OpenClaw Gmail Integration: Email Triggers and Automation Setup

Email is still the backbone of business communication, and connecting OpenClaw to Gmail lets you automate the repetitive parts — triaging your inbox, drafting replies, summarizing threads, and creating tasks from incoming messages — all through your messaging channel.

This guide covers the complete Gmail API setup, including Google Cloud project creation, OAuth configuration, and security best practices for email automation.

What Does the OpenClaw Gmail Integration Do?

• Inbox summary — "What important emails did I get today?" summarized and prioritized
• Draft replies — "Draft a reply to Sarah's email accepting the meeting"
• Email search — "Find the invoice from Acme Corp last month"
• Label management — auto-label incoming emails based on content and sender
• Email-to-task — new emails from specific senders create tasks in your project management tool
• Scheduled digests — morning and evening email summaries sent to your messaging channel

What Do You Need Before Starting?

• A running OpenClaw instance
• A Google account (dedicated account recommended)
• A Google Cloud project with the Gmail API enabled
• OAuth 2.0 credentials (client ID and secret)

How Do You Connect OpenClaw to Gmail?

Step 1 — Create a Google Cloud project

Go to console.cloud.google.com, create a new project, and enable the Gmail API under APIs & Services.

Step 2 — Configure OAuth consent screen

Under APIs & Services → OAuth consent screen, select "External" user type. Fill in the app name ("OpenClaw Gmail") and your email. Add the scope: https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.modify. For production, you will need to verify the app. For personal use, add your email as a test user.

Step 3 — Create OAuth credentials

Go to Credentials → Create Credentials → OAuth client ID. Select "Desktop app" as the application type. Download the credentials.json file.

Step 4 — Authorize OpenClaw

openclaw auth gmail --credentials /path/to/credentials.json

This opens a browser for Google OAuth. Sign in with the Gmail account you want to connect, approve the permissions, and OpenClaw stores the refresh token locally.

Step 5 — Configure OpenClaw

tools:
  gmail:
    enabled: true
    credentials_path: "/path/to/credentials.json"
    token_path: "/path/to/token.json"
    default_mode: "draft"       # "draft" or "send"
    check_interval: 60          # seconds between inbox checks
    labels_to_watch:
      - "INBOX"
    auto_label: true
    max_results: 20

Step 6 — Start and test

openclaw start

Message your bot: "Summarize my last 5 emails." OpenClaw should fetch and summarize your recent inbox.

What Can You Automate With OpenClaw and Gmail?

• Morning email briefing — automated summary of overnight emails with priority flags
• Draft assistant — "Draft a polite decline to the cold sales email from Vendor X"
• Follow-up reminders — "Remind me if Sarah hasn't replied to my proposal by Friday"
• CRM updates — new emails from contacts auto-update your CRM database in Notion
• Invoice processing — emails with invoice attachments get parsed, summarized, and logged
• Out-of-office management — intelligent auto-replies that provide actually useful information

How Do You Fix Common Gmail Issues?

• OAuth "access_denied" error: Your Google account must be added as a test user in the OAuth consent screen settings (if the app is not verified). Go to Google Cloud Console → OAuth consent screen → Test users.
• Token expired: Gmail refresh tokens are long-lived but can be revoked if you change your Google password or remove app access. Re-run openclaw auth gmail to reauthorize.
• Quota exceeded (429): The Gmail API has a daily limit of 250 quota units per user per second. Reduce your check_interval or batch operations to stay within limits.
• Emails not found: Gmail search uses the same operators as the Gmail web interface. Use labels, date ranges, and sender filters for accurate results.
• Drafts not appearing: Ensure the token has gmail.modify scope (not just gmail.readonly). Drafts require write access.

FAQ

Can OpenClaw send emails on my behalf?

Yes, but we recommend using draft mode by default. OpenClaw creates email drafts that you review before sending. You can enable auto-send for specific workflows (like auto-replies to support inquiries), but always test thoroughly before enabling automated sending.

Should I use my personal Gmail or a dedicated account?

Always use a dedicated Gmail account for OpenClaw. This limits what the bot can access, prevents accidental operations on personal emails, and provides a clean audit trail. Share specific labels or forwards from your main account as needed.

Does the Gmail integration support Google Workspace accounts?

Yes. The Gmail integration works with both personal Gmail accounts and Google Workspace (business) accounts. For Workspace, your admin may need to approve the OAuth app or whitelist it in the Google Admin Console.

How does OpenClaw handle email attachments?

OpenClaw can read and process email attachments including PDFs, documents, spreadsheets, and images. It can also attach files when creating drafts. Attachment processing uses your configured LLM's multimodal capabilities (or a document parser for non-image files).

*Last updated: March 2026. Published by the Remote OpenClaw team at remoteopenclaw.com.*