Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Create Google Classroom Course agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
This guide explains how to use the Create Google Classroom Course agent skill, a short recipe that lets an AI agent set up a Google Classroom course and invite students from the command line. It is written for teachers, school staff and administrators who have not used agent skills before. By the end you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for it in plain language and what to check before any invitation is sent.
Create Google Classroom Coursegoogleworkspace/cli · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download and unzip the skill. Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it. Place the folder in ~/.claude/skills/ or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 2Or upload it in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, open Settings, go to Capabilities and upload the skill under Skills.
- 3Install gws and load gws-classroom. Make sure the gws command-line tool is installed and the gws-classroom skill is loaded, since this recipe depends on both.
- 4Set up Google credentials. Confirm your Google account has Google Classroom access and that gws has credentials. The skill file does not describe this step.
- 5Ask the agent to create the course. Give a course name, section and room in plain language. The agent runs gws classroom courses create and returns the course details, including its ID.
- 6Invite a student and check the roster. Ask the agent to invite a student by email using the course ID, then ask for the enrolled students list to confirm the invitation.
What the skill makes the agent do
An agent skill is a folder of instructions that an AI agent can load when a task matches it. This skill, recipe-create-classroom-course, gives the agent a recipe for three Google Classroom tasks: creating a course with a name, section and room, inviting a student by email address, and listing the students already enrolled in a course.
The agent carries out these tasks by running the gws command-line tool with the arguments in the recipe. The recipe itself does not contain Classroom logic; it relies on the gws-classroom skill for the underlying commands.
How to install the skill
Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it. To make the skill available across your projects, place the unzipped folder in ~/.claude/skills/. To make it available only inside one project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder.
If you use the Claude apps instead, open Settings, go to Capabilities, and upload the skill under Skills.
- Personal use across projects: ~/.claude/skills/
- One project only: the .claude/skills/ folder inside that project
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
What you need before you start
The skill depends on three things. The gws command-line tool must be installed, because the recipe calls it. The gws-classroom skill must also be loaded, since the recipe lists it as a prerequisite. You also need a Google account with Google Classroom access and credentials for gws. The skill file does not describe how to set up those credentials, so follow the gws documentation for that step.
- gws command-line tool
- gws-classroom skill, loaded alongside this one
- A Google account with Google Classroom access
- Credentials for gws (setup is not described in the skill file)
How to trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need to type commands yourself. Ask the agent in plain language and it will choose this recipe when the request matches its description, which is creating a Google Classroom course and inviting students.
Be specific about the details the recipe uses: the course name, the section, the room, and the student's email address. Mention the course ID when you ask for a student invitation or a roster, because the recipe uses that ID in its commands.
- "Create a Google Classroom course called Introduction to CS, section Period 1, room 101."
- "Invite student@school.edu to course COURSE_ID as a student."
- "List the students enrolled in course COURSE_ID."
The three commands the recipe runs
These are the commands in the recipe. You can read them to understand what the agent will do, and you can run them yourself if you prefer. Replace COURSE_ID with the ID of your course. The first command creates the course with the owner set to me.
The second command sends an invitation with the role STUDENT. The third lists enrolled students in a table format.
gws classroom courses create --json '{"name": "Introduction to CS", "section": "Period 1", "room": "Room 101", "ownerId": "me"}'
gws classroom invitations create --json '{"courseId": "COURSE_ID", "userId": "student@school.edu", "role": "STUDENT"}'
gws classroom courses students list --params '{"courseId": "COURSE_ID"}' --format tableSafety notes: scripts and network
This skill runs scripts and uses the network. Each command reaches Google Classroom through gws using your credentials, so the course and invitations are created for real, not in a sandbox.
Invitations go to real email addresses. The recipe has no confirmation step, so the agent can send an invitation as soon as it is asked. Check the address and course ID before you approve an invitation, and do not use this skill for bulk or unsupervised invitations.
- Check every student email address before the invitation is sent.
- Confirm the course ID so invitations go to the right class.
- Keep unsupervised runs away from this skill.
Tips for getting reliable results
Create the course first, then copy its ID from the result before asking for invitations or a student list. The second and third recipe steps both need COURSE_ID.
If a command fails, check that gws is installed, that gws-classroom is loaded and that your credentials can access Classroom. The skill file does not list specific error messages, so the gws output is your best guide.
- Run one invitation at a time and check the list afterwards.
- Use the table output for a quick read of the roster.
What people use it for
- Setting up a new term's classes for a teacher, with each course given a name, section and room.
- Adding a student's email address to an existing course after enrolment changes.
- Checking which students are already enrolled in a course before inviting more.
- Scripting repeated course setup as a working example for developers building Classroom automation with gws.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the Create Google Classroom Course agent skill?
Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
What do I need to run this skill?
You need the gws command-line tool, the gws-classroom skill loaded alongside this one, and a Google account with Google Classroom access. You also need credentials for gws, though the skill file does not describe how to set them up.
Is the Create Google Classroom Course skill free?
The skill is licensed under Apache-2.0. The skill file does not mention pricing for Google Classroom or the gws tool, so check those separately.
Why does the Classroom command fail with an authorization error?
The commands need a Google account authorized for Classroom and credentials for gws. The skill file does not describe the setup, so confirm both are working for gws before you retry the agent request.
Can the agent invite many students at once?
The recipe is built to invite one student per command and has no confirmation step, so it is not suited to bulk or unsupervised invitations. Review each address and course ID before approving an invitation.
How does this skill compare with other Classroom tools?
The skill file does not compare itself with other tools. Its role is narrow: a short recipe that creates a course, invites a student and lists enrolled students through the gws command-line tool.
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Our verdict
This skill suits teachers, school staff and developers who want an AI agent to set up Classroom courses and invite students through gws, and who will review each invitation before it is sent. It is not a good fit for anyone without a Google account authorized for Classroom and working gws credentials, or for bulk or unsupervised invitations, since it has no confirmation step.
Download the skill