Developer Guide

OpenClaw + Gmail Setup

Let OpenClaw read/search the inbox for harrisreynolds@nimblelabs.com and (optionally) receive "new email" events.

Security Note

This uses Google OAuth. You do not share a Gmail password. Access can be revoked anytime in Google Account settings.

Prerequisites

Install the following dependencies before proceeding:

  • gcloud — Google Cloud SDK
  • gog — gogcli
  • openclaw — installed and the Gateway running

Step-by-Step Setup

1

Authenticate gcloud

Authenticate with the Google account that owns the Cloud project (e.g. harris@nimblelabs.com):

gcloud auth login
2

Select or Create a Google Cloud Project

This is the project where you'll create the OAuth Client ID and enable the Gmail API.

Project ID: open-claw-automation-486315

Project number: 852422026233

(Project number and project id are different.)

Option A — use an existing project:

gcloud projects list
# pick a PROJECT_ID from the list
gcloud config set project open-claw-automation-486315

Option B — create a new project:

# choose a globally-unique id
gcloud projects create nimblelabs-partnerships

gcloud config set project nimblelabs-partnerships

If you hit billing/permission errors, you may need to attach billing in the Cloud Console: Billing → Link a billing account.

3

Enable the Gmail API

Enable the Gmail API for that project:

gcloud services enable gmail.googleapis.com

Or via console: Google Cloud Console → APIs & Services → Library → "Gmail API" → Enable.

4

Create an OAuth Client ID

Create an OAuth Client ID (for gog) in the same project:

  • • Google Cloud Console → APIs & Services → Credentials
  • • Create Credentials → OAuth client ID
  • • Application type: Desktop app
  • • Download the JSON (it will look like client_secret_...apps.googleusercontent.com.json)

If prompted to configure the OAuth consent screen: "Internal" is best for Workspace (if available). Otherwise "External" works but may require extra steps.

5

Point gogcli at the OAuth client JSON

gog auth credentials /path/to/client_secret_XXXX.json

gog stores it at: ~/Library/Application Support/gogcli/credentials.json

6

Authorize the Gmail inbox account

This stores a refresh token for harrisreynolds@nimblelabs.com:

gog auth add harrisreynolds@nimblelabs.com
gog auth list
7

Sanity check Gmail access

Count inbox mail to verify access:

gog --account harrisreynolds@nimblelabs.com gmail labels get INBOX --json

You should see messagesTotal / messagesUnread.

8

Wire OpenClaw Gmail hooks

Recommended — enables "new email" wakeups:

openclaw webhooks gmail setup \
  --account harrisreynolds@nimblelabs.com \
  --project open-claw-automation-486315

This writes OpenClaw hook config and sets up the Gmail → Pub/Sub → webhook flow.

9

Run the Gmail watcher

If it's not auto-started by the Gateway:

openclaw webhooks gmail run

Common Errors

"GCP project id required"

Fix: pass --project open-claw-automation-486315 or run gcloud config set project open-claw-automation-486315.

"OAuth client credentials missing" (gog)

Fix: create/download the OAuth client JSON (Desktop app) and run gog auth credentials ....

"Gmail API has not been used in project … or it is disabled"

Fix: enable gmail.googleapis.com in that project, then wait a couple minutes and retry.

What This Enables

  • OpenClaw can check inbox counts, search mail, and confirm newsletter signups.
  • With hooks enabled, new emails can wake the agent so it can summarize/route messages quickly.

Last updated: 2026-02-11