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What is MCP?

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that enables AI applications to securely access external tools and data sources. MCP servers expose capabilities as structured tools that any MCP-compatible client can discover and invoke. The gws mcp command starts an MCP server over stdio, exposing Google Workspace APIs as tools that AI clients (Claude Desktop, Gemini CLI, VS Code, etc.) can call directly.

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Starting the MCP Server

The gws mcp command accepts flags to control which services and tools are exposed: 
# Expose only Drive tools
gws mcp -s drive

# Expose multiple services
gws mcp -s drive,gmail,calendar

# Expose all services (many tools!)
gws mcp -s all

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Available Flags

FlagDescription
-s, --services <list>Comma-separated list of services to expose, or all
-w, --workflowsAlso expose workflow tools
-e, --helpersAlso expose helper tools

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Services Flag

The -s flag controls which Google Workspace services are exposed as tools. You can specify:
  • Individual services: drive, gmail, calendar, sheets, docs, slides, chat, tasks, people, admin, etc.
  • Multiple services: drive,gmail,calendar
  • All services: all

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Workflows and Helpers

By default, only core service methods are exposed. Use -w to include workflow tools (multi-step automation sequences) and -e to include helper tools (shortcuts for common operations): 
# Expose Drive + workflow tools
gws mcp -s drive -w

# Expose Gmail + helper tools
gws mcp -s gmail -e

# Expose Calendar with workflows and helpers
gws mcp -s calendar -w -e

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Client Configuration

MCP clients discover and connect to MCP servers via configuration files. Here’s how to configure the gws MCP server:

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Claude Desktop

Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (Windows): 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gws": {
      "command": "gws",
      "args": ["mcp", "-s", "drive,gmail,calendar"]
    }
  }
}

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Gemini CLI

Add to your Gemini CLI configuration: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gws": {
      "command": "gws",
      "args": ["mcp", "-s", "drive,gmail,calendar"]
    }
  }
}

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VS Code

If using an MCP extension for VS Code, add the server configuration according to the extension’s documentation.

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Tool Limit Considerations

Each Google Workspace service exposes roughly 10–80 tools depending on the API surface. Most MCP clients have a tool limit (typically 50–100 tools). Important: Keep your service list focused on what you actually need to stay under your client’s tool limit. 
# Lightweight (15-30 tools)
gws mcp -s drive,gmail

# Balanced (30-60 tools)
gws mcp -s drive,gmail,calendar

# Comprehensive (60-100 tools)
gws mcp -s drive,gmail,calendar,sheets,docs

# Maximum (100+ tools - may exceed client limits)
gws mcp -s all
If you exceed your client’s tool limit, the client may fail to load the server or only expose a subset of tools. Start with fewer services and add more as needed.

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Authentication

The MCP server inherits authentication from your gws CLI configuration. Make sure you’ve authenticated before starting the MCP server: 
# One-time setup
gws auth setup

# Or subsequent logins
gws auth login
See the Authentication guide for more details on auth workflows.

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Next Steps