You can build an OpenClaw email assistant in three progressively more capable ways: connect a Gmail command-line skill, connect through IMAP/SMTP with a Google app password, or use Gmail Pub/Sub for near-real-time notifications. The safest build starts read-only, moves to creating drafts, and enables sending only after you have reviewed the assistant’s work over time.
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The setup details below reflect third-party guidance available on October 14, 2026. Google’s OAuth screens, Gmail scope names, and OpenClaw tool packaging can change, so verify each label and installation command in the current official OpenClaw and Google documentation before you authorize an account.
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What an OpenClaw email assistant actually does
An email assistant is an OpenClaw agent connected to a mailbox through one or more tools. Its useful jobs are narrow and concrete:
- Find unread or recent messages.
- Summarize a thread and identify the requested action, deadline, sender, and attachments.
- Apply triage rules, such as separating newsletters from messages that need a reply.
- Create a reply draft for your review.
- Send a message only when you deliberately grant sending permission.
- Notify you when new mail arrives, if you add an event-driven connection.
OpenClaw is the reasoning and automation layer; Gmail remains the mail system. The connection method determines what the agent can do, how quickly it notices a message, and what infrastructure must stay online. A read-only assistant can be useful without ever changing your mailbox. Sending and label changes are separate risk decisions, not automatic consequences of installing a connector.
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Choose the connection route before you configure anything
Current setup guides describe three routes. They are not interchangeable: each has a different security boundary and operating model.
| Route | Setup effort | Access pattern | Reaction time | Infrastructure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail CLI skill (gogcli through ClawHub) | Usually the easiest starting point; requires Google Cloud OAuth registration and account authorization. | Can be limited to Gmail scopes such as gmail.readonly, gmail.modify, and gmail.send. |
On demand or on a schedule. It does not inherently provide push notifications. | An OpenClaw instance that can run the CLI. An always-on host is needed for unattended checks. |
| IMAP/SMTP with an app password | Lightweight after Google account security is configured. | IMAP reads mail; SMTP sends mail. A normal Google account password is not accepted for these connections. | Polling or scheduled checks; no Gmail Pub/Sub event stream. | A host that can maintain the mail connection and run OpenClaw tasks. |
| Gmail Pub/Sub | Heaviest. Requires a billed Google Cloud project, the Pub/Sub API, an authorized CLI, and a public webhook endpoint. | Event notifications can trigger OpenClaw when Gmail reports new activity; mailbox permissions still come from the underlying Gmail authorization. | Near real time, subject to the notification and webhook path. | An always-available OpenClaw service plus a reachable public endpoint, for example one exposed through Tailscale. |
For a first build, use the CLI skill and request read-only access. IMAP/SMTP is a reasonable alternative when you specifically need standard mail protocols. Choose Pub/Sub only when polling is too slow or expensive and you are prepared to operate a public webhook and a continuously available service.
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Accounts and services
- An OpenClaw installation on a computer or server that can stay available for the tasks you want to automate.
- A Gmail account you are authorized to connect.
- For the CLI route, a Google Cloud project and permission to create OAuth credentials.
- For IMAP/SMTP, 2-Step Verification enabled on the Google account.
- For Pub/Sub, a Google Cloud project with billing enabled, the Pub/Sub API enabled, an authorized gogcli installation, and a public endpoint for webhooks.
Use a staged permission model
Do not begin by giving an agent every mailbox capability. Build in three stages:
- Read-only: let the assistant find and summarize messages. The relevant Gmail scope is
gmail.readonly. - Draft-only: permit draft creation while keeping sending disabled. Review the drafts in Gmail and correct the assistant’s instructions.
- Sending and mailbox changes: add
gmail.sendonly after you trust the draft quality, and addgmail.modifyonly when you need actions such as labels or archiving.
Request only the scopes required for the current stage. A connector that can read mail does not need send permission, and a drafting workflow does not need permission to archive or label messages.
Route 1: connect Gmail through the OpenClaw CLI skill
Many guides describe the Gmail CLI skill, commonly referred to as gogcli and installed through ClawHub, as the easiest route. Tool names are inconsistent: another guide calls the executable “gog.” Confirm the package name, executable name, and current OpenClaw skill instructions before installing anything.
1. Create OAuth credentials in Google Cloud
- Open Google Cloud Console and select or create the project that will own the integration.
- Go to APIs & Services → Credentials.
- Create an OAuth client ID.
- Choose Desktop app as the application type when that option is presented.
- Download the client JSON file and store it somewhere readable only by the account running OpenClaw.
The exact consent-screen sequence and scope descriptions can change. If Google asks you to configure an OAuth consent screen, complete the current required fields in the console rather than relying on an older screenshot or copied command.
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2. Register the client JSON with the CLI
Use the current gogcli documentation to register the downloaded JSON with the CLI. Do not assume that a command written for a package called “gog” works with “gogcli,” or vice versa; the guides explicitly report a naming and installation conflict. Keep the JSON out of shared chat logs, public repositories, and world-readable directories.
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3. Authorize the Gmail account
Run the CLI’s account-authorization flow and choose the Gmail account you want OpenClaw to use. At this point, select the smallest scope set that matches your staged plan. For the first pass, choose read-only access if the consent screen offers a scope choice.
On a desktop machine, authorization normally opens a browser. On a headless server, one described manual mode prints a URL that you open on another device. Complete the consent flow on that separate device, then return the resulting authorization to the server exactly as the current CLI instructions specify.
4. Test with a harmless read operation
Before involving OpenClaw automation, use the CLI to retrieve a small set of messages, such as today’s unread mail. Confirm that:
- The returned account is the intended Gmail account.
- Message subjects and bodies are readable without exposing unrelated mail.
- No labels, archives, replies, or sends occur during the test.
- The credential is stored under the expected operating-system account.
If the test fails, fix authorization and package issues before writing prompts or schedules. A reasoning prompt cannot compensate for a connector that is using the wrong account or lacks the required scope.
5. Attach the skill to OpenClaw
Configure OpenClaw to call the installed Gmail skill for read operations. Start with a task such as:
Summarize today's unread Gmail messages. For each thread, list the sender, subject, requested action, deadline if stated, and whether a reply appears necessary. Do not label, archive, draft, or send anything.The wording is intentionally restrictive. Tell the agent what it may do and what it must not do, and require it to identify uncertainty instead of guessing at a sender’s intent.
Route 2: use IMAP and SMTP with a Google app password
IMAP/SMTP is the lighter-weight alternative when you prefer conventional mail protocols. Google does not accept a normal account password for these connections. You must enable 2-Step Verification and then create a 16-character app-specific password for the OpenClaw connection.
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1. Enable 2-Step Verification
In the Google account security settings, turn on 2-Step Verification. The app-password option is tied to that security requirement; without it, the described IMAP/SMTP setup cannot be completed.
2. Generate the app password
- Open the account’s app-password management page after 2-Step Verification is active.
- Create a new app-specific password for the OpenClaw mail connection.
- Copy the generated 16-character value when it is shown.
- Store it in the secret store or protected environment used by OpenClaw; do not place it in a prompt, source repository, or public configuration file.
Treat this value like a credential dedicated to the integration. If you stop using the assistant or suspect exposure, revoke the app password rather than changing your everyday Google password and assuming the integration is invalidated.
3. Configure the two protocol roles
Use IMAP for reading and SMTP for sending. Keep the read and send behaviors conceptually separate in OpenClaw so that a summarization task cannot silently turn into a delivery task. The exact hostnames, ports, encryption settings, and configuration keys are not established by the available guidance; obtain those values from Google’s current Gmail documentation instead of copying an old tutorial.
4. Verify read, draft, and send independently
- Read one known test message and verify its account and content.
- Generate a draft or local reply representation without sending it.
- Only after review, perform a controlled send to an address you own.
SMTP access proves that a message can be submitted; it does not prove that your OpenClaw prompt will choose the right recipients, preserve attachments, or respect your approval policy. Keep human review between drafting and sending until those behaviors are well understood.
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Pub/Sub is for event-driven behavior, such as notifying OpenClaw shortly after a new message arrives. It is not a replacement for Gmail authorization: the service still needs an authorized mail tool to read the message and, if allowed, create a draft or send a reply.
Required components
- A Google Cloud project with billing enabled.
- The Pub/Sub API enabled in that project.
- gogcli installed and authorized for the Gmail account.
- A public endpoint that can receive webhook traffic. One guide gives Tailscale as an example way to expose such an endpoint.
- An OpenClaw process that remains available to receive the event and perform the follow-up task.
Build the event path
- Configure the Google Cloud project and enable Pub/Sub according to the current Google documentation.
- Authorize gogcli before attempting to connect event notifications to mailbox actions.
- Deploy an HTTPS-capable public endpoint that accepts the Pub/Sub delivery format and authenticates requests.
- Connect the notification to an OpenClaw handler that fetches the relevant Gmail data after an event arrives.
- Start with a handler that records or summarizes the message only. Add draft creation later, and sending last.
A notification is an instruction to check Gmail, not necessarily the complete message body. Your handler should fetch the current thread, cope with duplicate deliveries, and avoid sending twice if the same event is received more than once. The available guidance does not specify exact topic names, subscription commands, webhook payload fields, or retry settings, so use the current official Google and OpenClaw instructions for those implementation details.
Design the assistant’s behavior
Summaries that are useful instead of vague
Require a consistent output for every thread:
- Sender and participants.
- Subject and the latest-message date.
- A two- or three-sentence summary.
- Explicit requests, deadlines, and unresolved questions.
- Suggested priority: urgent, action needed, waiting, informational, or likely bulk mail.
- A statement of whether a reply is needed and why.
Tell the agent to quote short excerpts only when they clarify a decision, and to say “not stated” when a deadline or intent is absent. This prevents a polished summary from turning an implied date into a false commitment.
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Drafting rules
For draft-only operation, require the assistant to show the proposed recipient list, subject changes, body, and any assumptions before creating the draft. Instruct it not to add recipients from quoted text, signatures, or forwarded headers without explicit confirmation. Ask it to preserve the sender’s language and to flag requests involving payments, account access, legal commitments, or sensitive personal information for manual handling.
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Read the selected thread and prepare a reply draft. Do not send. State the intended recipient and any missing information first. Answer only the questions supported by the thread, preserve commitments that I explicitly made, and mark every assumption for review.Sending rules
When you eventually add gmail.send, use a separate task or explicit approval command rather than silently upgrading the drafting task. Require a final confirmation that includes the exact recipients, subject, and body. Keep automated sending limited to a clearly defined class of low-risk messages, if you enable it at all.
Scheduling, alerts, and always-on hosting
An OpenClaw instance must be running when a scheduled check or notification is supposed to execute. Third-party guides state that an always-on instance is needed to check mail on a schedule and send alerts while your computer is off. A laptop that is asleep or disconnected cannot perform those unattended jobs.
Polling schedule
For CLI or IMAP setups, choose a schedule that matches your need: a manual morning summary, periodic checks during work hours, or a less frequent digest. Begin with a manual run so you can inspect output and resource use before making it recurring. Include a time window and mailbox filter in the task so the assistant does not repeatedly process the same historical threads.
Event-driven operation
Pub/Sub can reduce the delay between arrival and processing, but it adds the public endpoint, billing, authentication, retry, and duplicate-event concerns described above. Use it when those operational costs are justified by your response-time requirement, not merely because push notifications sound more advanced.
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Security and privacy controls
- Least privilege: start with
gmail.readonly; addgmail.modifyfor labels or archiving only when needed; addgmail.sendlast. - Credential isolation: protect the OAuth client JSON, OAuth tokens, and app password with filesystem permissions or a secret manager.
- Account separation: if practical, use a mailbox or account dedicated to automation rather than exposing an entire personal inbox.
- Prompt boundaries: explicitly prohibit sending, deleting, archiving, labeling, or forwarding in read-only tasks.
- Human approval: review drafts before granting send access.
- Webhook protection: authenticate incoming Pub/Sub deliveries and do not expose an unauthenticated mail-processing endpoint.
- Auditability: retain enough task and approval history to determine which instruction caused a draft or send, without logging complete sensitive message bodies unnecessarily.
- Revocation: remove OAuth access or revoke the app password when the integration is retired or a credential may have leaked.
Troubleshooting by symptom
The installer or command is not found
Check whether the guide expects gogcli or a package named gog. The available guides use both names and report differing npm and Homebrew installation commands. Confirm the current package and executable in the official documentation; do not mix commands from separate guides.
OAuth opens on the wrong machine
On a headless server, use the CLI’s documented manual mode if available. It prints a URL that you can open on another device. Complete authorization for the intended account and return the result to the server according to the current instructions.
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Gmail refuses the requested access
Review the OAuth consent configuration, account choice, and requested scopes. Google’s consent labels and scope requirements change, so compare the current console screen with current Google documentation. Remove unnecessary scopes and retry with the smallest permission set.
IMAP or SMTP authentication fails
Do not retry your ordinary Google password. Confirm that 2-Step Verification is enabled and that the credential is the 16-character app-specific password created for this integration. If the app password was revoked, create a new one and update the protected secret used by OpenClaw.
Pub/Sub events arrive but no summary appears
Check the whole chain: the project is billed, the Pub/Sub API is enabled, gogcli is authorized, the public endpoint is reachable, and the OpenClaw process is running. Then inspect whether the handler treats the event as a signal to fetch Gmail rather than as the message content itself.
The assistant sends or changes mail unexpectedly
Immediately revoke sending or modification access, stop the scheduled task, and inspect the most recent prompt and authorization scopes. Rebuild from read-only mode, split reading, drafting, and sending into separate tasks, and require explicit approval before re-enabling any write capability.
A practical build sequence
- Install and verify the OpenClaw environment on the machine that will run the assistant.
- Choose the CLI route unless you have a specific reason to prefer IMAP/SMTP or Pub/Sub.
- Create the Google OAuth client as a Desktop app, download the JSON, and register it with the verified CLI package.
- Authorize one Gmail account with
gmail.readonly. - Run a manual unread-mail summary and check the account, content, and non-destructive behavior.
- Schedule the summary only after the manual output is reliable.
- Move to draft-only replies and review them in Gmail over multiple sessions.
- Add
gmail.modifyonly for a clearly defined labeling or archiving workflow. - Add
gmail.sendlast, with explicit recipient and body confirmation. - Consider Pub/Sub when scheduled polling cannot meet your response-time requirement and you can operate its always-on webhook infrastructure.
Which route should you use?
Use the Gmail CLI skill for the fastest path to a controlled assistant: it gives OpenClaw a focused interface and supports a read-only-first rollout. Use IMAP/SMTP when standard protocols and an app-password credential fit your environment better, accepting that the normal Google password will not work and that event-driven behavior is not included. Use Pub/Sub when near-real-time reactions matter enough to justify a billed cloud project, public endpoint, and continuously available service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I connect Gmail with my normal Google password?
No. The IMAP/SMTP route described here requires 2-Step Verification and a 16-character app-specific password. OAuth is used for the CLI route.
What is the safest first OpenClaw email task?
Authorize read-only access and ask for a summary of today’s unread messages. Add draft creation only after the read results are correct; enable sending last.
Do I need an always-on server?
Only for unattended schedules, alerts, or webhook handling. Third-party setup guides state that the OpenClaw instance must be running while those jobs execute, including when your computer is off.
Why do guides mention both gogcli and gog?
The available guides use different names and installation commands. Confirm the current package and executable in official OpenClaw documentation before installing or copying commands.
Is Gmail Pub/Sub required for an email assistant?
No. It is the event-driven option for faster reactions. A CLI or IMAP/SMTP setup can perform manual or scheduled checks without Pub/Sub.
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