Gmail Skill for Claude

Gmail Search Skill

Search and fetch emails via Gmail API with flexible query options and output formats.

Prerequisites

Credentials must be configured in ~/.gmail_credentials/. Run setup to check status:

python3 scripts/gmail_search.py setup

Obtaining Gmail API Credentials

1. Create Google Cloud Project

• Go to console.cloud.google.com
• Click project dropdown -> "New Project"
• Name it (e.g., "Gmail Agent Skill") -> Create

2. Enable Gmail API

• Navigate to "APIs & Services" -> "Library"
• Search for "Gmail API"
• Click it and press "Enable"

3. Configure OAuth Consent Screen

• Go to "OAuth consent screen" (left sidebar)
• Choose "External" user type
• Fill in required fields:
• App name: Gmail Agent Skill
• User support email: your email
• Developer email: your email
• Click "Save and Continue", skip Scopes
• On "Test users" page, add your Gmail address
• Complete all steps

4. Publish the Test App

Important: Without this step, you'll get "Error 403: access_denied".

• Go back to "OAuth consent screen"
• Under "Publishing status", click "Publish App"
• Confirm the dialog

This keeps the app in test mode (not production) but allows your test users to authenticate. You'll see an "unverified app" warning during login - click "Advanced" -> "Go to Gmail Agent Skill (unsafe)" to proceed.

Note: Test tokens expire after 7 days. Production requires Google verification.

5. Create OAuth Credentials

• Go to "Credentials" (left sidebar)
• Click "Create Credentials" -> "OAuth client ID"
• Select "Desktop app" as application type
• Name it (e.g., "Gmail Agent Client")
• Click "Create"

6. Get Your Credentials

• Client ID will be displayed - copy it
• Client Secret: Click the download icon or view details to get the secret

7. Save Credentials

Create ~/.gmail_credentials/credentials.json:

{
  "installed": {
    "client_id": "YOUR_CLIENT_ID",
    "client_secret": "YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET",
    "auth_uri": "https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/auth",
    "token_uri": "https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token",
    "redirect_uris": ["http://localhost"]
  }
}

8. Authenticate

python3 scripts/gmail_search.py auth

This opens a browser. Click through the "unverified app" warning ("Advanced" -> "Go to Gmail Agent Skill"), approve access, and you're ready.

Quick Start

# Check setup status
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py setup

# Authenticate (opens browser)
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py auth

# Search emails
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search "meeting notes"

# Search with filters
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search --from "[email protected]" --unread

Commands

Setup

Check configuration status:

python3 scripts/gmail_search.py setup
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py setup --json

Authenticate

Authenticate with Gmail (opens browser for OAuth):

python3 scripts/gmail_search.py auth

Scope

View or change API permission scope:

# View current scope
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py scope

# Change scope (requires re-auth)
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py scope --set readonly
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py scope --set modify
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py scope --set full

Available scopes:

• readonly - Read emails only (default, recommended)
• modify - Read + modify labels, mark read/unread
• full - Full access including delete

Search

Search emails with free-text query or filters:

# Free-text search (uses Gmail search syntax)
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search "project deadline"
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search "from:[email protected] subject:invoice"

# Using helper flags
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search --from "[email protected]"
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search --to "[email protected]"
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search --subject "Weekly Report"
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search --label "INBOX"
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search --label "work"

# Date filters (YYYY/MM/DD format)
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search --after 2024/01/01
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search --before 2024/12/31
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search --after 2024/01/01 --before 2024/06/30

# Status filters
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search --unread
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search --starred
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search --has-attachment

# Combined filters
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search "invoice" --from "billing@" --has-attachment --after 2024/01/01

# Limit results
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search "meeting" --limit 50

# Include full body (default shows snippet only)
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search "contract" --full

# Include attachment info
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search --has-attachment --attachments

# JSON output
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py search "project" --json

Download Attachments

Download attachments from a specific message:

# Download to default location (~/Downloads/gmail_attachments/)
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py download MESSAGE_ID

# Download to custom directory
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py download MESSAGE_ID --output /path/to/folder

# JSON output
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py download MESSAGE_ID --json

Get message ID from search results (shown in output).

Labels

List all available Gmail labels:

python3 scripts/gmail_search.py labels
python3 scripts/gmail_search.py labels --json

Output Formats

Markdown (default)

# Gmail Search Results (3 messages)

## Weekly Report
**From:** [email protected]
**To:** [email protected]
**Date:** Mon, 25 Nov 2024 10:00:00 +0000
**ID:** `18abc123def`

> Here's the weekly report summary...

---

JSON

Add --json flag for structured output:

[
  {
    "id": "18abc123def",
    "thread_id": "18abc123def",
    "from": "[email protected]",
    "to": "[email protected]",
    "subject": "Weekly Report",
    "date": "Mon, 25 Nov 2024 10:00:00 +0000",
    "snippet": "Here's the weekly report summary...",
    "labels": ["INBOX", "UNREAD"]
  }
]

Gmail Search Syntax

The skill supports Gmail's native search syntax in free-text queries:

| Operator | Example | Description |

|----------|---------|-------------|

| from: | from:[email protected] | From specific sender |

| to: | to:[email protected] | To specific recipient |

| subject: | subject:meeting | In subject line |

| label: | label:work | Has specific label |

| has:attachment | has:attachment | Has attachments |

| filename: | filename:pdf | Attachment filename |

| is:unread | is:unread | Unread messages |

| is:starred | is:starred | Starred messages |

| after: | after:2024/01/01 | After date |

| before: | before:2024/12/31 | Before date |

| newer_than: | newer_than:7d | Within last N days |

| older_than: | older_than:1m | Older than N months |

| in: | in:inbox | In specific folder |

| OR | from:john OR from:jane | Either condition |

| - | -label:spam | Exclude |

| "" | "exact phrase" | Exact match |

Example User Requests

| User says | Command |

|-----------|---------|

| "Search Gmail for meeting notes" | search "meeting notes" |

| "Find emails from John" | search --from "john" |

| "Show unread emails" | search --unread |

| "Emails about the project from last month" | search "project" --after 2024/10/01 |

| "Invoices with attachments" | search "invoice" --has-attachment |

| "Read the full email about contract" | search "contract" --full --limit 1 |

| "Download attachments from that email" | download MESSAGE_ID |

| "What labels do I have?" | labels |

| "Starred emails from boss" | search --from "boss" --starred |

| "Is Gmail configured?" | setup |

Dependencies

pip install google-api-python-client google-auth-httplib2 google-auth-oauthlib

Files

• ~/.gmail_credentials/credentials.json - OAuth client credentials
• ~/.gmail_credentials/token.pickle - Cached auth token
• ~/.gmail_credentials/scope.txt - Current scope setting