OpenClaw + Gmail

Prerequisites

• OpenClaw running (see our deployment guide)
• A Google account (personal or Workspace)
• Access to Google Cloud Console

Step 1: Create a Google Cloud Project

1. Go to console.cloud.google.com
2. Click Select a project → New Project
3. Name it "OpenClaw" and click Create
4. Select your new project

Step 2: Enable Gmail API

1. Go to APIs & Services → Library
2. Search for "Gmail API"
3. Click Enable

Step 3: Configure OAuth Consent Screen

1. Go to APIs & Services → OAuth consent screen
2. Choose External (or Internal for Workspace)
3. Fill in required fields:
- App name: OpenClaw - User support email: your email - Developer contact: your email
4. Click Save and Continue
5. Add scopes:
- https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.send - https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.readonly - https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.modify (optional, for drafts/labels)
6. Click Save and Continue
7. Add yourself as a test user

Step 4: Create OAuth Credentials

1. Go to APIs & Services → Credentials
2. Click Create Credentials → OAuth client ID
3. Choose Web application
4. Add authorized redirect URI:
- http://localhost:3000/oauth/callback (local) - https://your-domain.com/oauth/callback (production)
5. Click Create
6. Copy Client ID and Client Secret

Configuration

Add the Gmail channel to your OpenClaw config:

# In your openclaw config
channels:
  gmail:
    enabled: true
    client_id: "YOUR_CLIENT_ID"
    client_secret: "YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET"
    redirect_uri: "https://your-domain.com/oauth/callback"

Or via environment variables in your docker-compose.yml:

environment:
  - GMAIL_ENABLED=true
  - GMAIL_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id
  - GMAIL_CLIENT_SECRET=your_client_secret
  - GMAIL_REDIRECT_URI=https://your-domain.com/oauth/callback

Step 5: Authorize Access

1. Restart OpenClaw: docker compose restart openclaw
2. Visit the OAuth URL in logs or OpenClaw UI
3. Sign in with Google
4. Grant the requested permissions
5. You'll be redirected back with a success message

Verification

Try asking OpenClaw to work with Gmail:

"Send an email to john@example.com with subject 'Meeting notes'"
"Search my inbox for emails from 'boss@company.com'"
"Show unread emails from today"
"Draft an email to the team about the project update"

Check logs for API calls:

docker compose logs -f openclaw | grep -i gmail

Common Issues

Access denied: Make sure you've completed the OAuth flow. The token is stored securely after authorization.

Token expired: Google tokens expire after a period. OpenClaw automatically refreshes tokens using the refresh token. Re-authorize if refresh fails.

Quota exceeded: Gmail API has daily quotas (1 billion quota units/day for most scopes). This is very high for personal use.

App in testing: While your app is in testing mode, only added test users can authorize. Publish the app for broader access.