Google Docs

Warning: Google verification pending. Paperclip has not yet completed Google app verification. You may see an unverified-app warning during authorization. If Google offers an Advanced option to continue to Paperclip, you can choose to proceed after reviewing the requested access. This option is not available for every account; Workspace administrator restrictions and other Google access requirements still apply. Contact support@paperclip.ing if you cannot connect.

Note: While verification is pending, the Google Workspace connectors and any saved Google accounts are temporarily hidden from the Connectors page. This hides them from the list only. Existing Google connections keep running with their access and permissions unchanged, and an agent that needs a Google service can still ask you for it with a connection card on its task.

Agents can read the text and structure of Google Docs documents, and on an editing connection update them.

Warning: Google Docs needs Google Workspace Developer Preview registration before it will authorize. Google must register the Workspace email that signs in, and the Cloud project that owns the OAuth client if you bring your own. Apply first at Google Workspace Developer Preview.

Before you connect

  • A Google Workspace account that can already open the documents you want agents to use.
  • Developer Preview registration for that account, confirmed by Google.
  • Without Paperclip Cloud enrollment, you need your own Google OAuth client with the Drive API, Docs API, and Docs MCP API enabled. Set up your own Google OAuth app is the complete procedure — do it before you start here.

Pick a capability group

Group What agents can do Scopes requested
Read only Read document text and structure documents.readonly
Read & edit The above, plus update a document documents

Neither group asks for Google Drive access. The Docs scope alone is enough to read and edit documents the account can open, by document ID. Connections made with an earlier version asked for more. If a Connect with Paperclip connection from before this change stops working, select Reconnect to sign in with the smaller set. A connection using your own OAuth app keeps its earlier grant until you reconnect it.

The group is fixed for the life of the connection.

Connect Google Docs

  1. Open Connectors and select Google Docs.
  2. Read the access line above the main button. It says who the connection signs in as and which agents can use it. To pick a different identity, narrow the agents, or use another sign-in method, select Change.
  3. Check the capability group. Setup starts on the group that can make changes; to connect read-only, select Change and pick it under What should Paperclip be able to do?. Paperclip uses Connect with Paperclip when your instance offers it. To use your own client instead, select Use your own Google OAuth app and supply the client ID and secret from Set up your own Google OAuth app.
  4. Complete Google's consent screen with the registered Workspace account.

Choose access

Document reach comes from Google: the connection can open what the authorizing account can open. There is no document picker in Paperclip.

Reviewed operations:

Operation Group
read-doc Both
update-doc Read & edit only

This is a deliberately small surface: two operations, not a Docs editor. update-doc applies changes through the Docs API, so what it can express is whatever that API accepts — check the operation's schema on the Permissions tab before planning work that depends on a particular kind of edit. What is definitely absent is anything beyond these two operations: there is no separate tool here for comments, suggestions, or revision history.

Note: The connector's guidance is that document updates should be approved. Leave update-doc on Ask first; an edit lands in a real document that other people may be working in.

How connector access works covers identity and agent selection.

Try it

Identify the document by its URL, not its title, and pick something in it you already know. Substitute both:

Read this Google Doc — https://docs.google.com/document/d/YOUR_DOC_ID/edit — and
tell me the text of its first heading. Do not edit it.

Expect the heading you can see for yourself.

Warning: Do not test with "the document titled X". The reviewed operation here is read-doc, which takes a document identifier — there is no document-search tool on this connector. A title-based request makes the agent guess or fail for reasons that have nothing to do with your setup. If you genuinely need title search, that is Google Drive or Google Workspace Search.

If you want to confirm editing, do it on a scratch document you created for the purpose, not a live one.

Note: Illustrative task, not a recorded test result. Substitute a document URL or ID you can open and a value you already know.

Troubleshooting and limitations

Problem Likely cause Fix
Google refuses before the consent screen Developer Preview registration is incomplete Finish registration and retry
Connect with Paperclip is not offered The instance is not enrolled with Paperclip Cloud, or Cloud is not advertising the Docs profile Use your own Google OAuth app
A document cannot be found It is not shared with the authorizing account Share it in Google Drive; no reconnect needed
update-doc is missing The connection was made with Read only Make a connection with Read & edit
An edit did not produce the formatting you expected The update goes through the Docs API, which does not cover every editor feature Finish the formatting in Google Docs
Needs attention The Google token expired or was revoked Select Reconnect

Limitations: one connection covers one Google account. Creating a document is not part of this connector — use Google Drive with the create group. Comments, suggestions, and revision history are not exposed. Developer Preview applies.