Google Docs MCP server with full tab support, markdown extraction, and batch updates.
A Model Context Protocol server for Google Docs with full tab support — something most existing servers get wrong or skip entirely.
Uses Google service accounts with domain-wide delegation, so it works in Workspace orgs without OAuth consent screens.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
list_tabs | List all tabs (including nested) in a document |
read_document | Read one tab or all tabs as markdown with proper heading levels |
get_document_info | Lightweight metadata: title, ID, link, tab list |
create_document | Create a new doc with optional initial text |
append_text | Append text to the end of a specific tab |
insert_text | Insert text at a character index in a tab |
replace_text | Find and replace within a tab (or whole doc) |
batch_update | Full batchUpdate access — formatting, tables, images, styles |
list_documents | Search Drive for docs by name |
All tab-targeting tools accept tab_id or tab_title (case-insensitive). The batch_update tool auto-injects tabId into requests so you don't have to.
Google Docs has supported tabs since late 2024, but most MCP servers either:
includeTabsContent=True, so tab content is invisibleThis server handles all of that correctly and converts content to markdown with proper heading structure.
pip install google-docs-mcp-server
Or run directly with uv:
uvx google-docs-mcp-server
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.readonly
Add to your MCP config (e.g. ~/.claude/mcp.json or .mcp.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"google-docs": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["google-docs-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"SERVICE_ACCOUNT_PATH": "/path/to/your-service-account-key.json",
"SUBJECT_EMAIL": "you@yourdomain.com"
}
}
}
}
SUBJECT_EMAIL is the Workspace user the service account impersonates.
| Variable | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
SERVICE_ACCOUNT_PATH | Yes | Path to the service account JSON key file |
SUBJECT_EMAIL | Yes | Email of the Workspace user to impersonate |
MIT
Source-derived launch command. Check the maintainer’s required arguments and credentials before running:
uvx google-docs-mcp-serverMerge this template into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Keep existing servers. Add any arguments, credentials, and permissions required by the maintainer; this template has not been install-tested.
{
"mcpServers": {
"io-github-gigabrain-observer-google-docs-mcp-server": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"google-docs-mcp-server"
]
}
}
}Restart Claude Desktop completely for changes to take effect. Confirm the server appears connected in the client’s tool list, then try a read-only example from its documentation.
Claude Desktop setup referencegoogle-docs-mcp-serverpypiio.github.gigabrain-observer/google-docs-mcp-server works with any MCP-compatible client. Copy the config snippet from the Configuration section above and add it to the file shown for your client, then restart the application.
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.jsonRestart Claude Desktop completely for changes to take effect.~/.cursor/mcp.jsonRestart Cursor for changes to take effect..vscode/mcp.jsonReload VS Code window for changes to take effect.~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.jsonRestart Windsurf for changes to take effect..mcp.jsonSave at the project root, then start Claude Code in that project and review the MCP server approval prompt. Keep real credentials out of shared files.