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Google Workspace add-ons run inside supported Google apps, where they can show app-integrated cards and respond to supported events such as opening a Gmail message or selecting a Drive item. Their manifest describes configuration and host-specific behavior; triggers pass event context to functions that build the interface. What an add-on can do—and where it can run—depends on the host app.
What a Google Workspace add-on is
Google describes add-ons as applications that extend Workspace apps with integrated interfaces, task automation, data movement between Google apps, or connections to non-Google services. Workspace add-ons are distinct from Editor add-ons: the two types have different interface and trigger models. See Google’s add-ons overview and add-on types.
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How an add-on responds to an event
Configuration lives in a manifest
The add-on’s manifest defines its configuration, including appearance, user interface, authorization scopes, triggers, and app-specific behavior. Common settings and host-specific settings let an add-on declare how it should behave in supported Workspace apps. Google explains the structure in its manifest guide.
Triggers provide context to callbacks
When a supported event occurs, the host supplies an event object with information about the event and its context. A trigger invokes the corresponding function, which uses that information to decide what to display or do. The trigger types depend on the host: examples include a Gmail message or compose context and selecting an item in Drive. Workspace add-ons use the triggers declared for their model, not generic Apps Script simple or installable triggers. Editor add-ons have a separate trigger model. Google describes these distinctions in its trigger documentation.
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Callbacks return cards
The documented Workspace add-on interface is card-based. A trigger function returns one card or an array of cards; Apps Script developers can build those interfaces with the Card service. Google also documents Apps Script and HTTP approaches, so an add-on does not necessarily use the same implementation architecture as another. See Google’s build guide.
How the experience differs by host
| Host | Documented interface or context | Availability detail |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail | Homepage; contextual interface while reading or composing; can create message drafts in response to user actions. | Google documents Gmail add-ons on desktop and mobile. |
| Drive | Homepage; contextual interface based on selected Drive items. | Google’s Drive guide says add-ons do not yet extend Drive on mobile clients. |
| Docs | Confirmed as a Workspace add-on host; specific trigger and interaction details are not established here. | Not stated in the cited host-specific evidence. |
| Sheets | Confirmed as a Workspace add-on host; specific trigger and interaction details are not established here. | Not stated in the cited host-specific evidence. |
Gmail: message and compose contexts
In Gmail, an add-on can present a homepage or a contextual interface when a user reads or composes a message. It can also create a draft following a user action. For example, a message-context trigger runs when a message is opened with the add-on active, and its callback builds the card interface. Google documents these capabilities in its Gmail extension guide and message UI guide.
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Drive: selected-item context
Drive add-ons can provide a homepage or a contextual interface based on the items selected in Drive. Google’s Drive extension guide explicitly says Drive add-ons do not yet extend Drive on mobile clients.
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Google lists Docs and Sheets as Workspace add-on hosts, and manifests can contain host-specific configuration. The cited documentation does not establish their exact trigger types, interaction limits, or a reliable feature-by-feature comparison with each other or with Gmail and Drive. Treating their capabilities as identical to Gmail or Drive would go beyond what these sources confirm.
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Installation and authorization
Published add-ons can be installed from a relevant host app or from Google Workspace Marketplace. Domain administrators can also install add-ons on behalf of users. When someone first uses an add-on, the host presents an authorization card or dialog describing the requested access—for example, access to the current Sheet. If the user declines, the add-on cannot be used. See Google’s installation and authorization instructions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What building one involves
Google’s build process covers choosing host applications, setting up a project, configuring the add-on’s appearance and behavior, implementing card UI and trigger functions, checking OAuth scopes, testing, and publishing. The manifest, trigger code, and authorization scopes work together: the manifest declares supported behavior and access, while callbacks handle events and return the interface. The exact implementation depends on the approach and hosts chosen; Google documents both Apps Script and HTTP approaches in its build guide.
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