Tutorial

OpenClaw Google Chat Integration Guide

February 21, 20263 min readReviewed March 8, 2026

Google Chat integration in OpenClaw is designed around a Google Workspace app and service-account-backed authentication flow[1]. This article gives you a production-safe setup with verification commands.

Provisioning Checklist

Create or select a Google Cloud project and Google Chat app[2].
Enable Chat API and generate service account credentials.
Reference the credential file in OpenClaw channel configuration[1].
Keep DM policy on pairing during rollout[3].

Config Example

{
  "channels": {
    "googlechat": {
      "serviceAccountFile": "/etc/openclaw/googlechat-service-account.json",
      "dmPolicy": "pairing",
      "groupPolicy": "allowlist"
    }
  }
}

Channel Bring-Up

openclaw channels status --probe
openclaw channels capabilities --channel googlechat
openclaw logs --follow

Capabilities output tells you which message actions are available before users hit unsupported flows[4].

Pairing Flow

Unknown users can be challenged with a short code. Approve from CLI:

openclaw pairing list googlechat
openclaw pairing approve googlechat <CODE>

Common Failures

Missing Chat API enablement or wrong OAuth scope.
Credential file path mismatch in runtime environment.
Gateway public URL mismatch during app/webhook registration[1][2].

Hardening Tips

Keep mentions required in busy spaces, pair DMs by default, and review logs after each policy change so group behavior stays predictable across teams[5].

References

OpenClaw Docs: Google Chat Channel - Accessed February 21, 2026
Google Workspace Chat API Overview - Accessed February 21, 2026
OpenClaw Docs: Pairing - Accessed February 21, 2026
OpenClaw Docs: CLI Channels - Accessed February 21, 2026
OpenClaw Docs: Group and Channel Behavior - Accessed February 21, 2026