A new Google Workspace CLI has been released. It provides a single interface to Drive, Gmail, Calendar, Sheets, Docs, Chat, Admin, and all other Google Workspace APIs. Written in Rust and licensed with Apache 2.0, the CLI is designed to accommodate both human operator and AI agent workflows, and comes with structured JSON output and over 100 bundled agent skills.
Unlike traditional CLI tools that ship with a static list of commands, gws It reads Google’s own Discovery service at runtime and dynamically builds the entire command surface. When Google adds or updates API endpoints, the CLI automatically picks up the changes without requiring a new release. The tool also includes a set of helper commands with the following prefixes: +for common workflows such as sending emails, prioritizing your inbox, and generating stand-up reports.
To get started, you need Node.js 18 or later (or pre-built binaries from GitHub Releases), a Google Cloud project for OAuth credentials, and a Google Account with Workspace access. Installation can be handled via npm, Homebrew, Cargo, or Nix.
npm install -g @googleworkspace/cli
Once the installation is complete, initial setup and authentication is handled by two commands.
gws auth setup
gws auth login
From there, interactions with Workspace services follow a consistent pattern. For example, listing recent Drive files can be done in one call.
gws drive files list --params '{"pageSize": 10}'
The agent skills ecosystem is a core service. Skills are packaged as follows SKILL.md It includes files covering all supported APIs, and the CLI also includes an MCP server option to connect to tools like Claude Code and Gemini CLI. Google Cloud Director Adi Osmani introduced the CLI as “built for humans and agents.” Since then, the repository has amassed over 26,500 stars on GitHub.
Community reaction has been mixed. On Hacker News, several users praised the dynamic command generation and widespread move to CLI-first tools.
One commenter said:
Enterprises are finally putting APIs in front of things that have required APIs for years.
Another warned:
This is not an officially supported Google product.
This is specified as a note in the GitHub Readme, which also includes a warning that the project is currently in development and breaking changes are expected.
A Hacker News user reported that he spent 45 minutes following the default setup flow, but hit the scope limit and encountered a validation error.
I encountered multiple errors and issues along the way, but I’m currently working on it
gws auth loginand trying to select the oAuth scope. Trust and select the defaultrecommendedI just get a warning that too many scopes may cause an error (so why is this the recommended setting??) and when I try to authenticate in the browser I get an error.
On Reddit, the reception was warmer. 1 user connected gws They hired Claude Code to have their agents read, summarize, and respond to emails, calling the experience “much easier” than their previous scripted approach. Microsoft 365’s community-driven CLI provides a parity surface for the Microsoft ecosystem. Currently version 11.7.0 supports SharePoint, Teams, Entra ID, and Power Platform. Unlike gwsships a static command set via npm rather than dynamically generating commands, but benefits from a mature plugin architecture and a simpler authentication flow.
Complete setup instructions, authentication options, and troubleshooting guides are available in the repository’s README.
