How to integrate Gmail MCP with Grok Build

Connect Grok Build to Gmail MCP. Summarize unread emails from this morning, create draft replies to urgent messages, and more from your terminal, with authentication handled for you.

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How to integrate Gmail MCP with Grok Build

Grok Build is xAI's terminal coding agent. It runs on Grok 4.5, plans its work before it acts, and can run multiple sub-agents in parallel. It also reads Claude Code's MCP configuration, so any server you already have in a .mcp.json is picked up with no changes.

In this guide, I will show you how to connect your Gmail account to Grok Build through Composio, so it can summarize unread emails from this morning, create draft replies to urgent messages, fetch contact details for recent senders, and more without leaving the terminal. Composio holds the OAuth tokens for you, and Grok Build only calls the tools you approve.

Also integrate Gmail with

Why use Composio over a standalone MCP server?

  • Read and write access. Composio's Gmail integration lets Grok Build take real actions like creating drafts, sending updates, and labeling records, not just reading data.
  • 1,000+ SaaS toolkits out of the box. One endpoint gives you a full catalog of pre-built connectors, from Gmail and Slack to Notion, Linear, and Salesforce.
  • One MCP server for every app. Wire up a single Composio server instead of maintaining a separate MCP entry for each app.
  • Smart, context-aware tool loading. Grok Build caps how many tools it holds in a single request. Composio loads only the tools a task needs, so you do not spend that budget on tools you are not using.
  • Cross-app automation. Chain actions across apps in one run. Pull a thread, summarize it in Notion, and post the highlights to Slack from a single prompt.

Prerequisites

  • Grok Build installed and signed in. Install with curl -fsSL https://x.ai/cli/install.sh | bash on macOS or Linux, or irm https://x.ai/cli/install.ps1 | iex on Windows PowerShell. On first launch Grok opens a browser to authenticate; for headless or CI use, set an XAI_API_KEY environment variable instead (create the key at console.x.ai).
  • Access to the Gmail account you want to connect.
  • The Composio MCP endpoint. Composio's server is remote and hosted, so there is nothing to run locally and no tunnel to set up.

Step-by-step: Connect Gmail to Grok Build

1. Install and verify Grok Build

Install the CLI, then restart your shell so the grok binary lands on your PATH:

bash
curl -fsSL https://x.ai/cli/install.sh | bash
which grok

On Windows, install with PowerShell instead: irm https://x.ai/cli/install.ps1 | iex. If which grok returns a path, you are set. Grok Build runs on Grok 4.5 by default; you can switch models inside the session with /model <name>.

2. Add the Composio server

Add Composio as a remote HTTP MCP server with the grok mcp add command:

bash
grok mcp add --transport http composio https://connect.composio.dev/mcp

You can also add and manage servers from inside a session. Run /mcps to open the extensions modal on the MCP tab, then add a new server and paste the Composio URL. Added this way, Grok auto-detects the name from the URL and lists the server as connect:

bash
https://connect.composio.dev/mcp
Grok Build /mcps extensions modal listing MCP servers Grok Build adding the Composio MCP server with its URL

Grok also reads Claude Code-style config, so an entry in ~/.grok/config.toml or a project .mcp.json works the same way.

3. Authenticate

Composio uses OAuth. In the /mcps modal, select the Composio server and press i to authenticate (Grok also triggers this browser flow automatically the first time it uses a Composio tool). Click Allow to authorize access. Grok stores the tokens under ~/.grok/mcp_credentials.json, and /mcps shows Composio as connected.

Grok Build prompting to authenticate the Composio MCP server Composio authorization screen with the Allow button for Grok Build

4. Start building

Ask Grok to work with your Gmail account through Composio. On the first Gmail action, Composio prompts you to connect the account through OAuth. Approve the scopes once, and Composio handles token refresh from there.

What you can do after connecting Gmail

  • Summarize unread emails from this morning
  • Create draft replies to urgent messages
  • Fetch contact details for recent senders
  • Add 'Follow Up' label to flagged emails

Security + privacy notes (important)

  • Use least-privilege access. Grant only the Gmail scopes you actually need.
  • Review OAuth scopes before approving. Check that the requested scopes match what you expect Composio and Grok Build to do.
  • Keep write actions human-reviewed. Grok Build proposes a plan before it acts. Leave that approval step on for actions like sending messages or editing records.
  • Keep secrets out of version control. Your XAI_API_KEY and any tokens should never be committed. Use environment variables or a secrets manager.
TOOLS & TRIGGERS

Supported Tools and Triggers

Every Gmail action and event your agent gets out of the box.

Modify email labels

Adds and/or removes specified Gmail labels for a message; ensure `message_id` and all `label_ids` are valid (use 'listLabels' for custom label IDs).

Batch delete Gmail messages

Tool to permanently delete multiple Gmail messages in bulk, bypassing Trash with no recovery possible.

Batch modify Gmail messages

Modify labels on multiple Gmail messages in one efficient API call.

Create email draft

Creates a Gmail email draft.

Create Gmail filter

Tool to create a new Gmail filter with specified criteria and actions.

Create label

Creates a new label with a unique name in the specified user's Gmail account.

Create Prompt Post

Send a one-shot prompt to the Sanity Content Agent.

Delete Draft

Permanently deletes a specific Gmail draft using its ID with no recovery possible; verify the correct `draft_id` and obtain explicit user confirmation before calling.

Delete Gmail filter

Tool to permanently delete a Gmail filter by its ID.

Delete label from account (permanent)

Permanently DELETES a user-created Gmail label from the account (not from a message).

Delete message

Permanently deletes a specific email message by its ID from a Gmail mailbox; for `user_id`, use 'me' for the authenticated user or an email address to which the authenticated user has delegated access.

Delete thread

Tool to immediately and permanently delete a specified thread and all its messages.

Fetch emails

Fetches a list of email messages from a Gmail account, supporting filtering, pagination, and optional full content retrieval.

Fetch message by message ID

Fetches a specific email message by its ID, provided the `message_id` exists and is accessible to the authenticated `user_id`.

Fetch Message by Thread ID

Retrieves messages from a Gmail thread using its `thread_id`, where the thread must be accessible by the specified `user_id`.

Forward email message

Forward an existing Gmail message to specified recipients, preserving original body and attachments.

Get Gmail attachment

Retrieves a specific attachment by ID from a message in a user's Gmail mailbox, requiring valid message and attachment IDs.

Get Auto-Forwarding Settings

Tool to get the auto-forwarding setting for the specified account.

Get contacts

Fetches contacts (connections) for the authenticated Google account, allowing selection of specific data fields and pagination.

Get Draft

Retrieves a single Gmail draft by its ID.

Get Gmail filter

Tool to retrieve a specific Gmail filter by its ID.

Get label details

Gets details for a specified Gmail label.

Get Language Settings

Tool to retrieve the language settings for a Gmail user.

Get People

Retrieves either a specific person's details (using `resource_name`) or lists 'Other Contacts' (if `other_contacts` is true), with `person_fields` specifying the data to return.

Get Profile

Retrieves Gmail profile information (email address, aggregate messagesTotal/threadsTotal, historyId) for a user.

Get Vacation Settings

Tool to retrieve vacation responder settings for a Gmail user.

Import message

Tool to import a message into the user's mailbox with standard email delivery scanning and classification.

Insert message into mailbox

Tool to insert a message into the user's mailbox similar to IMAP APPEND.

List CSE identities

Tool to list client-side encrypted identities for an authenticated user.

List CSE key pairs

Tool to list client-side encryption key pairs for an authenticated user.

List Drafts

Retrieves a paginated list of email drafts from a user's Gmail account.

List Gmail filters

Tool to list all Gmail filters (rules) in the mailbox.

List forwarding addresses

Tool to list all forwarding addresses for the specified Gmail account.

List Gmail history

Tool to list Gmail mailbox change history since a known startHistoryId.

List Gmail labels

Retrieves all system and user-created labels for a Gmail account in a single unpaginated response.

List send-as aliases

Lists the send-as aliases for a Gmail account, including the primary address and custom 'from' aliases.

List S/MIME configs

Lists S/MIME configs for the specified send-as alias.

List threads

Retrieves a list of email threads from a Gmail account, identified by `user_id` (email address or 'me'), supporting filtering and pagination.

Modify thread labels

Adds or removes specified existing label IDs from a Gmail thread, affecting all its messages; ensure the thread ID is valid.

Trash thread

Moves the specified thread to the trash.

Move to Trash

Moves an existing, non-deleted email message to the trash for the specified user.

Patch Label

Patches the specified user-created label.

Patch send-as alias

Tool to patch the specified send-as alias for a Gmail user.

Reply to email thread

Sends a reply within a specific Gmail thread using the original thread's subject; do not provide a custom subject as it will start a new conversation instead of replying in-thread.

Search People

Searches contacts by matching the query against names, nicknames, emails, phone numbers, and organizations, optionally including 'Other Contacts'.

Send Draft

Sends an existing draft email AS-IS to recipients already defined within the draft.

Send Email

Sends an email via Gmail API using the authenticated user's Google profile display name.

Get IMAP Settings

Retrieves the IMAP settings for a Gmail user account, including whether IMAP is enabled, auto-expunge behavior, expunge behavior, and maximum folder size.

Get POP settings

Tool to retrieve POP settings for a Gmail account.

Get send-as alias

Tool to retrieve a specific send-as alias configuration for a Gmail user.

Stop watch notifications

Tool to stop receiving push notifications for a Gmail mailbox.

Untrash Message

Tool to remove a message from trash in Gmail.

Untrash thread

Tool to remove a thread from trash in Gmail.

Update draft

Updates (replaces) an existing Gmail draft's content in-place by draft ID.

Update IMAP settings

Tool to update IMAP settings for a Gmail account.

Update Label

Tool to update the properties of an existing Gmail label.

Update Language Settings

Tool to update the language settings for a Gmail user.

Update POP settings

Tool to update POP settings for a Gmail account.

Update send-as alias

Tool to update a send-as alias for a Gmail user.

Update User Attributes Values

Update user attribute values for a resource.

Update Vacation Settings

Tool to update vacation responder settings for a Gmail user.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

A standalone Gmail MCP server gives Grok Build a fixed set of Gmail tools tied to that one server. The Composio Tool Router lets Grok Build load tools from Gmail and many other apps on demand, based on the task, all through a single endpoint.

Yes. Grok Build ships with native MCP support. Add a server with the grok mcp add command, from the in-session /mcps modal, or by editing ~/.grok/config.toml. It also reads Claude Code-style .mcp.json files, so Grok Build discovers the tools automatically.

Yes. Grok Build has zero-migration compatibility with Claude Code's configuration, so the same Composio server entry works in both without edits.

Tokens, keys, and configuration are encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant, so your Gmail data and credentials are handled to that standard.

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