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How to configure the Google Docs MCP server

How-Tos

How to configure the Google Docs MCP server

Configure Google's remote Docs MCP server, enable the APIs, and authenticate so an agent can use Docs as a tool.

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google-docsmcphow-toworkspaceagents

Google Docs offers a remote Model Context Protocol (MCP) server so an AI agent can interact with Docs data under the signed-in user's permissions. Configuring it lets hosts such as Google Antigravity and Claude read document structure and text, and update styling and structure with batch updates. The server inherits the same permissions and data governance controls as the user.

Prerequisites

The Workspace guide lists these prerequisites:

  • Membership in the Google Workspace Developer Preview Program.
  • A Google Cloud project.
  • An MCP host, such as Google Antigravity.

To run the commands on this page, set up the gcloud CLI. Cloud Shell already has it. The console enable flows do not need it.

On a local machine, follow the page order:

  1. Install the Google Cloud CLI. Run gcloud components update only if gcloud was already installed.
  2. If you use an external identity provider, sign in to the gcloud CLI with your federated identity.
  3. Initialize the gcloud CLI.

Enable the APIs

Enable the Google Docs API in the project you will use:

gcloud services enable docs.googleapis.com --project=PROJECT_ID

Replace PROJECT_ID with your Google Cloud project ID.

Then enable the Google Docs MCP API. The guide treats this as a separate service from the Docs API:

gcloud services enable docsmcp.googleapis.com --project=PROJECT_ID

Use the same project ID. The Google Cloud console has matching enable flows for both services if you are not using the CLI.

The Docs MCP server uses OAuth 2.0. Configure the consent screen before you create a client ID.

In the Google Cloud console, open Google Auth Platform, then Branding. If you see Google Auth Platform not configured yet, click Get Started and follow the guide:

  1. Under App Information, set App name to Docs MCP Server.
  2. In User support email, select your email or an appropriate Google group, then click Next.
  3. Under Audience, select Internal. If you cannot select Internal, select External. Click Next.
  4. Under Contact Information, enter an email where you can be notified about project changes, then click Next.
  5. Review the Google API Services User Data Policy. If you agree, select I agree to the Google API Services: User Data Policy, click Continue, then Create.
  6. If you selected External, open Audience, and under Test users click Add users. Enter your email and any other authorized test users, then Save.

If branding is already configured, the same Audience and Data Access settings are where you adjust consent and scopes.

Open Data Access, then Add or Remove Scopes. Under Manually add scopes, paste these four scopes:

  • https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.readonly
  • https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.file
  • https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents.readonly
  • https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents

Click Add to Table, then Update. On the Data Access page, click Save.

Create the OAuth client

Every client path in the guide uses the same remote server URL: https://docsmcp.googleapis.com/mcp/v1.

Create the OAuth client under Google Auth Platform, then Clients, then Create Client:

  1. Select Web application.
  2. Enter a name.
  3. Under Authorized redirect URIs, click + Add URI and add the redirect URI for your host (below).
  4. Select Use this client for an AI-powered agent.
  5. Click Create and copy the Client ID and Client Secret.

Configure Antigravity

The guide's Antigravity steps cover Antigravity 2.0, Antigravity IDE, and Antigravity CLI. Use this redirect URI:

https://antigravity.google/oauth-callback

Open or create ~/.gemini/config/mcp_config.json and add the mcpServers block. The example uses OAuth client id and secret fields:

{
     "mcpServers": {
       "docs": {
         "serverUrl": "https://docsmcp.googleapis.com/mcp/v1",
         "oauth": {
           "clientId": "OAUTH_CLIENT_ID",
           "clientSecret": "OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET"
         }
       }
     }
}

Replace OAUTH_CLIENT_ID with the client id you created and OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET with the client secret, then save the file.

Authentication continues in the client UI or CLI.

For Antigravity IDE or the Antigravity 2.0 GUI:

  1. Open settings (for example, Settings at the bottom-left, or Antigravity User Settings).
  2. Go to Customizations.
  3. Under Installed MCP Servers, click Refresh.
  4. Find docs, click Authenticate, sign in to your Google Account, copy the authorization code, paste it into the input dialog, and click Submit.

For Antigravity CLI, start the CLI:

agy

Open the interactive MCP panel:

/mcp

Use the arrow keys to select docs, move to Authenticate, and press Enter. Complete sign-in in the browser, copy the authorization code, paste it into the terminal prompt, and press Enter.

The GUI is configured when a Sign out button appears next to the server under Customizations, then Installed MCP Servers. In the CLI, verified servers show Authed next to their names in the /mcp panel. You can select a server there to inspect status and list its tools.

Configure Claude

Claude.ai and Claude Desktop require a Claude Enterprise, Pro, Max, or Team plan. Create the OAuth client the same way, with this redirect URI:

https://claude.ai/api/mcp/auth_callback

Still select Use this client for an AI-powered agent.

In Claude.ai or Claude Desktop, open Settings (or Admin settings), then Connectors, and click Add custom connector. Enter:

  • Server name: Google Docs
  • Remote MCP server URL: https://docsmcp.googleapis.com/mcp/v1

In Advanced settings, enter the OAuth client ID and OAuth client secret, then click Add.

Other MCP clients

Other hosts usually ask for a name, endpoint, transport, and authentication method. The guide's values are:

  • Server name: docs
  • Server URL: https://docsmcp.googleapis.com/mcp/v1
  • Transport: Streamable HTTP
  • Authentication: OAuth 2.0, with Use this client for an AI-powered agent selected when you create the client

Test the connection

The server exposes two tools: read_doc and update_doc.

The guide's test prompts are:

  • "Show me the structural contents of Google Doc abcd123." The client fetches structure and contents with docs.read_doc.
  • "Insert the title 'My Marketing Plan' into Google Doc abcd123." The client runs docs.update_doc to update structural elements and insert text.

abcd123 is the guide's sample id. Use a document your account can open. If the tools run and you get relevant responses, the server is configured.

Troubleshooting

If the client cannot connect, ask an administrator to check OAuth log events in the security investigation tool.

If requests are rejected, confirm the OAuth 2.0 client has Use this client for an AI-powered agent selected under Google Auth Platform, then Clients. If you cannot change that setting on an existing client, create a new client with the option selected and update the app to use it. If one client is already used for both agent and non-agent features, create a separate client for the agent and keep the existing client for non-agent work.

If you are prompted to sign in again about every hour, the client is not receiving a refresh token. Google's authorization server issues refresh tokens only when the authorization request includes access_type=offline. Requesting the OIDC offline_access scope alone is not sufficient. If the client supports custom authorization parameters, add access_type=offline. To get a new refresh token for a user who already granted access, also add prompt=consent.

Indirect prompt injection

Document text is untrusted input. An indirect prompt injection can hide instructions in a doc. Hosts such as Google Antigravity can read, modify, and delete data in your Google Account through this server, so screen prompts and responses. Google points to Model Armor, or to your own screening if you document that choice so users can accept the risk.

The guide's practices are specific: connect the Docs MCP server only to trusted tools, avoid asking the client to process docs from unverified sources, and review every action the client takes on your behalf.

What to do next

Enable both services in the project you will actually use, finish the consent screen and OAuth client, then authenticate in the host UI or CLI and run the two test prompts against a document you control. Before you point the agent at real files, reread the indirect prompt injection section of the official guide and decide how you will screen untrusted document text.

Sources