How to use the Send Google Chat Message agent skill

What the skill makes the agent do

An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file with instructions that an AI agent reads when a task matches. This skill covers one action: sending a message to a Google Chat space. Once it is installed, the agent knows the command to use and the two required fields, the space name and the message text.

The skill also tells the agent to confirm with you before it actually sends the message, because posting to a space is a write action that other people will see.

Install the skill from the ZIP download

Download the ZIP for this skill from this page and unzip it. The skill is a single file, SKILL.md. Put the unzipped skill folder in one of these locations:

For all of your projects, place it in ~/.claude/skills/.

For one project only, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder.

You can also upload the skill in the Claude apps. Open Settings, go to Capabilities, then Skills, and upload it there.

• Personal: ~/.claude/skills/
• Single project: .claude/skills/ inside the project folder
• Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Set up the gws tool and its prerequisites

The skill does not work on its own. It needs the gws command-line tool (the googleworkspace CLI) installed and authenticated with your Google Workspace credentials. The skill also refers to a shared auth and setup guide at ../gws-shared/SKILL.md. If that file is missing, the skill says to run gws generate-skills to create it.

Check that gws responds by running its help for this command: gws chat +send --help

• gws command-line tool, installed and authenticated
• The shared guide ../gws-shared/SKILL.md (create it with gws generate-skills if missing)
• A Google Chat space name in the form spaces/... that your account is allowed to post to

Trigger the skill with a natural request

You do not need to type the command yourself. Ask the agent in plain language to post to a space, and name the space and the text. The agent should pick up the skill from the request and prepare the command.

If you do not know the space name, the skill's tips say you can list spaces with the gws chat spaces list command. The agent can use that to look up the name.

• "Post 'Build 214 passed on main' to spaces/AAAAxxxx in Google Chat."
• "Send the release announcement text to our team space. Show me the command first."

The command and its flags

The underlying command is gws chat +send with two required flags. --space takes the space name, such as spaces/AAAA.... --text takes the message, which must be plain text. Both flags have no default value.

The skill's example sends a greeting to a sample space. Replace the space name with your own.

• --space (required): space name, e.g. spaces/AAAA...
• --text (required): message text, plain text only

Know the limits: cards and threaded replies

This skill only handles plain text. For cards or threaded replies, the skill says to use the raw API instead. Ask the agent for those only if you are prepared to work with the raw API, because this skill will not build them.

Safety notes: scripts and network access

This skill runs scripts and uses the network. The command it invokes sends data to Google Chat through your authenticated gws setup, so the message leaves your machine and is visible to everyone in the space.

The skill asks the agent to confirm with you before executing. That is advice in the instruction file, not an enforced check. Read the exact command and text the agent proposes before you approve it. Use an account and space you are comfortable posting to.

• It runs scripts and makes network calls.
• Messages are visible to all members of the target space.
• Confirmation before sending is requested by the skill, not enforced by the tool.