Quick Start

Quick Start

Get gmail-mcp-server running in 5 minutes.

Requirements

• Python 3.10+
• A Google Cloud project with Gmail API enabled
• Claude Code, ChatGPT, or another MCP client

1. Get Your Google Credentials

1. Go to Google Cloud Console
2. Create a project or select existing one
3. Enable the Gmail API: Search “Gmail” in APIs & Services → Library → Enable
4. Create OAuth client: APIs & Services → Credentials → Create Credentials → OAuth client ID → Desktop app
5. Download the JSON file as secrets/credentials.json

2. Clone & Install

git clone https://github.com/Arshdeep54/gmail-mcp.git
cd gmail-mcp-server
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # or .venv\Scripts\activate on Windows
pip install -e .

3. Authorize Once

python authorize.py

This opens your browser → approve → saves secrets/token.json

4. Add to Claude Code

Edit ~/.claude/settings.json or use:

claude mcp add gmail -- python -m gmail_mcp.server

Done!

You now have Gmail tools in Claude Code. Search messages, read threads, create drafts—all from Claude.

Next: Ready to deploy to ChatGPT? See Cloud Deployment.