google-drive-cowork-plugin
MCP server that lets Claude Cowork create and edit Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Runs as a local stdio process — no hosted backend.
What it does
22 tools exposed over the Model Context Protocol:
Google Docs (9 tools)
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|
create_google_doc | Create a new doc (with dedup) |
get_google_doc | Read structure or full text |
append_text | Append text with optional heading style |
replace_text | Global find/replace |
replace_section | Rewrite one section by heading |
insert_heading | Add a heading after a section or at end |
insert_table | Insert a table with optional pre-fill data |
share_doc | Share with email recipients |
move_doc | Move to a Drive folder |
Google Sheets (7 tools)
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|
sheets_create | Create a new spreadsheet |
sheets_get | Read metadata, tabs, named ranges |
sheets_read | Read cell values from a range |
sheets_write | Write values (atomic batch) |
sheets_format | Apply formatting via batchUpdate |
sheets_manage_tabs | Add, rename, delete, freeze tabs |
sheets_create_chart | Create embedded charts |
Google Slides (6 tools)
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|
slides_create | Create a new presentation |
slides_get | Read presentation structure |
slides_get_content | Read text from a specific slide |
slides_add_slide | Add slide with layout |
slides_update | Apply batchUpdate requests |
slides_insert_image | Insert image from URL |
Install
Two paths, same plugin. Pick the one that matches how you use Claude.
Path 1: Claude Code
claude plugin marketplace add https://github.com/sashakang/google-drive-cowork-plugin
claude plugin install google-drive-cowork-mcp
Then follow CONNECTORS.md to set up GCP credentials and authenticate.
Path 2: Cowork (via Claude Code)
Cowork can't install MCP plugins directly. Use Claude Code to set it up once, then Cowork picks it up on restart.
git clone https://github.com/sashakang/google-drive-cowork-plugin.git
cd google-drive-cowork-plugin
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -e .
Then follow CONNECTORS.md to set up GCP credentials, authenticate, and add the MCP server to your Claude Desktop config. Restart Claude — the 22 tools will be available in Cowork.
Architecture
Claude Cowork / Claude Code
└─ MCP (stdio transport)
└─ python3 -m server.main
├─ Google Docs API v1 (document operations)
├─ Google Drive API v3 (folders, sharing)
├─ Google Sheets API v4 (spreadsheet operations)
└─ Google Slides API v1 (presentation operations)
All state lives in ~/.config/gdocs-mcp/:
| File | Purpose |
|---|
client_secret.json | OAuth client (from GCP Console) |
credentials.json | Refresh token (auto-generated) |
config.json | Optional folder/domain allowlists |
audit.log | Append-only JSONL operation log |
Safety
- Read-before-write — all write tools require a prior read call (server-enforced, 5 min window)
- Prompt injection mitigation — returned doc content is prefixed with a machine-readable warning banner
- Folder and domain allowlists — restrict where docs can be moved and who they can be shared with
- Create deduplication — same title within 30s returns the cached doc
- Typed errors with recovery hints — every error includes an LLM-actionable
recovery field
- Audit trail — all operations logged to JSONL (no doc content stored)
- Timeout — 60s per tool call; returns a clear error on timeout
- Thread-safe caches — locking around all shared state
Optional: Docker
docker build -t gdocs-mcp .
docker run -v ~/.config/gdocs-mcp:/root/.config/gdocs-mcp gdocs-mcp
Configuration
Create ~/.config/gdocs-mcp/config.json to restrict operations:
{
"allowed_folder_ids": ["1ABC...xyz"],
"allowed_sharing_domains": ["yourcompany.com"]
}
Empty arrays (or no file) means allow all.
Troubleshooting
"Server disconnected" in Claude:
Check the MCP log at ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp-server-google-docs.log. Common causes:
- Wrong Python (must use venv): use the
bash -c config shown in CONNECTORS.md
TypeError: Server.run() missing ... initialization_options: update mcp package in venv
"Credential scopes outdated":
The server needs 4 scopes (docs, drive, sheets, presentations). Re-run python3 -m server.auth --setup to re-authorize.
"redirect_uri_mismatch":
Your OAuth client must be a Desktop type (not Web). The redirect_uris should be ["http://localhost"].
"externally-managed-environment":
You're using Homebrew Python without a venv. Activate the venv first: source .venv/bin/activate.
