minimal-gdocs

A minimal MCP server for creating and updating Google Docs from markdown. Built for Claude Code.

Features

• Create Google Docs from markdown with native formatting

• Update existing docs (replace or append)

• List recent docs with optional search

• Full markdown support:

  • Headings (H1-H6)

  • Bold, italic, and nested formatting

  • Bullet and numbered lists

  • Links

  • Horizontal rules

  • Code blocks (monospace)

Related MCP server: notes-mcp

Design Philosophy

minimal-gdocs intentionally stays minimal:

• 4 core tools covering the essential document lifecycle

• Zero configuration beyond OAuth credentials

• No batch operations or complex workflows

• ~274 tokens of context overhead (vs ~3,000 for full-featured alternatives)

If you need advanced features (comments, sheets, drive management, sharing), consider google-docs-mcp instead.

Installation

git clone https://github.com/rowbradley/minimal-gdocs.git
cd minimal-gdocs
npm install
npm run build

Or via npm:

npx minimal-gdocs

Google Cloud Setup

You need Google OAuth credentials. Choose one of these methods:

Option A: Google Cloud Console (Web)

1. Go to Google Cloud Console

2. Create a new project (or select existing)

3. Enable the Google Docs API:

   • Go to "APIs & Services" → "Library"

   • Search "Google Docs API" → Enable

4. Create OAuth credentials:

   • Go to "APIs & Services" → "Credentials"

   • Click "Create Credentials" → "OAuth client ID"

   • Application type: Desktop app

   • Download the JSON file

5. Rename it to credentials.json and place in project root

Option B: gcloud CLI

# Install gcloud if needed: https://cloud.google.com/sdk/docs/install

# Login and set project
gcloud auth login
gcloud projects create minimal-gdocs-project --name="Minimal GDocs"
gcloud config set project minimal-gdocs-project

# Enable Docs API
gcloud services enable docs.googleapis.com

# Create OAuth credentials
gcloud auth application-default login --scopes=https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.file

# For MCP server, you still need OAuth client credentials:
# Go to console.cloud.google.com → APIs & Services → Credentials
# Create "OAuth client ID" → Desktop app → Download JSON

Claude Code Configuration

Add to your Claude Code settings.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gdocs": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/minimal-gdocs/dist/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Or if installed globally via npm:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gdocs": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["minimal-gdocs"]
    }
  }
}

First Run

On first use, the server will:

1. Open your browser for Google OAuth consent

2. Ask you to authorize access to Google Docs

3. Save the token locally (in token.json)

Subsequent runs use the saved token automatically.

Usage

Once configured, Claude Code can use these tools:

create_google_doc

Create a Google Doc from markdown:
- title: Document title
- content: Markdown content
- folderId: (optional) Google Drive folder ID

update_google_doc

Update an existing doc:
- docId: The Google Doc ID
- content: New markdown content
- mode: "replace" or "append"

list_recent_docs

List your recent Google Docs:
- limit: (optional) Max docs to return
- query: (optional) Search filter

get_doc_url

Get URLs for a doc:
- docId: The Google Doc ID
Returns: edit URL, view URL, PDF export URL

Example

In Claude Code:

"Publish this to Google Docs"

# My Document

Here's some **bold** and *italic* text.

- Bullet one
- Bullet two

1. Numbered item
2. Another item

Creates a properly formatted Google Doc with native styling.

License

MIT