Connect Gmail to GitHub Copilot CLI
Give GitHub Copilot CLI governed access to Gmail’s 16 tools through Runlayer, with identity, policy, scanning, and audit on every call.
Set up
Add Gmail to GitHub Copilot CLI in four steps
Admins approve the server once. Everyone in GitHub Copilot CLI then gets it through the same governed connection.
- 1
Approve Gmail in Runlayer
Add Gmail from the catalog and choose who can use it and which of its tools are allowed.
- 2
Connect GitHub Copilot CLI to Runlayer
Users add the Runlayer Plugin to GitHub Copilot CLI by following Runlayer’s setup guide. GitHub Copilot CLI reaches Gmail’s 16 tools through the Runlayer Plugin’s search and execute tools instead of listing each one.
GitHub Copilot CLI setup guide - 3
Sign in to Gmail
Sign in the way Gmail requires. Runlayer holds the credentials so they stay out of the client’s configuration.
- 4
Use Gmail from GitHub Copilot CLI
Gmail’s approved tools appear in GitHub Copilot CLI. Every call is checked against policy and recorded.
Tools
16 Gmail tools in GitHub Copilot CLI
Runlayer policy decides which of these GitHub Copilot CLI users can call. 6 read data only.
Add labels
Add one or more labels to a message or multiple messages
Archive messages
Archive one or more messages (remove from inbox)
Create draft
Create a draft email that can be edited later or sent
Create label
Create a new label in the user's Gmail account
Fetch attachment
Fetch a Gmail message attachment.
Fetch message
Fetch the full content of a Gmail message using its message ID (don't use external tools to read messages)
List drafts
List all draft messages with pagination support
List labels
List all available labels in the Gmail account
Control
What Runlayer can see and stop in GitHub Copilot CLI
Some controls apply to every client at the gateway. Others depend on what GitHub Copilot CLI exposes to Runlayer.
Gateway policy (available)
Every Gmail call from GitHub Copilot CLI passes through Runlayer, where your policies can allow, alert, mask, or block it.
Audit trail (available)
Each call is recorded with the user, GitHub Copilot CLI as the client, the tool, and the policy and scanner decisions.
Client hooks (available)
Capture supported prompts, reasoning, local and MCP tool calls, responses, and scanner decisions in real time.
Stop a call before it runs (available)
Runlayer can deny a tool call or permission request before GitHub Copilot CLI runs it.
Block output after it runs (available)
Runlayer can block a tool’s output before GitHub Copilot CLI’s model sees it.
Redact output in place (available)
Runlayer can mask sensitive parts of a successful tool’s output in GitHub Copilot CLI and pass the rest through.
In GitHub Copilot CLI
- When a tool fails, Runlayer records the error but cannot replace it.
Frequently asked questions
Connect more