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Google Docs Skill

Direct access to the Google Docs API using OAuth 2.0.

Rating
4.5 (34 reviews)
Downloads
1,009 downloads
Version
1.0.0

Overview

Direct access to the Google Docs API using OAuth 2.0.

Complete Documentation

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Google Docs API Integration

Direct access to the Google Docs API using OAuth 2.0. Create documents, insert and format text, and manage document content.

Prerequisites

  • Google Cloud Project Setup
  • Go to Google Cloud Console
  • Create a new project or select existing one
  • Enable the Google Docs API
  • Create OAuth 2.0 credentials (Desktop app or Web application)
  • Download the credentials JSON file
  • Environment Setup
bash
export GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID="your-client-id"
   export GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET="your-client-secret"
   export GOOGLE_REFRESH_TOKEN="your-refresh-token"

Authentication

Getting OAuth Tokens

Use the following Python script to obtain your refresh token (one-time setup):

python
import urllib.request
import urllib.parse
import json
import webbrowser
from http.server import HTTPServer, BaseHTTPRequestHandler
import os

# OAuth configuration
CLIENT_ID = os.environ.get('GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID')
CLIENT_SECRET = os.environ.get('GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET')
REDIRECT_URI = 'http://localhost:8080'
SCOPES = 'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents'

# Step 1: Get authorization code
auth_url = (
    f"https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/v2/auth?"
    f"client_id={CLIENT_ID}&"
    f"redirect_uri={REDIRECT_URI}&"
    f"response_type=code&"
    f"scope={urllib.parse.quote(SCOPES)}&"
    f"access_type=offline&"
    f"prompt=consent"
)

print(f"Opening browser for authorization...")
webbrowser.open(auth_url)

# Step 2: Capture authorization code
auth_code = None

class OAuthHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
    def do_GET(self):
        global auth_code
        query = urllib.parse.urlparse(self.path).query
        params = urllib.parse.parse_qs(query)
        auth_code = params.get('code', [None])[0]
        
        self.send_response(200)
        self.send_header('Content-type', 'text/html')
        self.end_headers()
        self.wfile.write(b'<html><body><h1>Authorization successful!</h1><p>You can close this window.</p></body></html>')

server = HTTPServer(('localhost', 8080), OAuthHandler)
server.handle_request()

# Step 3: Exchange code for tokens
if auth_code:
    data = urllib.parse.urlencode({
        'code': auth_code,
        'client_id': CLIENT_ID,
        'client_secret': CLIENT_SECRET,
        'redirect_uri': REDIRECT_URI,
        'grant_type': 'authorization_code'
    }).encode()
    
    req = urllib.request.Request('https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token', data=data)
    response = json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req))
    
    print(f"\nRefresh Token: {response['refresh_token']}")
    print(f"Access Token: {response['access_token']}")
    print(f"\nSet your refresh token:")
    print(f"export GOOGLE_REFRESH_TOKEN=\"{response['refresh_token']}\"")

Getting Access Token

Before making API calls, get a fresh access token:

python
import urllib.request
import urllib.parse
import json
import os

def get_access_token():
    """Get a fresh access token using refresh token"""
    data = urllib.parse.urlencode({
        'client_id': os.environ['GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID'],
        'client_secret': os.environ['GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET'],
        'refresh_token': os.environ['GOOGLE_REFRESH_TOKEN'],
        'grant_type': 'refresh_token'
    }).encode()
    
    req = urllib.request.Request('https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token', data=data)
    response = json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req))
    return response['access_token']

# Store for reuse
access_token = get_access_token()
print(f"Access Token: {access_token}")

Base URL

text
https://docs.googleapis.com/v1

All requests require the access token in the Authorization header:

text
Authorization: Bearer {access_token}

Quick Start

python
import urllib.request
import json
import os

# Get access token first (using function from above)
access_token = get_access_token()

# Get document
req = urllib.request.Request('https://docs.googleapis.com/v1/documents/{documentId}')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {access_token}')
doc = json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req))
print(json.dumps(doc, indent=2))

API Reference

Create Document

python
import urllib.request
import json

access_token = get_access_token()

data = json.dumps({'title': 'My New Document'}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request(
    'https://docs.googleapis.com/v1/documents',
    data=data,
    method='POST'
)
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {access_token}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')

response = json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req))
doc_id = response['documentId']
print(f"Created document: {doc_id}")
print(f"URL: https://docs.google.com/document/d/{doc_id}/edit")

Get Document

python
req = urllib.request.Request(
    f'https://docs.googleapis.com/v1/documents/{doc_id}'
)
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {access_token}')
doc = json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req))

Batch Update Document

python
# Insert text at beginning
updates = {
    'requests': [
        {
            'insertText': {
                'location': {'index': 1},
                'text': 'Hello, World!\n\n'
            }
        }
    ]
}

data = json.dumps(updates).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request(
    f'https://docs.googleapis.com/v1/documents/{doc_id}:batchUpdate',
    data=data,
    method='POST'
)
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {access_token}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')

response = json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req))

Common Operations

Insert Text

python
{
    'requests': [
        {
            'insertText': {
                'location': {'index': 1},
                'text': 'Your text here'
            }
        }
    ]
}

Format Text (Bold, Italic, Font Size)

python
{
    'requests': [
        {
            'updateTextStyle': {
                'range': {
                    'startIndex': 1,
                    'endIndex': 10
                },
                'textStyle': {
                    'bold': True,
                    'italic': True,
                    'fontSize': {
                        'magnitude': 14,
                        'unit': 'PT'
                    }
                },
                'fields': 'bold,italic,fontSize'
            }
        }
    ]
}

Insert Table

python
{
    'requests': [
        {
            'insertTable': {
                'location': {'index': 1},
                'rows': 3,
                'columns': 4
            }
        }
    ]
}

Replace Text

python
{
    'requests': [
        {
            'replaceAllText': {
                'containsText': {
                    'text': '{{placeholder}}',
                    'matchCase': True
                },
                'replaceText': 'Actual value'
            }
        }
    ]
}

Delete Content

python
{
    'requests': [
        {
            'deleteContentRange': {
                'range': {
                    'startIndex': 1,
                    'endIndex': 50
                }
            }
        }
    ]
}

Insert Page Break

python
{
    'requests': [
        {
            'insertPageBreak': {
                'location': {'index': 1}
            }
        }
    ]
}

Update Paragraph Style

python
{
    'requests': [
        {
            'updateParagraphStyle': {
                'range': {
                    'startIndex': 1,
                    'endIndex': 50
                },
                'paragraphStyle': {
                    'namedStyleType': 'HEADING_1',
                    'alignment': 'CENTER'
                },
                'fields': 'namedStyleType,alignment'
            }
        }
    ]
}

Complete Example: Create and Format Document

python
import urllib.request
import urllib.parse
import json
import os

def get_access_token():
    """Get fresh access token"""
    data = urllib.parse.urlencode({
        'client_id': os.environ['GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID'],
        'client_secret': os.environ['GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET'],
        'refresh_token': os.environ['GOOGLE_REFRESH_TOKEN'],
        'grant_type': 'refresh_token'
    }).encode()
    
    req = urllib.request.Request('https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token', data=data)
    response = json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req))
    return response['access_token']

def create_document(title, access_token):
    """Create a new document"""
    data = json.dumps({'title': title}).encode()
    req = urllib.request.Request(
        'https://docs.googleapis.com/v1/documents',
        data=data,
        method='POST'
    )
    req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {access_token}')
    req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
    
    response = json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req))
    return response['documentId']

def batch_update(doc_id, requests, access_token):
    """Apply batch updates to document"""
    data = json.dumps({'requests': requests}).encode()
    req = urllib.request.Request(
        f'https://docs.googleapis.com/v1/documents/{doc_id}:batchUpdate',
        data=data,
        method='POST'
    )
    req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {access_token}')
    req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
    
    return json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req))

# Main workflow
access_token = get_access_token()

# Create document
doc_id = create_document('Project Report', access_token)
print(f"Created: https://docs.google.com/document/d/{doc_id}/edit")

# Add content with formatting
requests = [
    # Insert title
    {
        'insertText': {
            'location': {'index': 1},
            'text': 'Project Report\n\n'
        }
    },
    # Format title as heading
    {
        'updateParagraphStyle': {
            'range': {'startIndex': 1, 'endIndex': 15},
            'paragraphStyle': {'namedStyleType': 'HEADING_1'},
            'fields': 'namedStyleType'
        }
    },
    # Add body text
    {
        'insertText': {
            'location': {'index': 16},
            'text': 'Executive Summary\n\nThis report covers...\n\n'
        }
    },
    # Format section header
    {
        'updateParagraphStyle': {
            'range': {'startIndex': 16, 'endIndex': 34},
            'paragraphStyle': {'namedStyleType': 'HEADING_2'},
            'fields': 'namedStyleType'
        }
    }
]

batch_update(doc_id, requests, access_token)
print("Document updated successfully!")

Key Concepts

Document Indexing

  • Indices are 1-based (document starts at index 1)
  • Each character (including newlines) occupies one index
  • To append at the end, use endOfSegmentLocation

Batch Updates

  • Multiple requests are applied atomically
  • Requests are processed in order
  • Get the document first to determine correct indices

Field Masks

  • When updating styles, specify which fields to update
  • Use comma-separated field names: 'fields': 'bold,fontSize,foregroundColor'

Error Handling

Status CodeMeaning
400Bad Request - Invalid request format
401Unauthorized - Invalid or expired access token
403Forbidden - Insufficient permissions
404Not Found - Document doesn't exist
429Rate Limited - Too many requests

Token Refresh

Access tokens expire after 1 hour. If you get a 401 error, refresh the token:

python
try:
    # Make API call
    req = urllib.request.Request(url)
    req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {access_token}')
    response = urllib.request.urlopen(req)
except urllib.error.HTTPError as e:
    if e.code == 401:
        # Refresh token and retry
        access_token = get_access_token()
        req = urllib.request.Request(url)
        req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {access_token}')
        response = urllib.request.urlopen(req)

Best Practices

  • Token Management
  • Cache access tokens (valid for 1 hour)
  • Store refresh token securely
  • Implement automatic token refresh
  • Batch Operations
  • Combine multiple updates into single batch call
  • Reduces API calls and improves performance
  • Index Calculation
  • Always get current document state before updates
  • Account for newline characters (\n)
  • Use endOfSegmentLocation for appending
  • Rate Limits
  • Google Docs API has quotas (check Cloud Console)
  • Implement exponential backoff for rate limit errors

Resources

Installation

Terminal bash 

openclaw install google-docs-skill
Copied!

💻Code Examples

print(f"export GOOGLE_REFRESH_TOKEN=\"{response['refresh_token']}\"")

-printfexport-googlerefreshtokenresponserefreshtoken.txt
### Getting Access Token

Before making API calls, get a fresh access token:

print(json.dumps(doc, indent=2))

printjsondumpsdoc-indent2.txt
## API Reference

### Create Document

response = json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req))

response--jsonloadurllibrequesturlopenreq.txt
## Common Operations

### Insert Text

print("Document updated successfully!")

printdocument-updated-successfully.txt
## Key Concepts

### Document Indexing
- Indices are 1-based (document starts at index 1)
- Each character (including newlines) occupies one index
- To append at the end, use `endOfSegmentLocation`

### Batch Updates
- Multiple requests are applied atomically
- Requests are processed in order
- Get the document first to determine correct indices

### Field Masks
- When updating styles, specify which fields to update
- Use comma-separated field names: `'fields': 'bold,fontSize,foregroundColor'`

## Error Handling

| Status Code | Meaning |
|-------------|---------|
| 400 | Bad Request - Invalid request format |
| 401 | Unauthorized - Invalid or expired access token |
| 403 | Forbidden - Insufficient permissions |
| 404 | Not Found - Document doesn't exist |
| 429 | Rate Limited - Too many requests |

### Token Refresh
Access tokens expire after 1 hour. If you get a 401 error, refresh the token:
example.sh
export GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID="your-client-id"
   export GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET="your-client-secret"
   export GOOGLE_REFRESH_TOKEN="your-refresh-token"
example.py
import urllib.request
import urllib.parse
import json
import webbrowser
from http.server import HTTPServer, BaseHTTPRequestHandler
import os

# OAuth configuration
CLIENT_ID = os.environ.get('GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID')
CLIENT_SECRET = os.environ.get('GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET')
REDIRECT_URI = 'http://localhost:8080'
SCOPES = 'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents'

# Step 1: Get authorization code
auth_url = (
    f"https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/v2/auth?"
    f"client_id={CLIENT_ID}&"
    f"redirect_uri={REDIRECT_URI}&"
    f"response_type=code&"
    f"scope={urllib.parse.quote(SCOPES)}&"
    f"access_type=offline&"
    f"prompt=consent"
)

print(f"Opening browser for authorization...")
webbrowser.open(auth_url)

# Step 2: Capture authorization code
auth_code = None

class OAuthHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
    def do_GET(self):
        global auth_code
        query = urllib.parse.urlparse(self.path).query
        params = urllib.parse.parse_qs(query)
        auth_code = params.get('code', [None])[0]
        
        self.send_response(200)
        self.send_header('Content-type', 'text/html')
        self.end_headers()
        self.wfile.write(b'<html><body><h1>Authorization successful!</h1><p>You can close this window.</p></body></html>')

server = HTTPServer(('localhost', 8080), OAuthHandler)
server.handle_request()

# Step 3: Exchange code for tokens
if auth_code:
    data = urllib.parse.urlencode({
        'code': auth_code,
        'client_id': CLIENT_ID,
        'client_secret': CLIENT_SECRET,
        'redirect_uri': REDIRECT_URI,
        'grant_type': 'authorization_code'
    }).encode()
    
    req = urllib.request.Request('https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token', data=data)
    response = json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req))
    
    print(f"\nRefresh Token: {response['refresh_token']}")
    print(f"Access Token: {response['access_token']}")
    print(f"\nSet your refresh token:")
    print(f"export GOOGLE_REFRESH_TOKEN=\"{response['refresh_token']}\"")
example.py
import urllib.request
import urllib.parse
import json
import os

def get_access_token():
    """Get a fresh access token using refresh token"""
    data = urllib.parse.urlencode({
        'client_id': os.environ['GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID'],
        'client_secret': os.environ['GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET'],
        'refresh_token': os.environ['GOOGLE_REFRESH_TOKEN'],
        'grant_type': 'refresh_token'
    }).encode()
    
    req = urllib.request.Request('https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token', data=data)
    response = json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req))
    return response['access_token']

# Store for reuse
access_token = get_access_token()
print(f"Access Token: {access_token}")
example.py
import urllib.request
import json
import os

# Get access token first (using function from above)
access_token = get_access_token()

# Get document
req = urllib.request.Request('https://docs.googleapis.com/v1/documents/{documentId}')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {access_token}')
doc = json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req))
print(json.dumps(doc, indent=2))
example.py
import urllib.request
import json

access_token = get_access_token()

data = json.dumps({'title': 'My New Document'}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request(
    'https://docs.googleapis.com/v1/documents',
    data=data,
    method='POST'
)
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {access_token}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')

response = json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req))
doc_id = response['documentId']
print(f"Created document: {doc_id}")
print(f"URL: https://docs.google.com/document/d/{doc_id}/edit")
example.py
req = urllib.request.Request(
    f'https://docs.googleapis.com/v1/documents/{doc_id}'
)
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {access_token}')
doc = json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req))

Tags

#pdf_and-documents #api

Quick Info

Category File Management
Model Gemini 2.0
Complexity One-Click
Author zagran
Last Updated 3/10/2026
🚀
Optimized for
Gemini 2.0
💎

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