gws-gmail-read▌
googleworkspace/cli · updated Apr 8, 2026
Extract message body and headers from Gmail using message IDs.
- ›Reads individual Gmail messages by ID and returns body content in plain text or HTML format
- ›Optionally includes message headers (From, To, Subject, Date) in output
- ›Supports multiple output formats (text, json) and automatically converts HTML-only messages to plain text
- ›Handles multipart messages and base64 decoding; includes dry-run mode for testing requests
gmail +read
PREREQUISITE: Read
../gws-shared/SKILL.mdfor auth, global flags, and security rules. If missing, rungws generate-skillsto create it.
Read a message and extract its body or headers
Usage
gws gmail +read --id <ID>
Flags
| Flag | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
--id |
✓ | — | The Gmail message ID to read |
--headers |
— | — | Include headers (From, To, Subject, Date) in the output |
--format |
— | text | Output format (text, json) |
--html |
— | — | Return HTML body instead of plain text |
--dry-run |
— | — | Show the request that would be sent without executing it |
Examples
gws gmail +read --id 18f1a2b3c4d
gws gmail +read --id 18f1a2b3c4d --headers
gws gmail +read --id 18f1a2b3c4d --format json | jq '.body'
Tips
- Converts HTML-only messages to plain text automatically.
- Handles multipart/alternative and base64 decoding.
See Also
- gws-shared — Global flags and auth
- gws-gmail — All send, read, and manage email commands
Discussion
Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)- No comments yet — start the thread.
Ratings
4.6★★★★★61 reviews- ★★★★★Sakura Taylor· Dec 28, 2024
I recommend gws-gmail-read for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area.
- ★★★★★Ganesh Mohane· Dec 20, 2024
Useful defaults in gws-gmail-read — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.
- ★★★★★Min Dixit· Dec 20, 2024
gws-gmail-read has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
- ★★★★★Benjamin Kim· Dec 12, 2024
Keeps context tight: gws-gmail-read is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.
- ★★★★★Hiroshi Perez· Nov 19, 2024
Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: gws-gmail-read is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.
- ★★★★★Rahul Santra· Nov 11, 2024
gws-gmail-read has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
- ★★★★★Ava Huang· Nov 11, 2024
Useful defaults in gws-gmail-read — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.
- ★★★★★Michael Martin· Nov 3, 2024
Registry listing for gws-gmail-read matched our evaluation — installs cleanly and behaves as described in the markdown.
- ★★★★★Benjamin Ramirez· Oct 22, 2024
gws-gmail-read reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.
- ★★★★★Soo Abbas· Oct 14, 2024
Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: gws-gmail-read is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.
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