Connect Claude to Gmail

Official Integration

The Gmail MCP integration lets Claude access your inbox - reading emails, searching your history, and helping you draft responses. Stop copy-pasting email content into Claude. Just ask Claude to read the thread and help you respond.

What You Can Do

Search Emails

Find emails by sender, subject, date, or content. Locate that important message instantly.

Read & Summarize

Claude reads email threads and summarizes key points, action items, and decisions.

Draft Responses

Get AI-drafted replies that match your tone and address all points in the original email.

Triage Your Inbox

Categorize unread emails by urgency and type. Know what needs attention first.

Example Commands

Basic

"Show me my unread emails"
"Find emails from john@company.com"
"Search for emails about the Q3 budget"

Intermediate

"Summarize the email thread with Sarah about the product launch"
"What emails do I have that need a response today?"
"Find all emails with attachments from this week"

Advanced

"Read my unread emails and categorize them as: urgent, needs response, FYI, or can wait"
"Draft a reply to the latest email from my boss - keep it professional and address all their questions"
"Find all emails where someone requested something from me this week and list the commitments I need to fulfill"

Setup Guide

Prerequisites

Claude Desktop Google Account ~10 Minutes

Install the Gmail MCP server
Add configuration to Claude Desktop
Authorize your Google account
Grant Gmail read/compose permissions
Test with a simple inbox search

Add this to your configuration file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gmail": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@anthropic/mcp-server-gmail"]
    }
  }
}

Note: You'll be prompted to sign into Google and grant permissions. You can choose read-only access if you don't want Claude to send emails.

View Complete Setup Instructions →

Security & Privacy

Important: Email often contains sensitive information. Consider starting with a secondary email account until you're comfortable with MCP security.

Claude only accesses emails when you ask. Your emails are processed locally, not stored. You control whether Claude can send or just read.

Read our complete Security Guide →

Best Use Cases

Solopreneurs

Triage emails faster
Draft responses quickly
Never miss follow-ups

Solopreneur Guide →

Busy Pros

Summarize long threads
Catch up after vacation
Extract action items

Team Guide →

Sales

Track communications
Draft outreach
Find past conversations

Team Guide →

Workflows Using Gmail

Email Automation Workflows — Master your inbox.
Automate Notion, Gmail & Slack — The productivity trifecta.
Client Follow-Up Tracker: Never let emails fall through the cracks.

See all workflow examples →

Works Well With

FAQ

Can Claude send emails on my behalf?▼

If you grant send permissions, yes. You can also configure read-only access if you prefer to send manually.

Does Claude read ALL my emails automatically?▼

No. Claude only reads emails when you explicitly ask. It doesn't continuously monitor your inbox.

What about confidential or encrypted emails?▼

Claude can read any email you have access to. Use judgment about which threads to share. For highly sensitive content, consider not using the integration.

Can I use this with Google Workspace/business Gmail?▼

Yes, if your organization allows third-party app access. Some organizations restrict this - check with IT.

Ready to Connect Gmail?

Get our Quick Start Kit with email workflow templates and inbox automation examples.

Get the Free Kit