Googledocs Automation

Google Docs Automation via Rube MCP

Create, edit, search, export, and manage Google Docs documents programmatically using Rube MCP (Claude Skill).

Toolkit docs: claude-skills.ai/toolkits/googledocs

Prerequisites

• Rube MCP must be connected (RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS available)
• Active connection via RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit googledocs
• Always call RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS first to get current tool schemas

Setup

Get Rube MCP: Add https://rube.app/mcp as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed — just add the endpoint and it works.

1. Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS responds
2. Call RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit googledocs
3. If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete setup
4. Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows

Core Workflows

1. Create a New Document

Use GOOGLEDOCS_CREATE_DOCUMENT to create a new Google Doc with a title and initial text content.

Tool: GOOGLEDOCS_CREATE_DOCUMENT
Parameters:
  - title (required): Document filename/title
  - text (required): Initial text content to insert into the document

2. Search for Documents

Use GOOGLEDOCS_SEARCH_DOCUMENTS to find Google Docs by name, content, date, or sharing status.

Tool: GOOGLEDOCS_SEARCH_DOCUMENTS
Parameters:
  - query: Search query string
  - max_results: Limit number of results
  - modified_after / created_after: Filter by date
  - shared_with_me: Filter shared documents
  - starred_only: Filter starred documents
  - include_shared_drives: Search shared drives
  - order_by: Sort results
  - page_token: Pagination token

3. Update Document Content with Markdown

Use GOOGLEDOCS_UPDATE_DOCUMENT_MARKDOWN to replace the entire content of a document with Markdown-formatted text.

Tool: GOOGLEDOCS_UPDATE_DOCUMENT_MARKDOWN
Parameters:
  - id (required): Document ID
  - markdown (required): Markdown content to replace entire document body

4. Find and Replace Text

Use GOOGLEDOCS_REPLACE_ALL_TEXT to replace all occurrences of a string in a document.

Tool: GOOGLEDOCS_REPLACE_ALL_TEXT
Parameters:
  - document_id (required): Target document ID
  - find_text (required): Text to search for
  - replace_text (required): Replacement text
  - match_case: Case-sensitive matching (boolean)
  - search_by_regex: Use regex for find_text
  - tab_ids: Specific tabs to search

5. Export Document as PDF

Use GOOGLEDOCS_EXPORT_DOCUMENT_AS_PDF to export a Google Doc to PDF format.

Tool: GOOGLEDOCS_EXPORT_DOCUMENT_AS_PDF
Parameters:
  - file_id (required): Document file ID
  - filename: Output PDF filename

6. Copy a Document

Use GOOGLEDOCS_COPY_DOCUMENT to duplicate an existing Google Doc.

Tool: GOOGLEDOCS_COPY_DOCUMENT
Parameters:
  - document_id (required): Source document ID to copy
  - title: Title for the new copy
  - include_shared_drives: Search shared drives for the source

Common Patterns

• Search then edit: Use GOOGLEDOCS_SEARCH_DOCUMENTS to find a document by name, then use the returned document ID with GOOGLEDOCS_UPDATE_DOCUMENT_MARKDOWN or GOOGLEDOCS_REPLACE_ALL_TEXT to modify it.
• Create from template: Use GOOGLEDOCS_COPY_DOCUMENT to duplicate a template, then GOOGLEDOCS_REPLACE_ALL_TEXT to fill in placeholder text.
• Retrieve then update: Use GOOGLEDOCS_GET_DOCUMENT_BY_ID to read current content, then apply edits with GOOGLEDOCS_UPDATE_EXISTING_DOCUMENT.
• Batch text insertion: Use GOOGLEDOCS_INSERT_TEXT_ACTION to insert text at specific positions (by index) or append to the end of a document.
• Share documents: Combine with GOOGLEDRIVE_ADD_FILE_SHARING_PREFERENCE (googledrive toolkit) to share documents after creation.

Known Pitfalls

• GOOGLEDOCS_UPDATE_DOCUMENT_MARKDOWN replaces the entire document content -- it does not append. Use it for full rewrites only.
• GOOGLEDOCS_INSERT_TEXT_ACTION requires a precise insertion_index (character position). Set append_to_end: true to safely add text at the end.
• GOOGLEDOCS_UPDATE_EXISTING_DOCUMENT requires constructing an editDocs request body with raw Google Docs API batch update requests -- consult the API documentation for the correct structure.
• Document IDs and file IDs are the same value for Google Docs, but parameter names differ across tools (id, document_id, file_id).
• GOOGLEDOCS_SEARCH_DOCUMENTS uses Google Drive search syntax for the query parameter (e.g., name contains 'report').

Quick Reference

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