How to Connect OpenClaw to Gmail and Google Calendar
Connecting OpenClaw to Gmail and Google Calendar transforms your AI assistant into a powerful email and scheduling automation tool. This guide walks you through the complete setup: creating a Google Cloud project, configuring OAuth, enabling the necessary APIs, and setting up the OpenClaw Google adapter.
Why This Is Hard to Do Yourself
These are the common pitfalls that trip people up.
OAuth consent screen complexity
Google's OAuth setup has multiple verification steps, scopes, and approval processes that are easy to misconfigure
Credential management
Client IDs, client secrets, refresh tokens, and service account keys need to be stored securely and rotated properly
Gmail API quotas and limits
Gmail API has rate limits, quota restrictions, and batching requirements that aren't obvious until you hit them
Calendar timezone handling
Calendar events have complex timezone logic. All-day events, recurring events, and timezone conversions require careful handling
Step-by-Step Guide
Create a Google Cloud project
# 1. Go to https://console.cloud.google.com
# 2. Click "Select a project" → "New Project"
# 3. Name it "OpenClaw Integration"
# 4. Note your Project ID (you'll need it later)Enable Gmail and Calendar APIs
# In Google Cloud Console:
# 1. Navigate to "APIs & Services" → "Library"
# 2. Search for "Gmail API" and click "Enable"
# 3. Search for "Google Calendar API" and click "Enable"
# 4. Wait 2-3 minutes for APIs to fully activateConfigure OAuth consent screen
# In "APIs & Services" → "OAuth consent screen":
# 1. Choose "External" user type (unless using Google Workspace)
# 2. Fill in:
# - App name: OpenClaw
# - User support email: your-email@example.com
# - Developer contact: your-email@example.com
# 3. Add scopes:
# - https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.modify
# - https://www.googleapis.com/auth/calendar.events
# 4. Add test users (your Gmail address)
# 5. Save and continueWarning: Apps in "Testing" mode are limited to 100 users. For production use, you need to submit for Google verification, which can take weeks.
Create OAuth credentials
# In "APIs & Services" → "Credentials":
# 1. Click "Create Credentials" → "OAuth client ID"
# 2. Application type: "Desktop app"
# 3. Name: "OpenClaw Desktop Client"
# 4. Click "Create"
# 5. Download the JSON file (credentials.json)
# 6. Save it to: ~/.openclaw/credentials/google-credentials.jsonConfigure the OpenClaw Google adapter
# Create adapter config:
cat > ~/.openclaw/adapters/google/config.json << 'EOF'
{
"enabled": true,
"credentials_path": "~/.openclaw/credentials/google-credentials.json",
"token_path": "~/.openclaw/credentials/google-token.json",
"scopes": [
"https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.modify",
"https://www.googleapis.com/auth/calendar.events"
],
"auto_refresh": true
}
EOF
# Restart OpenClaw to load the adapter:
npm restartAuthorize OpenClaw to access your Google account
# In OpenClaw chat, trigger OAuth flow:
/connect google
# OpenClaw will:
# 1. Open browser with Google OAuth consent screen
# 2. Ask you to sign in and grant permissions
# 3. Save the refresh token to google-token.json
# Verify connection:
/google test-connectionWarning: The OAuth flow generates a refresh token that never expires. Store google-token.json securely and never commit it to version control.
Test Gmail and Calendar access
# Test Gmail reading:
/gmail list-messages limit:5
# Test Gmail sending:
/gmail send to:yourself@example.com subject:"Test" body:"Hello from OpenClaw"
# Test Calendar reading:
/calendar list-events days:7
# Test Calendar creation:
/calendar create-event title:"OpenClaw Test" start:"2025-02-01T14:00:00" duration:60Google API Integration Done Right
OAuth flows, token refresh, rate limiting, and error handling — Google API integrations have many moving parts. We build production-ready Gmail and Calendar integrations that handle edge cases and won't break.
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