Cowork Connectors

Connect Cowork to Gmail, Google Drive, Slack, and more. Step-by-step setup guides with permission best practices.

What are connectors?

Connectors allow Cowork to safely access your external tools. Instead of sharing passwords, you grant specific permissions directly to the service.

  • • Explicit grants: You approve each connector individually
  • • Limited scope: You control what Cowork can read and write
  • • Revocable: Disconnect anytime from your service settings
  • • Safe by default: We recommend read-only for new connectors

Connector best practices

  • 1. Least privilege: Only grant permissions Cowork actually needs
  • 2. Small scopes: Limit to specific folders or labels when possible
  • 3. Read-only first: If Cowork only reads, don't grant write access
  • 4. Name conventions: Use clear names for Cowork credentials (e.g., "Cowork-Gmail-ReadOnly")
  • 5. Regular audits: Review connected apps quarterly and remove unused ones

Available connectors

Click any connector to see step-by-step setup instructions.

Gmail

Read emails, draft replies, organize messages, and manage labels. Set up with read-only access by default.

Setup guide

Google Drive

Access files and folders. Organize documents, spreadsheets, and slides. Includes version history control.

Setup guide

Slack

Read channels and threads for research. Extract conversation data. No posting by default.

Setup guide

More connectors coming soon.

If you'd like to see a specific connector, let us know.

Troubleshooting

Cowork can't access my folder or label

Permissions may have been revoked or scoped incorrectly. Go to the connector's settings (Gmail settings, Google Drive settings, etc.) and check that Cowork still has access to the folder or label you're targeting. Re-authenticate if needed.

I want to disconnect a connector

Go to your service's connected apps settings (Gmail → Connected apps, Google Account → Apps & Services, Slack → App settings) and click "Disconnect" or "Remove." This revokes Cowork's access immediately.

Can Cowork send emails or post to Slack?

Yes, but only if you explicitly grant write access. By default, we recommend read-only. If you want Cowork to draft or send emails, you'll need to upgrade the Gmail connector's permissions, and Cowork will ask for your approval before sending.