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Install and Use the Google Workspace CLI (`gws`)

Install `gws`, authenticate with a Google account, and use Workspace API commands to list Drive files, inspect schemas, preview actions, and paginate results.
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Google Workspace CLI (`gws`) lets you call Workspace APIs from a terminal using commands such as gws drive files list. It builds commands dynamically from Google Discovery Service descriptions and returns structured JSON. The project is community-developed: its README states, “This is not an officially supported Google product,” and warns that it is under active development, so breaking changes may occur before version 1.0. [Project README]

What you need before installing

  • A Google account with access to Workspace.
  • A Google Cloud project to configure OAuth credentials.
  • For the npm installation route, Node.js 18 or newer.
  • For the automated credential setup route, the gcloud CLI.

You can install a prebuilt binary instead of using npm. The project also documents Cargo, Nix, and Homebrew installation options. Check the Releases page for current platform-specific artifacts and verification instructions; release versions and available assets can change.

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Install `gws`

Install with npm

With Node.js 18 or newer installed, run:

npm install -g @googleworkspace/cli

The project also documents installation with Cargo, Nix, and Homebrew. Follow the README instructions for the package manager you use.

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Use a prebuilt binary

If you prefer not to install through npm, download the artifact matching your operating system and processor architecture from the project’s Releases page. The release page includes checksum instructions and guidance for verifying GitHub artifact attestations.

Configure Google authentication

Automated setup with `gcloud`

The project’s quickest documented route uses Google Cloud’s CLI. Run:

gws auth setup

This setup flow automates Google Cloud project configuration and requires gcloud. After setup, authenticate interactively with:

gws auth login

Manual OAuth client setup

If you do not have gcloud, or want to configure OAuth yourself, the project README describes creating a desktop OAuth client in Google Cloud Console, adding your Google account as a test user, saving the client JSON, and then running gws auth login. Console labels and setup screens can change, so use the current Google Cloud Console flow alongside the README.

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In testing mode, the project says the OAuth app must include your account as a test user. Its README also warns that a testing-mode consent app has a roughly 25-scope limit, while the recommended preset includes more than 85 scopes and may fail for an unverified app. Select only the services you need—for example:

gws auth login -s drive,gmail,sheets

These scope figures and instructions are from the project README. If authentication reports that an API is not enabled or that a redirect URI does not match, consult the README’s troubleshooting guidance and verify the current settings in Google Cloud Console.

Headless and other credential options

The README also documents exporting credentials for headless environments, using service-account credentials, or providing an OAuth access token obtained elsewhere. For CI or a server, it documents the GOOGLE_WORKSPACE_CLI_CREDENTIALS_FILE environment variable. For interactive use, the project says credentials are encrypted at rest; where the encryption key is stored depends on the platform and configuration. Choose a credential method appropriate to the environment and the access your workflow requires.

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Make your first Workspace API request

After authentication, list up to five Drive files with this documented example:

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gws drive files list --params '{"pageSize": 5}'

The command follows a service, resource, and method pattern: here, drive is the service, files the resource, and list the method. The --params option accepts JSON request parameters, and results are returned as structured JSON.

Use --help to explore available commands and options. To inspect a method’s request and response schema, the README shows:

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gws schema drive.files.list

Preview changes and manage large results

Preview a request before running it

For commands that create, send, or modify data, review the request before executing it and confirm that the account has the required permissions. The project documents --dry-run for previewing a request, including for a Chat message creation example. Use it to check the action and its parameters before allowing a change to proceed.

Fetch paginated results

For methods that return results across multiple pages, the project documents --page-all for automatic pagination. The default page limit is 10 pages; adjust it with --page-limit. The default delay between pages is 100 milliseconds and can be adjusted with --page-delay. The README also illustrates streaming paginated results as newline-delimited JSON.

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What you can do with the CLI

The README’s examples show the same command pattern applied to different Workspace services and tasks:

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  • List files in Drive with gws drive files list.
  • Create a spreadsheet.
  • Send a Chat message, with --dry-run available to preview the request.
  • Inspect a method’s request and response schema with gws schema.
  • Stream paginated results as newline-delimited JSON.
  • Upload a file.

The project says its dynamically generated commands cover Drive, Gmail, Calendar, Sheets, Docs, Chat, Admin, and other Workspace APIs. Exact methods and behavior depend on the relevant API and the permissions granted to your credentials. Consult the project README and method schema for the command you intend to use.

Support and version expectations

This is a community project, not an officially supported Google product, and its maintainers describe it as under active development. Breaking changes may occur before version 1.0. Check the release page for current downloads and release details rather than relying on an older version number.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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