Set it up
-
Turn on Gmail in your AI
In Claude: open Settings → Connectors and add Gmail. In ChatGPT: Settings → Apps & Connectors.
-
Add it to your app once
Copy the short config below into your app. It just tells your AI where to find Gmail.
-
Just ask
Tell it what you want in plain words — no special commands.
For example, say
“Summarize my 10 most recent unread emails and flag anything that looks urgent”
Need the exact config? Show it +
Add to your client
{
"mcpServers": {
"gmail": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["@gongrzhe/server-gmail-autoauth-mcp"]
}
}
}Paste into your client's MCP configuration file.
Ready-to-run prompts
If you ask, Gmail does it. Copy one, paste it into Claude, Codex or ChatGPT, done. No setup.
Gmail Triage your inbox
If you ask
“Summarize my unread emails from the last 24 hours and flag anything urgent”
Then
Let AI scan your unread emails and summarize what actually needs your attention.
Gmail Draft a reply in context
If you ask
“Draft a polite reply to the latest email from recruiter@company.com declining the meeting but offering next Tuesday”
Then
Ask Claude to draft a reply that matches the thread's tone using the full conversation history.
Gmail Find an old email
If you ask
“Find the email from my accountant about Q2 taxes — it had a PDF attached”
Then
Find a specific email or thread from months ago using natural descriptions.
Good to know
- · One-time OAuth setup: create a Google Cloud project, enable the Gmail API, create an OAuth client ID (Desktop app), and download it as gcp-oauth.keys.json
- · Place gcp-oauth.keys.json in ~/.gmail-mcp/ then run `npx @gongrzhe/server-gmail-autoauth-mcp auth` once — it opens your browser to authorize and saves credentials to ~/.gmail-mcp/credentials.json
- · Send access is dangerous — emails go out under your name; review drafts before sending automated replies
- · Large inboxes can consume significant tokens when summarizing many threads at once
- · Upstream repo (GongRzhe/Gmail-MCP-Server) is archived; the npm package still installs and works but is no longer actively developed
When to use
- ✓ You want to triage your inbox by asking the AI to summarize or filter emails
- ✓ You need to draft replies based on context without copy-pasting
- ✓ You're searching across years of email history for specific threads
- ✓ You want to apply labels or archive messages in bulk through conversation
When not to use
- × You need to process email attachments with complex parsing (limited support)
- × You use Outlook, ProtonMail, or a non-Gmail provider
- × You need real-time push notifications for new emails
About
Imagine telling your AI: 'Draft a reply to the email from Sarah about the invoice' or 'Find all unread emails from my boss this week' — and it handles your inbox without you clicking around. This server connects your AI assistant to your Gmail account so it can read, search, write, and label messages on your behalf.
The Gmail MCP server connects AI assistants to your Gmail account via the Google API. Read emails, send messages, search your inbox, manage labels, and handle drafts — all through natural language.
Requires Google OAuth setup. Useful for email triage, drafting responses, and building AI email workflows.
Workflows That Use Gmail MCP
Replace 30 minutes of scrolling email and Slack with one written brief that tells you what actually needs you today.
Let Claude read the right channels, draft replies, and turn noise into one clear digest.
Works With
Also Consider
FAQ
What does Gmail MCP do? +
Imagine telling your AI: 'Draft a reply to the email from Sarah about the invoice' or 'Find all unread emails from my boss this week' — and it handles your inbox without you clicking around. This server connects your AI assistant to your Gmail account so it can read, search, write, and label messages on your behalf.
Do I need to know how to code? +
No. Turn it on in your AI's settings and ask in plain English — no terminal, no coding.
When should I use Gmail MCP? +
Reach for it when you need to: You want to triage your inbox by asking the AI to summarize or filter emails; You need to draft replies based on context without copy-pasting; You're searching across years of email history for specific threads; You want to apply labels or archive messages in bulk through conversation.
When should I avoid Gmail MCP? +
Skip it when: You need to process email attachments with complex parsing (limited support); You use Outlook, ProtonMail, or a non-Gmail provider; You need real-time push notifications for new emails.
How do I install Gmail MCP? +
In Claude Code, run: claude mcp add gmail -- npx @gongrzhe/server-gmail-autoauth-mcp. Copy-paste configs for Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Windsurf are at the top of this page.
