# Gws Gmail Read

Gmail: Read a message and extract its body or headers.

- Repository: https://github.com/googleworkspace/cli (32044 stars)
- Category: Engineering
- License: Apache-2.0
- Last updated: 2026-10-30
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add googleworkspace/cli --skill gws-gmail-read -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add googleworkspace/cli --skill gws-gmail-read -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add googleworkspace/cli --skill gws-gmail-read -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add googleworkspace/cli --skill gws-gmail-read -g -a gemini-cli -y`

## Description

Gmail: Read a message and extract its body or headers.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# gmail +read

> **PREREQUISITE:** Read `../gws-shared/SKILL.md` for auth, global flags, and security rules. If missing, run `gws generate-skills` to create it.

Read a message and extract its body or headers

## Usage

```bash
gws gmail +read --id <ID>
```

## Flags

| Flag | Required | Default | Description |
|------|----------|---------|-------------|
| `--id` | ✓ |, | The Gmail message ID to read |
| `--headers` |, |, | Include headers (From, To, Subject, Date) in the output |
| `--format` |, | text | Output format (text, json) |
| `--html` |, |, | Return HTML body instead of plain text |
| `--dry-run` |, |, | Show the request that would be sent without executing it |

## Examples

```bash
gws gmail +read --id 18f1a2b3c4d
gws gmail +read --id 18f1a2b3c4d --headers
gws gmail +read --id 18f1a2b3c4d --format json | jq '.body'
```

## Tips

- Converts HTML-only messages to plain text automatically.
- Handles multipart/alternative and base64 decoding.

## See Also

- [gws-shared](../gws-shared/SKILL.md), Global flags and auth
- [gws-gmail](../gws-gmail/SKILL.md), All send, read, and manage email commands