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Guide · Agent skill

How to use the Weekly Google Digest agent skill

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

The Weekly Google Digest is an agent skill, a packaged set of instructions that an AI agent such as Claude can load and follow. This one, named gws-workflow-weekly-digest, tells the agent how to run the gws command-line tool to produce a short overview of your current week: your Google Calendar meetings and a count of unread Gmail messages. This guide covers what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it, what it needs, and the safety points to check first.

Weekly Google Digestgoogleworkspace/cli · Apache-2.0

Quick start

  1. 1Install gws. Install the gws command-line tool and confirm it is available on your system.
  2. 2Set up authentication. Configure Google Workspace or Google account authentication for gws, as described in the gws-shared skill.
  3. 3Generate the shared skill if needed. If the gws-shared skill file is missing, run gws generate-skills to create it.
  4. 4Download and unzip the skill. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it, which gives you SKILL.md.
  5. 5Place the skill folder. Put it in ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
  6. 6Ask for your digest. Request a weekly summary in plain language, or run gws workflow +weekly-digest directly.

What the skill makes the agent do

Once installed, the agent can run the gws command-line tool to pull a short overview of your current week. The overview combines the meetings on your Google Calendar with a count of unread emails from Gmail.

The skill is described as read-only. According to its source, it never modifies data, so it should not change your calendar or mail.

  • Lists this week's meetings from your calendar agenda.
  • Reports an unread email count from a Gmail triage summary.
  • Outputs JSON by default, or table, YAML or CSV when you ask for another format.

What you need before installing

The skill depends on the gws command-line tool and cannot run without it. You also need Google Workspace or Google account authentication configured for gws. The skill's source lists these requirements.

The skill also expects a gws-shared skill file. If it is missing, the source says to run gws generate-skills to create it.

  • gws command-line tool (googleworkspace CLI), installed.
  • Google authentication set up for gws.
  • gws-shared skill file, generated with gws generate-skills if missing.
gws generate-skills

Install the skill

Download the ZIP for this skill from this page and unzip it. The package contains a single file, SKILL.md. Place the unzipped folder in one of two locations: your personal skills folder at ~/.claude/skills/, or a project's .claude/skills/ folder if you want the skill limited to one project.

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

  • Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/ (available across your projects).
  • Project install: .claude/skills/ inside the project folder.
  • Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

How to trigger the skill with natural requests

You do not need to type the command yourself. Ask the agent in plain language about your week, and it can choose this skill when the request matches its description, which covers this week's meetings and unread email count.

If you want to run the underlying command directly, the skill's usage is gws workflow +weekly-digest. Adding --format table gives a table instead of the default JSON.

  • "Give me a summary of my week: meetings and unread email count."
  • "What meetings do I have this week, and how many unread emails are there?"
  • "Give me my Monday-morning digest as a table."
gws workflow +weekly-digest --format table

Output formats and examples

The --format flag accepts json (the default), table, yaml or csv. The flag is optional, so leaving it out gives JSON.

Use table when you want a quick read in the terminal, and csv or json when the output will be processed further. Run gws workflow +weekly-digest --help to see the built-in help for the command.

  • Default: gws workflow +weekly-digest (JSON).
  • Table: gws workflow +weekly-digest --format table.
  • Help: gws workflow +weekly-digest --help.
gws workflow +weekly-digest --help

Safety notes: scripts and network access

The skill runs scripts and uses the network. It calls Google services through gws to read your calendar and mail, so your calendar and inbox summaries are sent through the agent. Check that this is allowed for your account or workspace before using it, especially in shared or sensitive workspaces.

Because the skill only reports meeting listings and an unread count, it does not give the agent full email content or support detailed triage. Read the shared authentication and security rules in the gws-shared skill before you run it.

  • Runs scripts: yes.
  • Uses network: yes.
  • Read-only according to its source; it should not modify calendar or mail.
  • Check your organisation's policy before sending calendar and inbox summaries through an agent.

What people use it for

  • A Monday-morning check of this week's meetings and inbox load in one summary.
  • A quick table view in the terminal using gws workflow +weekly-digest --format table.
  • Feeding the JSON, YAML or CSV output into another script or tool for further processing.
  • Asking an agent to combine calendar and email status into a single weekly status note.

Frequently asked questions

How do I install the weekly Google digest agent skill?

Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it to get SKILL.md. Put the folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload it in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

What does the gws-workflow-weekly-digest skill require?

It requires the gws command-line tool, Google Workspace or Google account authentication configured for gws, and a gws-shared skill file. If the shared file is missing, run gws generate-skills to create it. The skill cannot run without these.

Is the weekly digest skill free and what is its licence?

The source lists the licence as Apache-2.0, which is the licence of the googleworkspace/cli repository this skill belongs to. Check the repository for the full terms before you rely on it.

Does the skill change my calendar or emails?

The skill is described as read-only and its source says it never modifies data. It reports meeting listings and an unread email count only.

Why does the skill not work for me?

The most likely causes are that the gws tool is not installed, Google authentication is not set up for gws, or the gws-shared skill file is missing. Check each requirement, and run gws generate-skills if the shared file is absent.

How does this compare with reading email and calendar myself?

The skill gives you a single short overview of meetings and an unread count. It does not show full email content or support detailed triage, so use your mail client for those tasks.

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Our verdict

This skill suits people who already use the gws CLI with Google authentication and want a quick Monday-morning view of meetings and inbox load in one read-only summary. It is a poor fit if you have not set up gws, need full email content or triage, or work somewhere that does not allow calendar and inbox summaries to pass through an agent.

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