---
title: Elastic Gmail connector reference
description: The Elastic GMail connector is a connector for GMail. This connector is available as a self-managed connector from the Elastic connector framework. This...
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/search-connectors/es-connectors-gmail
products:
- Elasticsearch
---
# Elastic Gmail connector reference
The *Elastic GMail connector* is a [connector](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/search-connectors) for GMail.
## **Self-managed connector reference**
### Availability and prerequisites
This connector is available as a self-managed connector from the **Elastic connector framework**.
This self-managed connector is compatible with Elastic versions **8.10.0+**.
To use this connector, satisfy all [self-managed connector requirements](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/search-connectors/self-managed-connectors).
### Create a Gmail connector
#### Use the UI
To create a new Gmail connector:
1. In the Kibana UI, search for "connectors" using the [global search field](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/explore-analyze/query-filter/filtering#_finding_your_apps_and_objects) and choose the "Elasticsearch" connectors.
2. Follow the instructions to create a new **Gmail** self-managed connector.
#### Use the API
You can use the Elasticsearch [Create connector API](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/group/endpoint-connector) to create a new self-managed Gmail self-managed connector.
For example:
```json
{
"index_name": "my-elasticsearch-index",
"name": "Content synced from Gmail",
"service_type": "gmail"
}
```
The user needs the cluster privileges `manage_api_key`, `manage_connector` and `write_connector_secrets` to generate API keys programmatically.
To create an API key for the connector:
1. Run the following command, replacing values where indicated. Note the `encoded` return values from the response:
```json
{
"name": "connector_name-connector-api-key",
"role_descriptors": {
"connector_name-connector-role": {
"cluster": [
"monitor",
"manage_connector"
],
"indices": [
{
"names": [
"index_name",
".search-acl-filter-index_name",
".elastic-connectors*"
],
"privileges": [
"all"
],
"allow_restricted_indices": false
}
]
}
}
}
```
2. Update your `config.yml` file with the API key `encoded` value.
Refer to the [Elasticsearch API documentation](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/group/endpoint-connector) for details of all available Connector APIs.
### Usage
To use this connector as a **self-managed connector**, use the **Connector** workflow in the Kibana UI.
For additional operations, see [*Connectors UI in Kibana*](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/search-connectors/connectors-ui-in-kibana).
### Connector authentication prerequisites
Before syncing any data from GMail, you need to create a [service account](https://cloud.google.com/iam/docs/service-account-overview) with appropriate access to the GMail and the Google Directory API, which is part of the Google Admin SDK API. You also need to enable domain-wide delegation to impersonate the users you’re fetching messages from.
To get started, log into [Google Cloud Platform](https://cloud.google.com) and go to the `Console`.
1. **Create a Google Cloud Project.** Give your project a name, change the project ID and click the Create button.
2. **Enable Google APIs.** Choose APIs & Services from the left menu and click on `Enable APIs and Services`. You need to enable **GMail API** and the **Google Admin SDK API**.
3. **Create a Service Account.** In the `APIs & Services` section, click on `Credentials` and click on `Create credentials` to create a service account. Give your service account a name and a service account ID. This is like an email address and will be used to identify your service account in the future. Click `Done` to finish creating the service account.
Your service account needs to have access to at least the following scope:
- `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.readonly`
4. **Create a Key File**.
- In the Cloud Console, go to `IAM and Admin` > `Service accounts` page.
- Click the email address of the service account that you want to create a key for.
- Click the `Keys` tab. Click the `Add key` drop-down menu, then select `Create new key`.
- Select JSON as the Key type and then click `Create`. This will download a JSON file that will contain the service account credentials.
5. **Google Workspace domain-wide delegation of authority**.
To access user data like messages on a Google Workspace domain, the service account that you created needs to be granted access by a super administrator for the domain. You can follow [the official documentation](https://developers.google.com/cloud-search/docs/guides/delegation) to perform Google Workspace domain-wide delegation of authority.
You need to grant the following **OAuth Scopes** to your service account:
- `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.user.readonly`
- `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.group.readonly`
- `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.readonly`
This step allows the connector to access user data and their group memberships in your Google Workspace organization.
### Configuration
The following configuration fields are required:
The service account credentials generated from Google Cloud Platform (JSON string). Refer to the [Google Cloud documentation](https://developers.google.com/workspace/guides/create-credentials#create_credentials_for_a_service_account) for more information.
Google Workspace admin email. Required to enable document level security (DLS). A service account with delegated authority can impersonate an admin user with permissions to access Google Workspace user data and their group memberships. Refer to the [Google Cloud documentation](https://support.google.com/a/answer/162106?hl=en) for more information.
Google customer id. Required to fetch messages and to enable document level security (DLS). Go to `Google Workspace Admin Console` → `Account` and copy the value under `Customer Id`.
Toggle to fetch spam and trash emails. Also works with DLS.
Toggle to enable [document level security (DLS](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/search-connectors/document-level-security). DLS is supported for the GMail connector. When enabled:
- Full syncs will fetch access control lists for each document and store them in the `_allow_access_control` field.
- Access control syncs will fetch users' access control lists and store them in a separate index.
### Deployment using Docker
You can deploy the Gmail connector as a self-managed connector using Docker. Follow these instructions.
Download the sample configuration file. You can either download it manually or run the following command:
```sh
curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/elastic/connectors/main/app/connectors_service/config.yml.example --output ~/connectors-config/config.yml
```
Remember to update the `--output` argument value if your directory name is different, or you want to use a different config file name.
Update the configuration file with the following settings to match your environment:
- `elasticsearch.host`
- `elasticsearch.api_key`
- `connectors`
If you’re running the connector service against a Dockerized version of Elasticsearch and Kibana, your config file will look like this:
```yaml
# When connecting to your cloud deployment you should edit the host value
elasticsearch.host: http://host.docker.internal:9200
elasticsearch.api_key:
connectors:
-
connector_id:
service_type: gmail
api_key:
```
Using the `elasticsearch.api_key` is the recommended authentication method. However, you can also use `elasticsearch.username` and `elasticsearch.password` to authenticate with your Elasticsearch instance.Note: You can change other default configurations by simply uncommenting specific settings in the configuration file and modifying their values.
Run the Docker image with the Connector Service using the following command:
```sh
docker run \
-v ~/connectors-config:/config \
--network "elastic" \
--tty \
--rm \
docker.elastic.co/integrations/elastic-connectors:9.3.2 \
/app/bin/elastic-ingest \
-c /config/config.yml
```
Refer to [`DOCKER.md`](https://github.com/elastic/connectors/tree/main/docs/DOCKER.md) in the `elastic/connectors` repo for more details.
Find all available Docker images in the [official registry](https://www.docker.elastic.co/r/integrations/elastic-connectors).
We also have a quickstart self-managed option using Docker Compose, so you can spin up all required services at once: Elasticsearch, Kibana, and the connectors service. Refer to this [README](https://github.com/elastic/connectors/tree/main/scripts/stack#readme) in the `elastic/connectors` repo for more information.
### Documents and syncs
The connector will fetch all messages of all users the service account has access to.
#### Sync types
[Full syncs](/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/search-connectors/content-syncs#es-connectors-sync-types-full) are supported by default for all connectors.
This connector also supports [incremental syncs](/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/search-connectors/content-syncs#es-connectors-sync-types-incremental).
### Sync rules
[Basic sync rules](/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/search-connectors/es-sync-rules#es-sync-rules-basic) are identical for all connectors and are available by default.
Advanced sync rules are available for this connector. The connector supports the [GMail advanced search syntax](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/7190) under the `messages` field.
For example:
```js
{
"messages": [
"before:2021/10/10",
"from:amy"
]
}
```
### Document level security
Document level security (DLS) enables you to restrict access to documents based on a user’s permissions. Refer to [configuration](#es-connectors-gmail-client-configuration) on this page for how to enable DLS for this connector.
Refer to [DLS in Search Applications](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/search-connectors/es-dls-e2e-guide) to learn how to ingest data from a connector with DLS enabled, when building a search application. The example uses SharePoint Online as the data source, but the same steps apply to every connector.
### Known issues
There are currently no known issues for this connector.
### Troubleshooting
See [Troubleshooting](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/search-connectors/es-connectors-troubleshooting).
### Security
See [Security](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/search-connectors/es-connectors-security).
### Framework and source
This connector is built in Python with the [Elastic connector framework](https://github.com/elastic/connectors/tree/main).
View the [source code for this connector](https://github.com/elastic/connectors/tree/main/app/connectors_service/connectors/sources/gmail) (branch *main*, compatible with Elastic *9.0*).