gws-workflow-email-to-task skill: turn a Gmail message into a task

Lets Claude turn one Gmail message into a Google Tasks entry using the gws command line tool.

Installs: 32.8K; on skills.sh
Stars: 32K; on GitHub
Updated: Oct 2026; last repo commit

gws-workflow-email-to-task tells Claude how to run gws workflow +email-to-task with a Gmail message ID. It reads the email subject as the task title and the snippet as the notes, then creates a new task. The skill says to confirm with you before it runs.

It needs the gws tool installed and signed in, and it tells Claude to read the gws-shared skill first. You can name a task list; otherwise it uses your default list.

Good for

People who triage Gmail and want actions captured as tasks
Developers who already script Google Workspace from the terminal
Anyone who forwards themselves reminders and wants that automated

Install gws-workflow-email-to-task

Claude Code

Copy this prompt.

Install the gws-workflow-email-to-task skill in Claude Code. Run this command:

npx skills add https://github.com/googleworkspace/cli --skill gws-workflow-email-to-task --skill gws-shared

Then check that it loaded and tell me how to use it.

2
Paste it into Claude Code. It shows the change and asks before running it.

Requires Node.js, gws installed and signed in.

The skill only tells Claude how to call the gws tool, so gws must be installed and signed in on your machine first. gws-shared is installed too because every gws skill tells Claude to read it for sign-in, global flags and safety rules. The README says gws is not an officially supported Google product.

From the vendor's docs. Source.

What's in the skill

When it loads

Google Workflow: Convert a Gmail message into a Google Tasks entry.

Sections in SKILL.md

Usage
Flags
Examples
Tips
See Also

Key facts

Author: googleworkspace
Repo: googleworkspace/cli
Installs on skills.sh: 32,819 as of Nov 2, 2026
GitHub stars: 32,038 for the whole googleworkspace/cli repo, Nov 2, 2026
License: Apache-2.0
Last repo commit: Oct 30, 2026
What is inside: 1 file: SKILL.md
skills.sh audits: Gen Agent Trust Hub pass, Socket pass, Snyk warn
Needs: The gws command line tool, installed and signed in to a Google account, plus the gws-shared skill
Official?: The README says gws is not an officially supported Google product

What it includes

Creates a Google Tasks entry from a Gmail message
Needs --message-id. Optional --tasklist, which defaults to @default.
Try: “Turn Gmail message MSG_ID into a task on my default list.”
Write · gws workflow +email-to-task
Email subject becomes the title, snippet becomes the notes
This is how the Tips section describes the conversion.
Subject and snippet mapping
Claude asks you before it creates the task
The Tips say it creates a new task and to confirm with the user before executing.
Confirm before creating
Claude reads this skill first for sign-in and safety rules
SKILL.md opens with a prerequisite note to read ../gws-shared/SKILL.md.
Read · gws-shared prerequisite

From the official docs

Permissions

Medium risk

Claude can read a Gmail message and add a task to your Google Tasks. Check the message ID and task list before you approve.

What it can do

Read your data
Create and change things
Delete things
Read-only mode

Watch out for

It creates a task in your account
The command adds a new Google Tasks entry from an email. The skill tells Claude to confirm first; check the message ID and list before you approve. github.com
gws is an unofficial tool under active development
The README says gws is not an officially supported Google product and that breaking changes are expected before v1.0. Pin a release if you rely on it. github.com

Security advisories

No published security advisories as of Nov 2, 2026.

Technical details

Turning on read-only	SKILL.md defines no read-only switch. gws-shared lists a --dry-run flag that validates a command locally without calling the API.
Talks to	Google Workspace APIs, called by the gws tool
Sign-in and keys	Sign-in is handled by gws, not the skill. The README says interactive credentials are encrypted at rest, with the key in your OS keyring.
Scopes	Reads one Gmail message you name Creates a new task in your Google Tasks Runs the gws command on your machine

Questions

How do I install gws-workflow-email-to-task?

Use the install box at the top of this page. It installs this skill together with gws-shared. You also need the gws tool installed and signed in, because the skill only tells Claude which gws commands to run.

Does gws-workflow-email-to-task need an API key?

No API key is named in the skill. It needs a Google sign-in through gws (gws auth login) and, per the README, a Google Cloud project for the OAuth credentials. gws also supports service accounts and a pre-made access token.

Does gws-workflow-email-to-task work in the Claude app or Codex?

It needs a terminal where the gws tool runs, so Claude Code is the direct fit. The install box has a Codex tab. The Claude app tab is left out because the skill runs a command on your own machine and the README documents no upload route.

Where do I get the Gmail message ID?

SKILL.md does not say. It only asks for --message-id, the Gmail message ID to convert. Give Claude the ID, or ask it to find the message first and show you the ID before it creates the task.

Does it change or delete the email?

SKILL.md only says it reads the subject and snippet and creates a new task. It describes no edit or delete of the email.

Is gws-workflow-email-to-task safe?

It writes a new entry in your Google Tasks, so check the message and list before you approve. The skill tells Claude to confirm first. The gws README says gws is not an officially supported Google product.

Which other workflow skills are there?

The gws-workflow skill lists five helpers: standup report, meeting prep, email to task, weekly digest and file announce. Each has its own skill in the same repo.

Information

updated Nov 2, 2026

Repository: googleworkspace/cli
Folder: skills/gws-workflow-email-to-task

googleworkspace/cli skills.sh

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 5

googleworkspace/cli README · github.com
skills CLI commands · github.com
gws-shared SKILL.md · github.com
gws-workflow-email-to-task SKILL.md · github.com
skills.sh listing · skills.sh