explainx.aijoin newsletter3.01k
AI/ML

gws-gmail-reply▌

googleworkspace/cli · updated Apr 8, 2026

$npx skills add https://github.com/googleworkspace/cli --skill gws-gmail-reply
summary

Automatically reply to Gmail messages with full threading and recipient management.

  • ›Handles message threading automatically by setting In-Reply-To, References, and threadId headers; quotes the original message in the reply
  • ›Supports plain text and HTML reply bodies, with optional file attachments (multiple files via repeated --attach flags)
  • ›Allows adding extra recipients via --to, --cc, and --bcc flags, or sending from an alias with --from
  • ›Includes --dry-run mode to preview the req
skill.md

gmail +reply

PREREQUISITE: Read ../gws-shared/SKILL.md for auth, global flags, and security rules. If missing, run gws generate-skills to create it.

Reply to a message (handles threading automatically)

Usage

gws gmail +reply --message-id <ID> --body <TEXT>

Flags

Flag Required Default Description
--message-id ✓ — Gmail message ID to reply to
--body ✓ — Reply body (plain text, or HTML with --html)
--from — — Sender address (for send-as/alias; omit to use account default)
--to — — Additional To email address(es), comma-separated
--attach — — Attach a file (can be specified multiple times)
--cc — — CC email address(es), comma-separated
--bcc — — BCC email address(es), comma-separated
--html — — Treat --body as HTML content (default is plain text)
--dry-run — — Show the request that would be sent without executing it
--draft — — Save as draft instead of sending

Examples

gws gmail +reply --message-id 18f1a2b3c4d --body 'Thanks, got it!'
gws gmail +reply --message-id 18f1a2b3c4d --body 'Looping in Carol' --cc carol@example.com
gws gmail +reply --message-id 18f1a2b3c4d --body 'Adding Dave' --to dave@example.com
gws gmail +reply --message-id 18f1a2b3c4d --body '<b>Bold reply</b>' --html
gws gmail +reply --message-id 18f1a2b3c4d --body 'Updated version' -a updated.docx
gws gmail +reply --message-id 18f1a2b3c4d --body 'Draft reply' --draft

Tips

  • Automatically sets In-Reply-To, References, and threadId headers.
  • Quotes the original message in the reply body.
  • --to adds extra recipients to the To field.
  • Use -a/--attach to add file attachments. Can be specified multiple times.
  • With --html, the quoted block uses Gmail's gmail_quote CSS classes and preserves HTML formatting. Use fragment tags (, , , etc.) — no / wrapper needed.
  • With --html, inline images in the quoted message are preserved via cid: references.
  • Use --draft to save the reply as a draft instead of sending it immediately.
  • For reply-all, use +reply-all instead.

See Also

general reviews

Ratings

4.5★★★★★10 reviews
  • ★★★★★Shikha Mishra· Oct 10, 2024

    gws-gmail-reply is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.

  • ★★★★★Piyush G· Sep 9, 2024

    Keeps context tight: gws-gmail-reply is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.

  • ★★★★★Chaitanya Patil· Aug 8, 2024

    Registry listing for gws-gmail-reply matched our evaluation — installs cleanly and behaves as described in the markdown.

  • ★★★★★Sakshi Patil· Jul 7, 2024

    gws-gmail-reply reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.

  • ★★★★★Ganesh Mohane· Jun 6, 2024

    I recommend gws-gmail-reply for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area.

  • ★★★★★Oshnikdeep· May 5, 2024

    Useful defaults in gws-gmail-reply — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.

  • ★★★★★Dhruvi Jain· Apr 4, 2024

    gws-gmail-reply has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.

  • ★★★★★Rahul Santra· Mar 3, 2024

    Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: gws-gmail-reply is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.

  • ★★★★★Pratham Ware· Feb 2, 2024

    We added gws-gmail-reply from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.

  • ★★★★★Yash Thakker· Jan 1, 2024

    gws-gmail-reply fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.