# Google Workspace CLI — Command-Line Access to Drive, Gmail, Calendar and Sheets

> An official open-source CLI from Google that lets developers and power users interact with Google Workspace services (Drive, Gmail, Calendar, Sheets, and more) directly from the terminal.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# Google Workspace CLI — Command-Line Access to Drive, Gmail, Calendar and Sheets

## Quick Use
```bash
# Install via Homebrew
brew install google-workspace-cli

# Authenticate
gws auth login

# List Google Drive files
gws drive list

# Send an email
gws gmail send --to user@example.com --subject "Hello" --body "Hi there"
```

## Introduction
Google Workspace CLI (gws) is an official command-line tool that provides terminal access to Google Workspace services. It enables scripting, automation, and quick interactions with Drive, Gmail, Calendar, Sheets, and other Workspace products without opening a browser. The tool is designed for developers, sysadmins, and power users who prefer working from the command line.

## What Google Workspace CLI Does
- Manages Google Drive files: upload, download, list, search, and share
- Sends, reads, and searches Gmail messages from the terminal
- Creates, lists, and manages Google Calendar events
- Reads, writes, and queries Google Sheets data programmatically
- Supports scripting and piping for workflow automation

## Architecture Overview
The CLI is a compiled binary that communicates with Google Workspace APIs using OAuth 2.0 authentication. It stores credentials locally after the initial browser-based login flow. Each subcommand maps to a specific Workspace API endpoint, handling pagination, retries, and rate limiting transparently. Output formats include JSON, table, and CSV for easy integration with other command-line tools.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install the binary via Homebrew, apt, or direct download from GitHub releases
- Run `gws auth login` to complete OAuth authentication in a browser
- Set `GWS_DEFAULT_ACCOUNT` to switch between multiple Google accounts
- Configure output format globally with `gws config set output json`
- Use `--project` flag to scope operations to a specific Google Cloud project

## Key Features
- Unified CLI for Drive, Gmail, Calendar, Sheets, and other Workspace services
- JSON, table, and CSV output formats for scripting and data pipelines
- Batch operations for uploading or downloading multiple files at once
- Tab completion for Bash, Zsh, Fish, and PowerShell
- Cross-platform support for macOS, Linux, and Windows

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **gdrive** — community CLI for Google Drive only; gws covers the full Workspace suite
- **rclone** — multi-cloud file sync; gws provides deeper Workspace-specific features like Gmail and Calendar
- **Google Cloud CLI (gcloud)** — targets Google Cloud Platform infrastructure; gws targets Workspace productivity apps
- **GAM** — admin-focused Google Workspace CLI; gws targets end-user productivity workflows
- **mutt/neomutt** — terminal mail clients; gws provides native Gmail API integration with labels and threads

## FAQ
**Q: Does it work with personal Gmail accounts?**
A: Yes. It supports both personal Google accounts and Google Workspace organizational accounts.

**Q: Can I use it in CI/CD pipelines?**
A: Yes. Service account authentication is supported for headless environments.

**Q: Is my data stored locally?**
A: Only OAuth tokens are stored locally. All data operations go directly through Google's APIs.

**Q: Can I pipe output to other commands?**
A: Yes. Use `--output json` to produce structured output suitable for jq, awk, or other CLI tools.

## Sources
- https://github.com/googleworkspace/cli
- https://developers.google.com/workspace

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-4644e4a9
Author: Script Depot