Google Docs

Access Google Docs via the Google Docs API with managed OAuth authentication. Search, read, create, and update documents stored in Google Drive.

This skill uses ClawLink for hosted connection flows and credentials so you do not need to configure Google Docs API access yourself.

Setup in 3 Steps

How It Works

┌─────────────────┐     ┌──────────────┐     ┌──────────────────┐
│   OpenClaw      │────▶│   ClawLink   │────▶│   Google Docs    │
│   (User Chat)   │     │   (OAuth)    │     │   (Docs API)     │
└─────────────────┘     └──────────────┘     └──────────────────┘
         │                       │                       │
         │  1. Install Plugin    │                       │
         │  2. Pair Device       │                       │
         │  3. Connect Docs      │                       │
         │                       │  4. Secure Token       │
         │                       │  5. Proxy Requests    │
         │                       │                       │
         ▼                       ▼                       ▼
   ┌──────────┐           ┌──────────┐           ┌──────────┐
   │  SKILL   │           │ Dashboard│           │  Google  │
   │  File    │           │ Auth     │           │  Drive   │
   └──────────┘           └──────────┘           └──────────┘

Install

Install the verified ClawLink plugin from ClawHub. After the user confirms, complete the full setup so ClawLink tools are visible in the next OpenClaw chat.

openclaw plugins install clawhub:clawlink-plugin
openclaw config set tools.alsoAllow '["clawlink-plugin"]' --strict-json
openclaw gateway restart

Then tell the user: "OpenClaw has been restarted. Send /new as a standalone message to start a fresh chat, then ask for Google Docs again."

Quick Start

# Search for documents
clawlink_call_tool --tool "googledocs_search_documents" --params '{"query": "report"}'

# Get document plaintext
clawlink_call_tool --tool "googledocs_get_document_plaintext" --params '{"document_id": "YOUR_DOCUMENT_ID"}'

# Create a new document
clawlink_call_tool --tool "googledocs_create_document" --params '{"title": "New Document"}'

Authentication

All Google Docs tool calls are authenticated automatically by ClawLink using the user's connected Google account.

No API key is required in chat. ClawLink stores the OAuth token securely and injects it into every Google Docs API request on the user's behalf.

Getting Connected

Install the ClawLink plugin (see Install above).
Pair the plugin with clawlink_begin_pairing if it is not configured yet.
Open https://claw-link.dev/dashboard?add=google-docs and connect Google Docs.
Call clawlink_list_integrations to verify the connection is active.

Connection Management

List Connections

clawlink_list_integrations

Response: Returns all connected integrations. Look for google-docs in the list.

Verify Connection

clawlink_list_tools --integration google-docs

Response: Returns the live tool catalog for Google Docs.

Reconnect

If Google Docs tools are missing or the connection shows an error:

Direct the user to https://claw-link.dev/dashboard?add=google-docs
After they confirm, call clawlink_list_integrations to verify
Then call clawlink_list_tools --integration google-docs

Security & Permissions

Access is scoped to documents within the connected Google account.
All write operations require explicit user confirmation. Before executing any create, update, or delete call, confirm the target resource and intended effect with the user.
Destructive actions (delete content range, delete table row/column) are marked as high-impact and must be confirmed.
Document sharing permissions can be inspected to understand access levels before making changes.

Tool Reference

Document Discovery & Reading

| Tool | Description | Mode | |------|-------------|------| | googledocs_search_documents | Search for Google Docs by name, content, or date range | Read | | googledocs_get_document_by_id | Retrieve a document's full metadata | Read | | googledocs_get_document_plaintext | Get a best-effort plain-text rendering of a document | Read | | googledocs_export_document_as_pdf | Export a document as PDF (10MB limit) | Read | | googledocs_list_spreadsheet_charts | List charts from a linked Google Sheets spreadsheet | Read |

Document Creation

| Tool | Description | Mode | |------|-------------|------| | googledocs_create_document | Create a new empty document with a title | Write | | googledocs_create_document_markdown | Create a document initialized with Markdown content | Write |

Content Insertion & Updates

| Tool | Description | Mode | |------|-------------|------| | googledocs_insert_text_action | Insert text at a specific index or append to end | Write | | googledocs_replace_all_text | Replace all occurrences of a string throughout a document | Write | | googledocs_update_document_markdown | Replace entire document content with Markdown | Write | | googledocs_update_document_section_markdown | Insert or replace a section of a document with Markdown | Write | | googledocs_update_existing_document | Apply programmatic edits via batchUpdate API | Write | | googledocs_update_document_style | Update page size, margins, and default text direction | Write |

Structural Elements

| Tool | Description | Mode | |------|-------------|------| | googledocs_insert_table_action | Insert a table at a specific location | Write | | googledocs_insert_table_column | Insert a new column into an existing table | Write | | googledocs_insert_page_break | Insert a page break into a document | Write | | googledocs_insert_inline_image | Insert an image from a URI at a specific location | Write | | googledocs_create_paragraph_bullets | Add bullet formatting to paragraphs in a range | Write | | googledocs_delete_paragraph_bullets | Remove bullet formatting from paragraphs | Write |

Header, Footer & Named Ranges

| Tool | Description | Mode | |------|-------------|------| | googledocs_create_header | Create a new header with optional text | Write | | googledocs_create_footer | Create a new footer with optional text | Write | | googledocs_create_footnote | Add a footnote at a location or end of document | Write | | googledocs_create_named_range | Assign a name to a specific part of a document | Write | | googledocs_delete_header | Delete a header from a document | Write | | googledocs_delete_footer | Delete a footer from a document | Write |

Table Operations

| Tool | Description | Mode | |------|-------------|------| | googledocs_delete_table_row | Delete a row from a table | Write | | googledocs_delete_table_column | Delete a column from a table | Write | | googledocs_unmerge_table_cells | Unmerge previously merged cells in a table | Write | | googledocs_update_table_row_style | Update row style (height, header marking) | Write |

Copying & Duplication

| Tool | Description | Mode | |------|-------------|------| | googledocs_copy_document | Create a copy of an existing document | Write |

Deletion

| Tool | Description | Mode | |------|-------------|------| | googledocs_delete_content_range | Delete a range of content from a document | Write | | googledocs_delete_named_range | Delete a named range from a document | Write |

Image Operations

| Tool | Description | Mode | |------|-------------|------| | googledocs_replace_image | Replace an existing image with a new one from a URI | Write |

Code Examples

Search for documents

clawlink_call_tool --tool "googledocs_search_documents" \
  --params '{
    "query": "meeting notes",
    "page_size": 10
  }'

Read document plaintext

clawlink_call_tool --tool "googledocs_get_document_plaintext" \
  --params '{
    "document_id": "YOUR_DOCUMENT_ID"
  }'

Create a document from Markdown

clawlink_call_tool --tool "googledocs_create_document_markdown" \
  --params '{
    "title": "Project Brief",
    "markdown": "# Project Brief\n\n## Overview\n\nThis is the project overview section.\n\n## Next Steps\n\n1. Define requirements\n2. Create mockups\n3. Implement feature"
  }'

Insert text at a location

clawlink_call_tool --tool "googledocs_insert_text_action" \
  --params '{
    "document_id": "YOUR_DOCUMENT_ID",
    "text": "New paragraph content here.",
    "insertion_index": 150
  }'

Replace all text occurrences

clawlink_call_tool --tool "googledocs_replace_all_text" \
  --params '{
    "document_id": "YOUR_DOCUMENT_ID",
    "replace_text": "New Company Name",
    "search_text": "Old Company Name"
  }'

Copy a document

clawlink_call_tool --tool "googledocs_copy_document" \
  --params '{
    "document_id": "YOUR_DOCUMENT_ID"
  }'

Discovery Workflow

Call clawlink_list_integrations to confirm Google Docs is connected.
Call clawlink_list_tools --integration google-docs to see the live catalog.
Treat the returned list as the source of truth. Do not guess or assume what tools exist.
If the user describes a capability but the exact tool is unclear, call clawlink_search_tools with a short query and integration google-docs.
If no Google Docs tools appear, direct the user to https://claw-link.dev/dashboard?add=google-docs.

Execution Workflow

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  READ OPERATIONS (Safe)                                     │
│  search → get → export → call                               │
│                                                             │
│  Example: Search docs → Get plaintext → Show results        │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  WRITE OPERATIONS (Require Confirmation)                    │
│  describe → preview → confirm → call                        │
│                                                             │
│  Example: Describe tool → Preview changes → User approves   │
│           → Execute update                                   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

For unfamiliar tools, ambiguous requests, or any write action, call clawlink_describe_tool first.
Use the returned guidance, schema, whenToUse, askBefore, safeDefaults, examples, and followups to shape the call.
Prefer search, read, export, and inspection operations before writes.
For document creation, content replacement, Markdown imports, structural edits, or anything marked as requiring confirmation, call clawlink_preview_tool first.
Execute with clawlink_call_tool. Pass confirmation only after the preview matches the user's intent.
If the tool call fails, report the real error. Do not invent results or restate the failure as a missing capability unless the live catalog supports that conclusion.

Notes

Document IDs are stable Google Drive file IDs — capture them from search or get responses for subsequent operations.
googledocs_insert_text_action: Use append_to_end=true to safely append without index concerns. When using insertion_index, it must fall within an existing paragraph's bounds.
Table operations require knowing the table index within the document structure.
Every document segment (body, header, footer, footnote) ends with a final newline that cannot be deleted.
PDF export has a 10MB content limit enforced by Google Drive API.

Error Handling

| Status / Error | Meaning | |----------------|---------| | Tool not found | The tool name does not exist in the current catalog. Verify with clawlink_list_tools --integration google-docs. | | Missing connection | Google Docs is not connected. Direct the user to https://claw-link.dev/dashboard?add=google-docs. | | RESOURCE_NOT_FOUND | Document does not exist. Check the document_id. | | INVALID_ARGUMENT | Invalid parameter or missing required field. Review the tool schema with clawlink_describe_tool. | | FORBIDDEN | No read or write access to the document. Check sharing permissions. | | Write rejected | User did not confirm a write action. Always confirm before executing writes. |

Troubleshooting: Tools Not Visible

Check that the ClawLink plugin is installed:
```
openclaw plugins list
```
If the plugin is installed but tools are missing, tell the user to send /new as a standalone message to reload the catalog.

If a fresh chat does not help, run:

openclaw config set tools.alsoAllow '["clawlink-plugin"]' --strict-json
openclaw gateway restart

After restart, tell the user to send /new again and retry.

Troubleshooting: Invalid Tool Call

Ensure the integration slug is exactly google-docs.
Use clawlink_describe_tool to verify parameter names and types before calling.
For write operations, always call clawlink_preview_tool first.

Resources

Google Docs API Overview
Documents Resource
ClawLink: https://claw-link.dev/?utm_source=clawhub&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=google-docs-documents
ClawLink Docs: https://docs.claw-link.dev/openclaw
ClawLink Verification: https://claw-link.dev/verify

Related Skills

Google Drive — For file management, permissions, and Drive-level operations
Google Sheets — For spreadsheet operations in Google Workspace