We will soon roll out Google Workspace Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers that expose new functionality to external AI agents across Gmail, Drive, Calendar, and other Workspace apps using the open MCP. Ahead of this launch, we are introducing an “agentic” setting (is_agentic) on Google OAuth clients, so that Google and Workspace administrators can differentiate AI agent traffic from traditional app traffic. Only OAuth clients marked as agentic will be able to call Workspace MCP servers. [emphasis mine]
In our recent review of the Q3 2026 Google Workspace Developer Release Notes, we looked at the expansion of remote Google Workspace MCP servers across Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Calendar, and Chat. At the time, I noted that while MCP is great for connecting local developer tools like Google Antigravity, giving external agents broad access across user documents raises real enterprise governance questions.
Google has now started sending developer notifications announcing a foundational change to address this, a mandatory agentic classification (is_agentic) for OAuth 2.0 clients. If you have configured OAuth clients in the Google Cloud console for AI agents or MCP servers, there is a tight one-month window to update your existing credentials.
A couple of key details and technical requirements from the announcement and the updated Manage OAuth Clients documentation are worth highlighting:
Hard Enforcement and Permanent Lock-In (November 11–12, 2026): Starting October 12, 2026, developers can edit existing OAuth clients in the Google Cloud console (Google Auth Platform > Clients) and select the Use this client for an AI-powered agent checkbox. On November 11, 2026, Workspace MCP servers will begin rejecting requests from any OAuth client not marked as agentic. Crucially, on November 12, 2026, the is_agentic setting becomes permanent on existing clients, if you miss the November 11 window, you cannot toggle the setting on an existing client and will have to create a new OAuth Client ID and update your client configurations (such as ~/.gemini/config/mcp_config.json in Google Antigravity).
Separate OAuth Clients for Human vs. Agent Traffic: According to Google’s updated best practices for agent client isolation, if your solution provides both human-interactive features (calling standard Google REST APIs) and AI agent workflows, you must maintain separate OAuth 2.0 Client IDs for each workflow. Tagging an OAuth client as agentic does not grant extra scopes or bypass user consent, but it isolates agent traffic so Workspace administrators can apply dedicated agent access controls and security policies without disrupting human users on your standard app.
Traditional Apps Script and REST Integrations Are Unaffected: If your application or Apps Script project is not an AI agent and only calls standard Google Workspace REST APIs, no action is required. However, Google recommends marking any OAuth client used by an AI agent, even if that agent currently only calls Workspace REST APIs, so it is properly classified ahead of the November 12 lock-in. Romain Vialard has however highlighted that the client ID for Apps Script is not editable in GCP so it’s not possible to mark it as agentic. The only workaround at this point is using a standard GCP, creating your own client ID and using the OAuth2 Apps Script library.
Seeing this land makes a lot of sense. Before enterprise admins can confidently allow MCP integrations or external AI agents in production domains, they need a reliable way in the Admin console and Security Investigation Tool to distinguish an autonomous agent acting on behalf of a user from a conventional web app. Separating those identities at the OAuth client level is the logical first step toward granular agent governance.
If you have existing Google Cloud projects using Workspace MCP servers, Agent Development Kit (ADK) workflows, or Gemini Enterprise connectors, head over to the Google Auth Platform Clients page before 11 November 2026 to review and update your OAuth client settings.
Email Notifications for Impacted Projects: To help, developers should check their inbox for service communications from Google with the subject ‘[Action Required] Mark AI agent OAuth clients as agentic for Google Workspace MCP by Nov 11, 2026‘, as these list the affected Google Cloud projects.
Looking across the Google Workspace developer release notes throughout 2026 it looks like there is a strategic evolution with moves to make Google Workspace an agent-ready, collaborative platform. Three areas stand out: standardising external agent integration via MCP, APIs to allow agents to comment and suggest, and expanding Google Chat into an interactive operational hub.
1. Standardising Agent Integration via MCP: But Is It the Right Model?
Following the initial rollout of Chat and Gmail Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers in Q2, Q3 expanded remote MCP servers to Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides (alongside new membership and read-state tools in Chat). The promise of MCP is attractive, providing a standardised connector that allows AI agents to query and manipulate Workspace resources as the user.
However, as the broader tech community is increasingly pointing out, MCP raises serious architectural and security questions in enterprise environments. I feel while MCP excels as a developer protocol for local sandboxes, questions remain whether this is the right abstraction for enterprise workspaces. Giving an external agent broad access across entire document trees for me creates an uncomfortable blast radius.
2. Programmatic Collaboration: AI & Bots Entering the Review Loop
Historically, Workspace APIs focused on inserting and editing document content. Recently new APIs are unlocking the entire editorial feedback layer with programmatic comments and suggestions across the Docs, Sheets, and Slides APIs. This is a major enhancement for AI copy-editing solutions. Bots and agents no longer have to overwrite or add content, they can suggest changes and leave contextual comments for human approval.
3. Google Chat as the Universal Workflow Hub
Google Chat received major quality-of-life upgrades in Q3, including native Markdown formatting (MARKUP_SYNTAX_MARKDOWN), interactive citations and footer sources, context-menu message actions, and simplified read-only OAuth (GCP not required). This lowers integration friction for internal tools while elevating Chat bots into interactive enterprise assistants.
Gemini Side Panel in the Apps Script Editor (Beta)
Outside of these three areas Q3 also saw the release of the Gemini side panel in the Apps Script editor. This development is making it easier for users to collaborate with Gemini to author solutions with context or the document and other script files in your project. One area I see this already being beneficial is co-author Workspace and Editor Add-ons with Gemini. This allows businesses to deploy domain solutions in a managed way.
Summary
Q3 2026 for me marks a decisive shift from data manipulation to agent-ready co-authoring across Google Workspace. Between standardized MCP server endpoints, non-destructive suggestion APIs, and upgraded Chat interactivity, it looks like the platform is laying the groundwork for agentic collaboration.
Explore the full list of changes and migration guides on the official release notes page, or subscribe to the feed to stay informed on upcoming releases.
The update brings AI assistance directly to the online Apps Script Editor. Rather than switching between browser tabs to copy code snippets, you can now generate, edit, and debug scripts with the help of Gemini. There is a dedicated Use the Gemini side panel in the Apps Script editor documentation page that includes a number of troubleshooting and best practices tips.
Testing the side panel with container bound scripts it was very useful to see that Gemini had the context of their parent document. For situations like building data processes in Google Sheets, this built-in context saves significant time as it is aware of the headings and existing data. In addition you can also use @drive_url to reference other files.
Less obvious is the option to run a custom Gem directly from the side panel menu. I’ve been experimenting using a Gem as a way of holding some Apps Script development skills. My current iteration is in this shared GASDev Gem.
[Update 06 Aug 2027: At this time it looks like Gems can be used in the Gemini side panel for the Apps Script IDE, but you can reference this skill doc e.g. Using @https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bng3y3ndTfRju0Ud9ANvdzXwdrhBvyvopQ0uniyUg_4/edit ...]
Overall, the side panel is a fantastic addition for both new and existing users looking to rapidly build custom solutions across Google Workspace. Personally it does cause some concern around users executing generated code without fully understanding its underlying logic or security permissions, particularly when you use services like Gmail and Drive.
The biggest news this quarter is Apps Script is officially a core Google Workspace service [Update: June 22, 2026]! This is a significant milestone as this provides enterprise-grade data protection and technical support to Apps Script for Google Workspace customers. For enterprise adoption, this means your scripts are now safeguarded with the exact same security parameters as Gmail, Calendar and Drive.
Google Drive Events Go GA
Configure event-driven architectures for your files now that subscriptions for Google Drive events are generally available [Update: May 18, 2026]. You can use the Google Workspace Events API to monitor changes within Google Drive and trigger automated workflows via Google Cloud Pub/Sub. To get started and to understand the capabilities you can check out a recent tutorial we published on exploring the Google Workspace Events API for event-driven Google Drive automation.
Workspace Model Context Protocol (MCP) Servers
Building on other recent announcements, Google announced the Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers launched in Developer Preview to Google Workspace services [Developer Preview: April 22, 2026]. This initial release provided the base servers for Calendar, Drive, Gmail and Chat. This momentum has continued with a steady stream of MCP-related updates appearing in the release notes. Shortly after the initial launch, the Chat MCP server expanded with search_messages and send_message tools [Update: May 07, 2026]. By late May, the Drive MCP server gained a copy_file tool [Update: May 21, 2026] to duplicate and redirect files programmatically. This rapid addition of specific tools shows a clear commitment to expanding these integrations.
Workspace API Quota Changes
As we see a potential increase in consumption of Workspace data via MCPs a future consideration might be the new tiering model for API usage quotas, which started rolling out earlier this quarter [Update: May 01, 2026]. Developers executing data migrations must also plan for these changes, in particular, the change to Google Drive API usage which is now measured in quota units rather than request counts and users face a strict 1 TB daily egress limit. Quota units for Gmail methods like drafts.get, messages.get and threads.trash have also shifted.
Expanded Chat App Interactions
The Google Chat API continues to expand its interaction options. Update your Chat apps to use the quoteType field in QuotedMessageMetadata to quote messages across different spaces or threads [Update: June 12, 2026]. You can also control notification delivery by setting the createMessageNotificationOptions field to either force push notifications or send messages silently. To monitor user activity, the Google Workspace Events API now supports subscriptions to user read state updates for both spaces and threads [Developer Preview: May 28, 2026]. Configure message actions for Google Chat apps or Workspace Add-ons through the Developer Preview Program so users can invoke your app directly from the message context menu [Developer Preview: April 10, 2026]. Additionally, call the FindGroupChats method to find a group chat with specific members [Update: April 15, 2026], and use the Chat API to create a custom section to organise conversations into personalised views [Update: April 01, 2026]. To simplify access, several methods including getting messages and space events now support app authentication with administrator approval [Update: March 31, 2026].
Integrate with Google Meet
For Google Meet integrations, use the phoneAccess and gatewaySipAccess fields on the spaces resource to identify a meeting space and join calls [Update: April 16, 2026]. You can also work with artifacts by retrieving smart notes files from conference records using the get and list methods on the smartNotes resource, or subscribe to Google Meet events to monitor when notes are started, ended or generated [Update: April 02, 2026].
Manage Calendars and Drive Approvals
Following the secondary calendar deprecation notice in Q1, administrators can now programmatically transfer the ownership of secondary calendars between users within the same organisation using the Calendar API [Update: June 18, 2026]. To refine event visibility, apply the new writerWithoutPrivateAccess calendar access level [Update: June 01, 2026]. This permits read and write access to non-private events while keeping private events obscured as busy blocks. Over in Google Drive, implement the new approvals resource methods to start, decline and manage file approvals programmatically [Update: April 21, 2026].
These updates are clear evidence that there is a lot going on in Google Workspace development.
In a recent special edition of the Google Workspace Developer News, host Chanel Greco shared a comprehensive summary of the platform announcements made at Google Cloud Next 2026. While the event covered a lot of ground, the standout story for me is the upcoming integration of Gemini directly into the Apps Script Editor. This update looks set to shift the development experience toward a natural language approach, allowing you to build and maintain automations without necessarily starting from a blank script.
AI-Assisted Development in the Apps Script Editor
The Gemini integration should help users in three specific ways. First you can ask Gemini to write your code from a prompt in the side panel (03:43). When you do this Gemini is able to create your different script project files including your manifest, Apps Script code and HTML.
Next, you can use Gemini to make changes to your existing code (03:56). Instead of hunting for the right line to edit, you can just tell the side panel what you want to change or improve. Gemini then shows you an inline diff, so you can review exactly what’s being updated before you hit save.
Finally, Gemini should help you fix errors much faster (04:10). When you run into a bug or a console error, you don’t have to try and guess what went wrong. You can get a context-aware explanation directly from your execution logs and apply a fix with a single click.
Apps Script as a Core Service
Another big announcement is that Apps Script is moving to a Google Workspace Core Service (04:21) starting in June 2026. This is a huge deal for enterprise developers because it means your custom scripts will have the same reliability, security and compliance standards as the rest of Workspace. It gives you that extra peace of mind that your critical automations are running on robust, enterprise-grade infrastructure.
Also Announced at Next 2026
The event included several other notable updates for the developer community:
Google Workspace MCP Server (00:15): Now available in public developer preview, the Workspace MCP Server acts as a bridge between AI agents and your Workspace data. It comes with dedicated APIs so your agents can work across Gmail, Drive, Calendar and Chat.
Universal Search (01:08): Coming soon, this will let an agent search through all your Workspace apps at once. Instead of looking in one specific place, the agent gets a full view of a user’s context across everything in the suite.
Workspace CLI (01:33): We are also getting an official Workspace CLI soon. It will be interesting to see what the differences are between this official tool and the early version of a Workspace CLI we recently discussed which focused on atomic skills and recipes.
Custom Chat Agents (02:08): There is a new set of APIs for building more powerful Chat apps. You’ll have much more control over the UI, including things like carousels and dynamic dropdowns, as well as full Markdown support for better-looking messages.
If you want to start playing with the new MCP Server, you can sign up through the Developer Preview Program.
Google Cloud Next 2026 in Las Vegas brought a wave of announcements for the Google Workspace. I recently watched the special edition recap featuring Workspace Studio Product Manager, Carlin Yuen, and host Chanel Greco. You can watch the full conversation here on YouTube. For those building solutions and managing integrations, I have broken down the key announcements and what they mean for our community. One caveat is there was no confirmation in the video on when all these new features will be available, however, my sense from reading the official wrap-up posts is that many are arriving very soon. In the case of Skills, it appears to be rolling out immediately.
Bringing Automation to the Surface
A recurring theme in Workspace is minimising the friction of context switching. To help with this, users will be able to request and generate automated workflows directly within the Gemini side panel (01:23). This brings the automation layer directly to the user’s immediate environment, removing the need to navigate away to separate developer consoles.
Image credit: Google
Beyond surface-level generation, the integration paths are expanding. One of the substantial updates is that Workspace users will be able to create flows that use NotebookLM notebook to both query and add sources (02:41). This enables automated Q&A and FAQ workflows, with the ability to dynamically add resources to notebooks :0.
For the power user and the Workspace administrator, the customisation updates are particularly relevant. We will be able to build custom triggers and steps using Google Apps Script (06:58) directly within these flows. This bridges the gap between low-code convenience and complex, proprietary logic. If you are integrating with external platforms, there will be new out-of-the-box connectors for services like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Jira. Webhooks are also fully supported for connecting to custom endpoints.
Another really interesting upcoming feature is the introduction of “Skills” (11:03). As we have seen recently discussed on AppsScriptPulse, Skills represent an emerging method for effective agentic automation. Instead of relying on monolithic scripts, this capability allows professionals to codify company guidelines, playbooks, or specialised know-how into reusable, atomic assets.
Image credit: Google
Security, Governance, and Transparency
As we build more autonomous flows that interact with shared resources, including posting to chat spaces and modifying shared Drive folders, this brings security considerations. Thankfully, the new updates include robust security and governance controls. A new unified Approvals page in Workspace Studio (08:21) will allow users to review and approve sensitive actions on their data before they execute.
Image credit: Google
For administrators, it looks like there will be a new management dashboards (09:53) that will provide clear visibility to manage agent access and permissions across the organisation.
Image credit: Google
A feature discussed but not shown in the video is users will see clear visual badges (10:35) indicating when an action was performed by an automated agent. This type of attribution is something I know will be valued by users and necessary for maintaining transparency in an increasingly automated work environment.
Q1 2026 Developer Roundup: Vertex AI, Agentic Add-ons, and the Growth of Workspace Studio
The first quarter of 2026 has been a significant period for the Google Workspace ecosystem, primarily focused on providing the tools needed to scale the “agentic” workflows we saw emerging late last year. From the arrival of the Vertex AI Advanced Service in Apps Script to the full rollout of Google Workspace Studio, the platform is becoming increasingly integrated and capable of supporting sophisticated, AI-driven automations.
Apps Script: AI is Now an Advanced Service
For many Apps Script developers, the standout update this quarter is the arrival of the Vertex AI Advanced Service. Launched in January, this service allows you to call the Vertex AI API and prompt Gemini models directly within your projects, removing the previous reliance on UrlFetchApp.
While the service represents a step forward by handling authentication natively, it currently has some limitations. As noted in our January deep dive, while the connection is simplified, it lacks support for key features like Grounding with Google Search or the specialised Image Generation and Editing models available in the broader Vertex AI API. For developers requiring these advanced capabilities or alternative authentication methods, such as service accounts, the manual UrlFetchApp approach remains a necessity for now, though we hope to see these gaps closed in future iterations.
Google Workspace Studio
As of March 19, 2026, Google Workspace Studio (formerly Workspace Flows) has launched to all Rapid and Scheduled Release domains. It provides a centralised hub for creating and managing AI agents without needing extensive code.
Looking ahead, we’re expecting even more extensibility. It hopefully won’t be long until the initially announced features, including the ability for agents to call external APIs via webhooks and the integration of custom Apps Script steps, are released. These additions will allow developers to bridge the gap between low-code convenience and the complex logic required for internal proprietary tools.
Google Chat: The Add-on Evolution & Interactive Cards
We’ve seen a continued effort from Google to unify the developer experience in Google Chat. A major milestone is the ability to convert interactive Chat apps into Google Workspace Add-ons. This allows for a single distribution through the Marketplace that can extend Chat alongside Gmail, Calendar, and Docs.
This shift is supported by the general availability of the AddOnsResponseService, along with Cloud Pub/Sub and Dialogflow integrations for Chat-based add-ons. Additionally, a new Developer Preview launched in March allows Chat apps to create and asynchronously update card-based messages on behalf of users.
Gmail & Postmaster Tools v2
For those managing high-volume email workflows, the Gmail Postmaster Tools API v2 reached general availability in February. This version provides deeper access to the full Postmaster Tools dataset, including compliance status and the queryDomainStats method for more flexible reporting on sender reputation.
Security, Permissions, and API Graduations
Governance and security remain a priority, with several key updates affecting how we manage data and access:
Drive API Access: The enforceExpansiveAccess parameter is now deprecated. To restrict access, developers are encouraged to use the “folders with limited access” configuration.
Secondary Calendar Management: Following community feedback, Google has postponed the deletion of orphan secondary calendars for paid accounts until October 5, 2026. To assist with this transition, a new Calendar API endpoint will launch by June 2026, allowing administrators to programmatically transfer ownership of individual secondary calendars.
Google Meet Security:Updated guidance advises against reusing Meet codes across different Calendar events to prevent unintended access. Developers should generate a unique conference using the createRequest field for every new event.
Granular OAuth: A gradual rollout of the granular OAuth consent screen has begun for Chat apps built with Apps Script, offering users more control over specific scope grants.
Classroom API:Student Groups endpoints have graduated to General Availability, enabling programmatic management of group memberships.
Marketplace API Deprecation: The licenseNotification resource has been deprecated. While there is no direct replacement, developers can monitor install events via Google Analytics.
Relational Power: JDBC Supports PostgreSQL
While not in the official release notes, a significant update for the community is the addition of PostgreSQL support to the Apps Script JDBC service. By supporting the jdbc:postgresql:// protocol, developers can now connect their automations directly to relational databases, moving beyond the traditional limits of Google Sheets for data storage.
The Road Ahead
The pace at which features are moving from Developer Preview to General Availability indicates a platform that is maturing rapidly. The roadmap for Google Workspace Studio also hints at extensibility including the anticipated release of custom triggers and actions built with Apps Script, a dedicated connectors platform for third-party tools like Jira and Salesforce, and the ability to integrate custom Vertex AI models directly into workflows will represent a fundamental change in how we handle complex data processing within Workspace automations.
The final quarter of 2025 has been a transformative period for the Google Workspace ecosystem, centred on the evolution of “Agentic” workflows. With the transition of Google Workspace Flows into the newly branded Google Workspace Studio, developers now have a centralised platform for building AI-powered automations. From deep Chat customisation to enhanced Meet artifacts, here’s a roundup of the key updates from October, November, and December that you need to know about.
Google Workspace Studio & Add-ons
The most significant shift this quarter is the general availability of Google Workspace Studio (formerly Workspace Flows). This platform allows developers to build AI agents that automate everyday work across the ecosystem.
Studio Extensions: Developers can now build Google Workspace Add-ons that extend Studio, allowing for custom logic and integrations within AI-driven processes (this feature is in “Limited Preview” likely due to the extended rollout period for Workspace Studio).
Dialogflow Integration: In a new developer preview, Chat apps built as Google Workspace add-ons can now use Dialogflow CX and Dialogflow ES, enabling more sophisticated natural language conversations within the Workspace interface.
Google Chat API: Deep Personalization
The Chat API received continued substantial updates focused on helping users organise information and enhancing app interactivity.
Custom Sections: A major developer preview now allows the Chat API to programmatically create and manage custom sections. Developers can now create, delete, and position these sections to organise conversations in a personalised view.
Membership Roles: Membership management has been refined with the introduction of new role types. In the Chat UI, existing space managers are now Owners, and a new Manager role (Role Assistant Manager) has been added to help administer spaces.
Meeting Identification: New fields for phoneAccess and gatewaySipAccess have been added to the spaces resource to help identify and join meeting spaces.
Google Drive API
Comment and Reply Events: In a new developer preview, developers can now subscribe to comment and reply events in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. This is a powerful feature for building reactive applications that monitor file collaboration in real-time.
Gmail & Calendar: Ownership and Insights
Postmaster Tools v2: The Gmail API v1 now offers a developer preview for Postmaster Tools v2. This includes compliance status data and the queryDomainStats method for flexible querying.
Secondary Calendar Ownership: As of November, secondary calendars have moved to a single data-owner model. This change restricts the ability to delete or manage secondary calendars to the designated data owner, preventing unintended actions across organisations.
The Road Ahead
This quarter has shown a clear trajectory toward more intelligent, “agentic” integrations within Google Workspace. From the rollout of Google Workspace Studio to the granular control provided by new Chat and Drive events, the platform is becoming increasingly responsive to automated workflows.
It will be exciting to see how the community uses these new capabilities in the coming months. As for the future of Apps Script, Q1 2026 I think will be very exciting, stay tuned!!!
The third quarter of 2025 has been a busy one, with a host of updates across various APIs. This quarter, there has been a strong focus on enhancing app authentication, improving API capabilities, and providing more granular control for Google Drive. Here’s a roundup of the key updates from July, August, and September that you need to know about.
Chat API
The Chat API has received a number of significant updates, with a strong emphasis on expanding the capabilities of Chat apps through app authentication. In a new developer preview, several methods, including those for getting and listing space events, now support app authentication with administrator approval. This allows apps to act on behalf of a user who has granted consent, opening up new possibilities for automation and integration.
In addition to the new authentication features, the Chat API now allows for the creation of carousels in card messages, providing a richer and more interactive user experience. We’ve also seen an increase in per-space quota limits for writing messages and reactions, which will be a welcome change for high-traffic apps.
The Admin SDK has seen several important updates in Q3, particularly within the Reports API. Developers can now get activity events forGmail andGemini in Workspace Apps, providing greater insight into how these tools are being used within an organisation.
A key feature for Drive management is the introduction of activity events for pre-fetched content, allowing administrators to better monitor and understand data access patterns.
Gmail API
The Gmail API has introduced Deal Cards in the Promotions tab, allowing developers to create more engaging and actionable promotional content. For organisations using client-side encryption, the API now supports smart cards, enhancing security for sensitive communications.
Google Drive API
A significant change has been made to how download, print, and copy restrictions are applied, giving owners and organisers more granular control over content. Previously, these restrictions could only be applied to users with reader roles, but now, owner and organizer roles can extend these restrictions to users with writer permissions as well.
For individual files, developers should now use the itemDownloadRestriction field, with the corresponding capabilities.canChangeItemDownloadRestriction field available to check modification permissions. Similar controls have been introduced for shared drives, using the downloadRestriction field within the Restrictions object. While the previous copyRequiresWriterPermission field remains, its functionality has changed, and Google recommends using the new system to manage content restrictions.
For developers working with events, the Drive API, in conjunction with the Google Workspace Events API, now supports subscriptions to a variety of Drive events, including file additions, moves, edits, and access proposals. This is a powerful feature for building reactive and real-time applications.
Google Workspace Events API
The Events API has been a major focus this quarter, with new features for both Chat and Drive. As mentioned the ability to subscribe to Drive events is a significant step forward, enabling developers to build applications that respond in real-time to changes in a user’s Drive.
The big news for add-on developers is the ability to build Google Chat apps as Google Workspace Add-ons, which is now generally available. This provides a unified framework for extending the functionality of Google Workspace applications.
Key Deprecations and Breaking Changes
As with any quarter, there have been some deprecations and breaking changes to be aware of:
Google Apps Script: The advanced service for the Google Analytics Management API and Reporting API is deprecated and has been replaced by the Google Analytics Data API Advanced Service.
This screenshot shows the new OAuth consent screen, which lets the user provide consent for a subset of the requested OAuth scopes. (Image credit: Google)
Earlier this year, we launched an improved version of the OAuth consent screen to the Apps Script IDE and unpublished Editor Add-ons that allows users to specify which individual scopes they would like to authorize for that script. For example, if a script requests access to a user’s Sheets and Forms files, and the users only intends to use the script with Sheets files, they can decide to only allow access to their spreadsheets and not their forms.
Google is continuing to enhance user privacy and control by extending the granular OAuth consent screen to published Editor Add-ons. This latest move builds upon the changes first introduced to the Apps Script IDE back in January, which we covered in detail at the time.
For those who missed it, this feature allows users to choose exactly which permissions (scopes) an application can access, rather than being forced into an “all-or-nothing” decision.
What’s Changing Now?
This more granular consent experience will now be presented to users when they install or re-authorize published Editor Add-ons from the Google Workspace Marketplace. When an add-on requests access, for instance to both a user’s Docs and Sheets, the user can now choose to approve one, both, or neither of those permissions.
While Google notes that “Pre-existing scope grants will not be affected”, it’s crucial for publishers of existing add-ons to understand that this new consent screen will appear if a user needs to re-consent. This can happen for several reasons, such as a user manually revoking the add-on’s access from their Google Account, or if a refresh token expires (e.g., after six months of inactivity). In these cases, existing users will be presented with the new granular options, and developers must be prepared for the possibility of partial authorisation.
A Reminder for Developers
As this functionality rolls out, starting on August 19 2025, it’s crucial for developers to ensure their add-ons can handle partial consent. If a user denies a specific scope that is essential for a feature, the add-on should fail gracefully without breaking.
As we detailed in our January post, the ScriptApp and AuthorizationInfo classes are your key tools for managing this. These allow you to programmatically check the granted scopes and build safeguards into your code. For a deeper dive into the methods and a guide on handling these scenarios, we recommend reviewing our original article.
