PDF that Sarah sent about the Q3 budget' works better than complex search operators. OpenClaw understands context and intent.

Response Time Management

Track which emails are waiting for your response and for how long. Get nudges for emails that have been pending too long. Maintain professional responsiveness without constant inbox checking.

Email Analytics Dashboard

Understand your email patterns - volume by sender, response times, busiest hours, most time-consuming threads. Use insights to set boundaries and optimize communication.

Language Translation

Receive emails in foreign languages? OpenClaw translates incoming messages and helps draft responses in the sender's language. Communicate globally without language barriers.

Attachment Management

Track attachments across emails. 'Show all spreadsheets John has sent me' aggregates files. Automatic saving of important attachments to cloud storage with intelligent naming.

Known Limitations

OAuth tokens expire - refresh tokens handle this but initial auth requires browser interaction
Google's API quotas apply - 250 quota units per user per second, 1 billion units per day
Reading email content requires appropriate scopes - readonly is separate from send
Cannot access emails from before the integration without full sync
Draft quality depends on available context - better with more email history
Some Gmail features (Confidential Mode emails) have restricted API access
Workspace administrators may restrict API access for organizational accounts
Large attachments have size limits through the API
Real-time push notifications require Pub/Sub setup - polling has slight delays
Sending limits apply - Gmail restricts messages to prevent spam
Our team can help you work around these limitations with custom configurations

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my email data secure with this integration?

Yes, with proper setup. OpenClaw uses OAuth 2.0 - your Gmail password is never shared. You grant specific permissions that can be revoked anytime in your Google account settings. For self-hosted OpenClaw, emails are processed on your infrastructure. For cloud-hosted, review the provider's security practices. Consider using readonly scope initially to limit exposure.

Will this work with Google Workspace accounts?

Yes, but your Workspace administrator may need to approve the OAuth app. Admins can restrict which third-party apps can access organizational data. For organization-wide deployment, you may need to request domain-wide delegation or have the app added to the approved apps list. Contact your IT admin for Workspace-specific requirements.

How much of my email history can OpenClaw access?

Technically, all of it - the Gmail API provides access to your full mailbox. However, you configure how much to sync in your settings. Start with 30 days and expand if needed. Full history sync enables better search and context but takes longer and uses more storage. The choice is yours based on your use case.

Can OpenClaw send emails automatically without my approval?

Only if you configure it to. By default, OpenClaw drafts emails for your review. You can enable auto-sending for specific scenarios (like auto-replies to certain senders), but this requires explicit configuration. The gmail.send scope allows sending, but the actual behavior is controlled by your rules. Start with draft-only mode.

What happens to my emails if I revoke access?

Your Gmail is unaffected - revoking access just removes OpenClaw's ability to read or modify emails. Any local copies or summaries OpenClaw created remain in your OpenClaw data store until you delete them. Revoke access anytime at https://myaccount.google.com/permissions. Your emails stay safe in Gmail regardless.

How does the AI draft emails in my voice?

OpenClaw learns your writing style from emails you've sent. It analyzes vocabulary, tone, signature style, and typical phrases. Draft quality improves with more email history. You can also provide explicit style guidelines. Always review drafts before sending - the AI provides a starting point, not final copy.

Can I use this with multiple Gmail accounts?

Yes, authenticate each account separately and configure which account to use for different operations. OpenClaw can monitor multiple inboxes and send from different accounts. Useful for managing personal and work email, or handling shared inboxes. Each account needs its own OAuth authorization.

What about Gmail's sending limits?

Gmail limits sending to prevent spam: 500 recipients per day for regular Gmail, 2,000 for Workspace. OpenClaw respects these limits. For bulk email, use dedicated email marketing tools. OpenClaw is designed for individual productivity and reasonable business use, not mass mailing.

How do I handle email threads correctly?

OpenClaw understands Gmail's threading model. When you ask about a 'conversation' or 'thread', it retrieves all messages in that thread. Summarization works across entire threads. When drafting responses, OpenClaw maintains proper In-Reply-To headers so your response appears in the same thread.

Can OpenClaw access emails in Trash or Spam?

Yes, the API provides access to all labels including Trash and Spam if you have the appropriate scope. This can be useful for reviewing accidentally deleted emails or analyzing spam patterns. Configure your processing rules to include or exclude these folders based on your needs.

Ready to Transform Your Gmail Experience?

Let our team handle the integration. Book a free consultation and we'll connect OpenClaw to your Gmail so AI handles the tedium while you focus on what matters.

Book a Free Consultation