Gmail MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Gmail integration in Claude Desktop with auto authentication support. This server enables AI assistants to

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What is the Gmail MCP server?

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Gmail integration in Claude Desktop with auto authentication support. This server enables AI assistants to manage Gmail through natural language interactions. That is what the gmail mcp server brings to an AI assistant: the same capability, reachable through the Model Context Protocol rather than a separate app or dashboard.

The short version

This fork is lean and pragmatic. It's a local stdio MCP server - you run it on your own machine, and your LLM client already has shell + filesystem access. So the threat model is "don't leak credentials to third parties, don't break the Gmail surface" - not "defend a hosted multi-tenant service". I keep dependencies minimal. I use this daily in my own Claude Code workflow - if I wouldn't run it or maintain it myself, it doesn't go in.

  • Send emails with subject, content, attachments, and recipients
  • Full attachment support — - send and receive file attachments
  • Download email attachments — to local filesystem
  • Download full emails — to files in json/eml/txt/html formats
  • Thread-level operations — - get full threads, list inbox threads, batch-expand threads
  • Support for HTML emails and multipart messages with both HTML and plain text versions

What it needs from you

Configuration is passed through the environment: GMAIL_OAUTH_PATH, GMAIL_CREDENTIALS_PATH. Treat anything key-shaped as a real credential — scope it to the minimum the server needs, and rotate it if it ever lands in a shared config.

Getting it running

Because this one is hosted, setup is mostly authentication — you point your client at the endpoint and approve access. Nothing runs on your machine, so there is no runtime to keep patched.

How it compares

Among the team communication options, the useful question is rarely "what can it do" but "what does it cost you to run" — permissions, credentials, and how much of your context its toolset consumes. It is maintained by ArtyMcLabin; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

This entry was verified against Gmail's own documentation before publication; SyncDev keeps the directory reviewed rather than auto-generated.

Things to watch

  • Your data travels to the provider's service, so the usual questions apply about what you send and what they retain.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

How to install the Gmail MCP server

2. Usage:
```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gmail": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-v",
        "mcp-gmail:/gmail-server",
        "-e",
        "GMAIL_CREDENTIALS_PATH=/gmail-server/credentials.json",
        "mcp/gmail"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
GMAIL_OAUTH_PATHFilesystem location the server is allowed to use.Optional
GMAIL_CREDENTIALS_PATHFilesystem location the server is allowed to use.Optional

Frequently asked questions

The source code is linked from the repository URL on this page.