Google Workspace CLI • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Workspace CLI

#61

Post by yakkomajuri » Thu, Mar 05, 2026, 3:07 AM UTC

For all people have to say about Pete the openclaw guy he's been perhaps one of the most vocal voices about CLIs > MCPs (or maybe his is just the loudest?) and he also built a GSuite CLI that probably inspired this project.

I mean it's great that we get this, hopefully it can continue to be maintained and I'd love to see a push for similar stuff for other products and at other companies.

Re: Google Workspace CLI

#62

Post by wonderfuly » Thu, Mar 05, 2026, 3:12 AM UTC

Why cli instead of just HTTP API doc? The agent can use curl or write code to send requests.

Re: Google Workspace CLI

#63

Post by Lord_Zero » Thu, Mar 05, 2026, 3:13 AM UTC

cobbal wrote: post #45

betaby wrote: post #26

I'm curious why `npm` is used to install a `rust` binary?

They're not doing so here, but shipping a wasm-compiled binary with npm that uses node's WASI API is a really easy way to ship a cross-platform CLI utility. Just needs ~20 lines of JS wrapping it to set up the args and file system.

Can you link to a sample of how I can do this?

Re: Google Workspace CLI

#64

Post by tomComb » Thu, Mar 05, 2026, 3:13 AM UTC

avaer wrote: post #21

Is this basically a CLI version of [1]? If so, I'm glad Google is being forward thinking about how developers actually want to use their apps. Better this than a Google dashboard, or slopped together third party libs. I know Google says they don't support it, but they'll probably support it better than someone outside of Google can support it. [1] https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2025/12/workspace-st...

I think it is unrelated.

Re: Google Workspace CLI

#65

Post by tfsh » Thu, Mar 05, 2026, 3:14 AM UTC

dotancohen wrote: post #12

Lermatroid wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s published by Google, they just don’t provide active “support” for it.

Can you show that the major contributors are employed by Google? I'm not arguing, I'm genuinely asking. Thank you.

https://github.com/googleworkspace -> in the about links is also verified as part of the Alphabet enterprise - https://github.com/enterprises/alphabet

Re: Google Workspace CLI

#66

Post by ceroxylon » Thu, Mar 05, 2026, 3:15 AM UTC

mmaunder wrote: post #57

Google really know how to screw up a product experience. npm install -g @googleworkspace/cli gws auth setup { "error": { "code": 400, "message": "gcloud CLI not found. Install it from https://cloud.google.com/sdk/docs/install ", "reason": "validationError" } } Which takes you to... https://docs.cloud.google.com/sdk/docs/install-sdk Where you have to download a tarball, extract it and run a shell script. I mean how ha…

The readme is AI generated, so I am assuming the lack of effort and hand-off to the bots extends to the rest of this repository.

The contributors are a Google DRE, 5 bots / automating services, and a dev in Canada.

Re: Google Workspace CLI

#67

Post by tomComb » Thu, Mar 05, 2026, 3:15 AM UTC

webXL wrote: post #55

iosjunkie wrote: post #28

Basically Google’s take on GAM https://github.com/GAM-team/GAM

gog too, which my openclaw agent always stubbornly wants to use instead of delegating to a subagent + custom calendar/imap proxy server I built. https://github.com/steipete/gogcli

This - gog - yes. But I think it is different than GAM which is an admin tool. reply

Re: Google Workspace CLI

#68

Post by hedora » Thu, Mar 05, 2026, 3:15 AM UTC

wonderfuly wrote: post #62

Why cli instead of just HTTP API doc? The agent can use curl or write code to send requests.

CLI is probably more reliable. Also, the ergonomics for the person setting up the machine for the AI are better. They can check to see if the command is working without screwing with curl. It's also possible a human might want to use the software / service they're paying for.

Re: Google Workspace CLI

#69

Post by boberoni » Thu, Mar 05, 2026, 3:16 AM UTC

wonderfuly wrote: post #62

Why cli instead of just HTTP API doc? The agent can use curl or write code to send requests.

A CLI runs on the client, so they can embed client-side functionality like telemetry or caching.

Re: Google Workspace CLI

#70

Post by lewisjoe » Thu, Mar 05, 2026, 3:17 AM UTC

How to expose my product suite's API to AI has been a roller coster ride. First it was tool calling hooks, then MCP, then later folks found out AI is better at coding so MCPs suddenly became code-mode, then people realized skills are better at context and eventually now Google has launched cli approach.

Remember this repo is not an agent. It's just a cli tool to operate over gsuite documents that happens to have an MCP command and a bunch of skills prebundled.

That's a new one. I guess the hope is agents are good at navigating cli and it also democratizes the ecosystem to be used by any agent as opposed to Microsoft (which only allows Copilot to work in its ecosystem)