google-docs

name: google-docs description: Work with Google Docs - read document content, propose edits via comments, and apply changes when confirmed. Use this skill when handling comments from Google Docs that mention you (proto, oliver, maggie, etc.). allowed-tools: Bash(google-docs:*)

Google Docs Collaboration Skill

Overview

This skill enables you to collaborate on Google Docs as a digital co-author. Users can share documents with you and request help via comments. You respond through comment replies and can propose or apply document edits.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• You receive a task from Google Docs (check incoming_email/*_gdocs_comment.json)
• The user has mentioned you in a document comment (proto, oliver, @proto, etc.)
• You receive an email containing a Google Docs link (check collaboration/ directory for artifact info)
• You need to read document content, propose edits, or respond to feedback

Email → Google Docs Direct Modification

When a user sends you an email with a Google Docs link (instead of commenting in the doc), you can directly modify the document:

1. Check for collaboration context: Look for collaboration/session_info.json which contains the linked document ID
2. Extract document ID: The artifact_id field contains the Google Docs document ID
3. Read the document: Use google-docs read-document <document_id> or check incoming_email/document_content.txt if pre-fetched
4. Apply changes: Follow the user's instructions from the email and modify the document directly

Example workflow:

User email: "Proto, please review this doc and suggest grammar improvements: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1abc123..."

# 1. Read the document
google-docs read-document 1abc123

# 2. Detect mode from email ("suggest" mentioned)
# → Use suggesting mode

# 3. Apply suggestions
google-docs suggest-replace 1abc123 --find="original text" --replace="improved text"

Then reply via email confirming the changes were made.

Workflow

1. Understanding the Request

When triggered by a Google Docs comment:

1. Read the incoming comment from incoming_email/email.html or incoming_email/*_gdocs_comment.json
2. Note the document ID, comment ID, and quoted text (if any)
3. The quoted text shows what part of the document the comment references

2. Reading Document Content

The full document content is pre-fetched and available at:

incoming_email/document_content.txt

This file contains the complete document as plain text. Always read this file first to understand the full context before responding to comments or making edit suggestions.

3. Determine Editing Mode (Intelligent Detection)

Intelligently detect the user's preference from context. Only ask if unclear.

Check for Explicit Preference First:

Look for preference indicators in the user's message:

Examples of Intelligent Detection:

Example 1 - User says "suggest" in email:

"Proto, please review this document and suggest improvements. I want to see what you'd change before applying."

→ Auto-detect: Suggesting Mode (no need to ask)

Example 2 - User says "just fix it" in email:

"Proto, there are some grammar errors in this doc. Just fix them directly."

→ Auto-detect: Direct Mode (no need to ask)

Example 3 - Ambiguous request:

"Proto, can you help improve this paragraph?"

→ Ask User (preference unclear)

When to Ask (only if genuinely unclear):

<!-- reply_email_draft.html -->
<p>I understand you'd like me to [summarize the request]. How would you like me to proceed?</p>
<ul>
  <li><strong>Direct editing</strong> - I'll make the changes directly to your document</li>
  <li><strong>Suggesting mode</strong> - I'll show my proposed changes with revision marks so you can review first</li>
</ul>
<p>Reply "direct" or "suggest", or I'll default to suggesting mode for safety.</p>

Remember User Preferences:

If this is a continuation of a collaboration session (check collaboration/session_info.json), the user may have already expressed their preference in an earlier message. Check:

1. collaboration/context_summary.md - Original request may contain preference
2. collaboration/message_history.json - Previous interactions may indicate preference
3. If user said "suggest" in the original email, continue using suggesting mode for follow-up comments

4. Editing Modes

Mode A: Direct Editing

If user chooses "direct", make the changes immediately:

# Replace text directly
google-docs apply-edit <document_id> --find="original text" --replace="new text"

Then confirm completion:

<p>Done! I've updated the document with the changes you requested.</p>

Mode B: Suggesting Mode (Word-style Revision Marks)

If user chooses "suggest", apply changes with visual revision marks:

Color Coding (Word-style):

• 🔴 Red + Strikethrough = Text to be deleted
• 🔵 Blue = New/added text

# Mark text for deletion (red strikethrough)
google-docs mark-deletion <document_id> --find="text to delete"

# Insert new text with suggestion formatting (blue)
google-docs insert-suggestion <document_id> --after="anchor text" --text="new text to add"

# Replace with revision marks (marks old as deleted, adds new as blue)
google-docs suggest-replace <document_id> --find="old text" --replace="new text"

Example reply after applying suggestions:

<p>I've added my suggested changes to the document with revision marks:</p>
<ul>
  <li><span style="color:red;text-decoration:line-through;">Red strikethrough</span> = text I suggest removing</li>
  <li><span style="color:blue;">Blue text</span> = text I suggest adding</li>
</ul>
<p>Please review the changes in the document. When you're satisfied, reply "apply" and I'll finalize all the changes (remove the formatting and make them permanent).</p>

5. Applying Suggestions

When user replies "apply" or "accept" after reviewing suggestions:

# Apply all pending suggestions (remove red text, convert blue to black)
google-docs apply-suggestions <document_id>

This command:

1. Deletes all text with red strikethrough formatting
2. Converts blue text to the document's default formatting (black)
3. Results in a clean, final document

Reply after applying:

<p>All changes have been applied! The document is now updated with the final text.</p>

Available Commands

Read Operations (Safe)

# List all documents shared with you
google-docs list-documents

# Read document content
google-docs read-document <document_id>

# List comments on a document
google-docs list-comments <document_id>

# Read a specific comment and its replies
google-docs read-comment <document_id> <comment_id>

Document Management

# Create a new Google Doc
google-docs create-document --title="My Document"

Example workflow - Creating a report and sharing it:

# 1. Create a new document
google-docs create-document --title="Weekly Report"
# Output: Document ID: 1abc123xyz

# 2. Add content to the document
google-docs insert-text 1abc123xyz --after="" --text="# Weekly Report\n\nContent here..."

# 3. Share with the user
google-docs share 1abc123xyz --email="user@example.com" --role="writer"

# 4. Get the shareable link
google-docs get-link 1abc123xyz

Sharing & Permissions

# Share a document with a user
google-docs share <document_id> --email="user@example.com" --role="writer" [--notify]

# Get shareable link for a document
google-docs get-link <document_id>

# List who has access to a document
google-docs list-permissions <document_id>

# Remove someone's access
google-docs remove-permission <document_id> <permission_id>

Roles:

• reader - Can view the document
• commenter - Can view and add comments
• writer - Can edit the document

Example:

# Share with editing permissions and send notification email
google-docs share 1abc123xyz --email="colleague@example.com" --role="writer" --notify

# Get the shareable link to include in your reply
google-docs get-link 1abc123xyz
# Output: View/Edit: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1abc123xyz/edit

Reply to Comments (IMPORTANT!)

ALWAYS reply to the comment after completing a task! This is how the user gets notified that you've completed their request.

# Reply to a comment
google-docs reply-comment <document_id> <comment_id> "Your reply message here"

Example:

google-docs reply-comment 1lkQLGy4_sVTNpMogVJcDnqCZnBS_AUcdBJh_sTINaGc AAAB0spY1kw "Done! I've updated the SPECIFICATIONS section to N/A as requested. The change is in suggesting mode - reply 'apply' to finalize."

Direct Edit Operations

# Apply a text replacement directly
google-docs apply-edit <document_id> --find="text to find" --replace="replacement text"

# Insert text at a position
google-docs insert-text <document_id> --after="anchor text" --text="text to insert"

# Delete text
google-docs delete-text <document_id> --find="text to delete"

Insert Images

Image Search (Unsplash)

Search for stock images to insert into documents:

# Search for images
google-docs search-image --query="professional workspace" --count=5

# Filter by orientation
google-docs search-image --query="nature landscape" --orientation=landscape
google-docs search-image --query="person portrait" --orientation=portrait

The search returns image URLs that can be used directly with insert-image.

Orientations:

• landscape - Wide images (good for full-width document images)
• portrait - Tall images (good for sidebar or profile photos)
• squarish - Square-ish images (good for icons, thumbnails)

Insert Image Commands

# Insert image after specific text
google-docs insert-image <document_id> --url="https://example.com/image.png" --after="anchor text"

# Insert image at specific index position
google-docs insert-image <document_id> --url="https://example.com/image.png" --index=50

# Insert image at end of document (default if no --after or --index specified)
google-docs insert-image <document_id> --url="https://example.com/image.png"

# Insert image with specific dimensions (in points, 72pt = 1 inch)
google-docs insert-image <document_id> --url="https://..." --after="Chapter 1" --width=300 --height=200

Recommended Workflow

1. Search for relevant images:

   google-docs search-image --query="team collaboration" --orientation=landscape
   

2. Choose an image and copy its URL from the search results

3. Insert the image after relevant content:

   google-docs insert-image <doc_id> --url="<URL>" --after="Team Overview" --width=400
   

Image Requirements:

• URL must be publicly accessible (Google Docs fetches the image from the URL)
• For private images: Upload to Azure Blob Storage with SAS URL or Google Cloud Storage with signed URL
• Supported formats: PNG, JPEG, GIF, BMP
• Image size: Keep reasonable (< 10MB recommended)

Image Placement Tips:

• Use --after to place images near related content
• Common image widths: 200pt (small), 300pt (medium), 400pt (large), 500pt (full-width)
• Images are inserted inline with text flow

Suggesting Mode Operations

# Mark text for deletion (red strikethrough)
google-docs mark-deletion <document_id> --find="text to mark as deleted"

# Insert suggestion text (blue)
google-docs insert-suggestion <document_id> --after="anchor text" --text="suggested new text"

# Replace with revision marks (old=red strikethrough, new=blue)
google-docs suggest-replace <document_id> --find="old text" --replace="new text"

# Apply all suggestions (finalize the document)
google-docs apply-suggestions <document_id>

# Discard all suggestions (revert to original)
google-docs discard-suggestions <document_id>

Style Operations (NEW)

# Get existing styles from document (ALWAYS run this first!)
google-docs get-styles <document_id>

# Set text style - color, font, size, bold, italic
google-docs set-style <document_id> --find="Heading Text" --color="#1B263B" --bold
google-docs set-style <document_id> --find="Body text" --font="Arial" --size=11
google-docs set-style <document_id> --find="Important" --color="#FF0000" --bold --italic

IMPORTANT: Match Existing Document Styles

Before applying any style changes, ALWAYS:

1. Run google-docs get-styles <document_id> to see the document's existing style patterns
2. Note the colors, fonts, and sizes used for each heading level (H1, H2, H3)
3. Apply styles that match the existing patterns in the document

Example Workflow:

# Step 1: Check existing styles
google-docs get-styles 1lkQLGy4_sVTNpMogVJcDnqCZnBS_AUcdBJh_sTINaGc

# Output shows:
# Heading 1: color=#1B263B, font="Georgia", size=24pt, bold
# Heading 2: color=#415A77, font="Georgia", size=18pt, bold
# Heading 3: color=#778DA9, font="Georgia", size=14pt, bold

# Step 2: Apply matching styles to new headings
google-docs set-style <doc_id> --find="New Section Title" --color="#1B263B" --font="Georgia" --size=24 --bold
google-docs set-style <doc_id> --find="Subsection" --color="#415A77" --font="Georgia" --size=18 --bold

Never invent new styles - always match what the user has already defined in their document.

Response Format Examples

Example 1: Initial Response to Edit Request

User comment: "Proto, please improve this paragraph"

<!-- reply_email_draft.html -->
<p>I'd be happy to improve this paragraph! Before I proceed, would you prefer:</p>
<ul>
  <li><strong>Direct editing</strong> - I'll make the changes directly</li>
  <li><strong>Suggesting mode</strong> - I'll show revision marks so you can review first</li>
</ul>
<p>Reply "direct" or "suggest".</p>

Example 2: After User Chooses "suggest"

First, apply the suggestions to the document, then reply to the comment AND write the draft:

# Apply suggestions to document
google-docs suggest-replace 1abc123 --find="very good" --replace="excellent"
google-docs mark-deletion 1abc123 --find="in order to"

# IMPORTANT: Reply to the comment so user gets notified!
google-docs reply-comment 1abc123 AAAB123xyz "I've added my suggestions with revision marks: replaced 'very good' with 'excellent', removed 'in order to'. Reply 'apply' to finalize."

Also write the backup draft:

<!-- reply_email_draft.html -->
<p>I've added my suggestions to the document with revision marks:</p>
<ul>
  <li><span style="color:red;text-decoration:line-through;">Red strikethrough</span> = remove</li>
  <li><span style="color:blue;">Blue text</span> = add</li>
</ul>
<p>Changes made:</p>
<ol>
  <li>Replaced "very good" with "excellent" for more professional tone</li>
  <li>Added transition sentence between paragraphs</li>
  <li>Removed redundant phrase "in order to"</li>
</ol>
<p>Reply "apply" to finalize these changes, or let me know if you'd like adjustments.</p>

Example 3: After User Says "apply"

<!-- reply_email_draft.html -->
<p>Done! All suggestions have been applied. The document now contains the finalized text without any revision marks.</p>

Example 4: Complex Multi-Section Edit

User comment: "Proto, review the entire document for grammar and clarity"

<!-- reply_email_draft.html -->
<p>I've reviewed the document and found 5 areas for improvement. Would you like me to:</p>
<ul>
  <li><strong>Direct editing</strong> - Apply all fixes immediately</li>
  <li><strong>Suggesting mode</strong> - Show all changes with revision marks for your review</li>
</ul>
<p>Here's a summary of what I'll change:</p>
<ol>
  <li>Section 1: Fix passive voice (3 instances)</li>
  <li>Section 2: Improve sentence flow</li>
  <li>Section 3: Remove redundant words</li>
  <li>Section 4: Clarify technical explanation</li>
  <li>Conclusion: Strengthen call-to-action</li>
</ol>
<p>Reply "direct" or "suggest".</p>

Important Guidelines

1. Read document_content.txt first - Always read incoming_email/document_content.txt before responding
2. ALWAYS reply to the comment using google-docs reply-comment - This is CRITICAL! The user won't know you've completed their request unless you reply to their comment. After making any changes, always call google-docs reply-comment <doc_id> <comment_id> "your message". Also write reply_email_draft.html as a backup.
3. Intelligently detect editing mode - Check if user already specified "suggest"/"direct" preference; only ask if genuinely unclear
4. Check collaboration context - If collaboration/ directory exists, read it for prior preferences and context
5. Use revision marks in suggesting mode - Red strikethrough for deletions, blue for additions
6. Explain changes clearly - List what changes were made and why
7. Wait for "apply" in suggesting mode - Don't finalize until user explicitly approves
8. Keep replies concise - Google Docs comments have limited space
9. Match existing document formatting - When applying changes, preserve the user's text formatting (font, size, etc.)
10. Default to suggesting mode - When in doubt, use suggesting mode (safer, non-destructive)
11. For style changes, ALWAYS check existing styles first - Run google-docs get-styles <doc_id> before applying any formatting. Match the document's existing heading colors, fonts, and sizes. Never invent new styles - follow the user's established patterns.

Error Handling

If you encounter errors:

• Document not accessible: Ask user to verify sharing permissions
• Comment not found: The comment may have been resolved or deleted
• Edit failed: The document content may have changed; re-read and retry
• Formatting issues: Ensure the find text matches exactly (including whitespace)

Color Reference