Google Workspace
Use this skill to route Google Workspace work before writing code or pasting API snippets. The key decision is usually which Workspace surface should own the job:
- Apps Script for Workspace-native automation close to Sheets / Docs / Forms / triggers / menus
- Direct REST API + client libraries for backend services, multi-system integrations, stronger deployment control, or language flexibility
- Admin SDK / admin-only APIs for users, groups, org units, directory data, or domain-wide governance tasks
When to use this skill
- Create or update Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive files/folders, Gmail messages, Calendar events, Forms, or Chat messages
- Design a Workspace automation flow such as Form → Sheet → Gmail / Calendar / Drive
- Decide between Apps Script and direct REST APIs
- Choose the right auth model: OAuth user flow, service account, or domain-wide delegation
- Review scopes, sharing model, quota/execution risk, or safety boundaries before implementation
- Handle Workspace admin tasks that ordinary Docs/Sheets/Gmail code should not absorb
Instructions
Step 1: Classify the request
Capture five things before touching any API:
- Primary product surface — Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, Gmail, Calendar, Forms, Chat, or Admin SDK
- Operation — create, read, update, search, share, send, schedule, export, batch update, administer
- Actor / identity — end user, service account, delegated admin, or Apps Script owner
- Execution home — inside Workspace UI/runtime, backend service, cron/batch worker, or mixed workflow
- Trigger / cadence — manual, form submit, scheduled, web request, bulk migration, admin event
If the user describes multiple Workspace apps, treat it as a workflow problem first, not a single-API problem.
Step 2: Choose the execution surface
Use Apps Script when
- the workflow is centered around Sheets / Docs / Forms / Gmail and should live inside Workspace
- you need triggers, custom menus, sidebars, or other Workspace-native scripting behavior
- a bound script is simpler than provisioning a separate backend
- JavaScript-in-Workspace ergonomics matter more than backend deployment control
Use direct REST APIs when
- the workflow lives in a backend, integration service, CLI, or batch job
- you need stronger control over deployment, testing, retries, or non-JS stacks
- the task spans Workspace plus external systems and should not depend on a bound script runtime
- Apps Script quotas or runtime limits are likely to be the bottleneck
Use Admin SDK / admin APIs when
- the job is about users, groups, org units, roles, or domain administration
- domain-wide delegated access is part of the task
- the request is clearly beyond ordinary content operations like Docs/Sheets editing
Use an external automation layer only as a route-out
- If the user really needs a no-code / cross-app orchestrator, mention tools like Zapier / Make / n8n as substitutes.
- Do not turn this skill into a generic no-code platform tutorial.
Step 3: Pick the auth model
| Auth model | Use when | Typical surfaces | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| OAuth user flow | Acting on a real user’s mailbox, calendar, Drive, docs, or personal content | Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Chat | Best default for user-owned data |
| Service account | Backend automation owns the data or operates on shared resources | Drive, backend-generated docs/sheets, service workflows | May need shared-drive/file access design |
| Service account + domain-wide delegation | Admin or org-wide actions must impersonate users safely | Admin SDK, org-wide Gmail/Calendar/Drive workflows | Higher security burden; keep scope narrow |
| Apps Script-bound auth | The workflow is intentionally inside Workspace and tied to the script owner / install model | Sheets, Docs, Forms, Gmail, Calendar, Drive | Fast to start, but runtime/quotas still matter |
Rules:
- Choose the narrowest scopes that satisfy the task.
- Keep credentials and tokens out of the repo.
- If the task touches a user’s mailbox/calendar/files, say whose identity is acting.
- If admin powers are required, separate that packet from ordinary content-editing logic.
Step 4: Route to the right Workspace product
| Product | Good for | Common operations | Route out when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Docs | formatted text documents | create docs, replace placeholders, insert text/tables/images, export | the deliverable is really a slide deck or spreadsheet |
| Sheets | tabular workflows and lightweight ops databases | append/update rows, formatting, formulas, filters, approvals, dashboards | the user needs durable database design or BI modeling |
| Slides | generated presentations and updateable decks | create slides, replace placeholders, thumbnails, batch updates | the real job is deck strategy/content design rather than API execution |
| Drive | storage, sharing, folder hierarchy, export/import | upload files, create folders, search files, permissions, shared drives | the main problem is information architecture rather than Drive API calls |
| Gmail | mailbox automation and outbound messages | drafts, send, labels, search, thread actions | the main job is email writing strategy rather than mailbox ops |
| Calendar | scheduling and event automation | create events, invite attendees, sync timing, Meet links | the core issue is meeting policy or roadmap planning |
| Forms | intake, surveys, quizzes, response pipelines | create/update forms, response collection, Form → Sheet workflows | the job is survey design methodology rather than implementation |
| Chat | workspace messaging automations | post messages, bot flows, notifications | the user needs broader chatops platform design |
| Admin SDK | directory and domain administration | users, groups, org units, licenses, settings | ordinary content workflows are being over-administered |
Step 5: Use workflow packets for common cross-service jobs
Form intake packet
- Forms captures submissions
- Sheets stores / reviews responses
- Gmail or Chat sends follow-up notifications
- Calendar schedules interviews, meetings, or reminders when needed
Approval / operations packet
- Sheet stores queue/state
- Apps Script or backend worker evaluates rows / statuses
- Gmail or Chat sends approval prompts / updates
- Drive stores generated artifacts or attachments
Reporting packet
- Sheets holds metrics or extracts
- Docs / Slides publish the narrative output
- Drive manages shared access and exports
- Calendar / Gmail handles scheduled distribution
For multi-step flows, define:
- system of record
- trigger source
- actor identity
- idempotency / duplicate-submission rule
- failure notification path
Step 6: Check quota and runtime risk
Before finalizing the plan, ask whether the workflow is:
- high-volume or bulk-edit heavy
- schedule-driven with frequent triggers
- likely to hit Apps Script execution/runtime limits
- dependent on large Drive traversals, Gmail sends, or spreadsheet write bursts
If yes:
- prefer batch operations where supported
- avoid row-by-row chatty loops when one batch call exists
- consider moving from Apps Script to a backend worker if runtime ceilings become the real constraint
Step 7: Produce a concrete execution packet
Return a compact plan with:
- chosen Workspace surface
- chosen auth model
- required scopes / admin boundaries
- primary object identifiers needed (docId, spreadsheetId, folderId, user email, calendarId, formId)
- implementation sequence
- verification step
- route-outs / risks
Examples
Example 1: Form → Sheet → email workflow
Prompt: “Create an employee feedback form, collect responses in Sheets, and send a confirmation email.”
Use this skill to:
- classify it as a multi-service workflow
- choose Apps Script or a lightweight backend depending on where the automation should live
- identify Forms + Sheets + Gmail as the service bundle
- specify auth/scopes and trigger behavior before implementation
Example 2: Shared Drive onboarding packet
Prompt: “Create a shared Drive folder structure for a new client, share it with three users, and generate a kickoff doc.”
Use this skill to:
- route Drive as the primary surface and Docs as the secondary artifact layer
- choose OAuth or service-account access based on ownership model
- list folder IDs, user emails, and sharing rules before coding
Example 3: Workspace admin request
Prompt: “Suspend a departing user, move them to a different org unit, and audit their group membership.”
Use this skill to:
- route immediately to Admin SDK
- require admin/delegated identity clarification in the execution packet
- keep admin actions separate from ordinary Docs/Drive editing logic
Example 4: Sheet-heavy approvals automation
Prompt: “Turn this spreadsheet into an approvals queue with reminder emails and status updates.”
Use this skill to:
- decide whether bound Apps Script is enough
- define status columns, reminder cadence, and Gmail integration
- check quota/runtime risk before promising a trigger-heavy solution
Best practices
- Start with surface choice, not code snippets.
- Separate content operations from admin operations.
- Use Apps Script for Workspace-native ergonomics; use direct APIs when backend control or scale matters more.
- Keep scopes narrow and state exactly whose identity is acting.
- For multi-app workflows, define the source of truth and trigger source first.
- Prefer batch updates over chatty per-row / per-cell loops when the API supports batching.
- If the problem is actually writing emails, documents, surveys, dashboards, or presentations, route to the corresponding content skill after the Workspace execution packet is clear.
References
references/auth-and-scope-routing.md— OAuth vs service account vs domain-wide delegation routingreferences/service-selection-matrix.md— product-by-product routing across Docs / Sheets / Drive / Gmail / Calendar / Forms / Admin SDKreferences/workflow-patterns-and-quotas.md— common cross-service packets plus quota/runtime cautions- Google Workspace developer docs: https://developers.google.com/workspace
- Auth overview: https://developers.google.com/workspace/guides/auth-overview
- Apps Script samples: https://developers.google.com/apps-script/samples
- Apps Script quotas: https://developers.google.com/apps-script/guides/services/quotas
- Forms REST vs Apps Script comparison: https://developers.google.com/workspace/forms/api/guides/compare-rest-apps-script