---
summary: "Google Chat app support status, capabilities, and configuration"
read_when:
  - Working on Google Chat channel features
title: "Google Chat"
---

# Google Chat (Chat API)

Status: ready for DMs + spaces via Google Chat API webhooks (HTTP only).

## Quick setup (beginner)

1. Create a Google Cloud project and enable the **Google Chat API**.
   - Go to: [Google Chat API Credentials](https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/api/chat.googleapis.com/credentials)
   - Enable the API if it is not already enabled.
2. Create a **Service Account**:
   - Press **Create Credentials** > **Service Account**.
   - Name it whatever you want (e.g., `gensparx-chat`).
   - Leave permissions blank (press **Continue**).
   - Leave principals with access blank (press **Done**).
3. Create and download the **JSON Key**:
   - In the list of service accounts, click on the one you just created.
   - Go to the **Keys** tab.
   - Click **Add Key** > **Create new key**.
   - Select **JSON** and press **Create**.
4. Store the downloaded JSON file on your gateway host (e.g., `~/.gensparx/googlechat-service-account.json`).
5. Create a Google Chat app in the [Google Cloud Console Chat Configuration](https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/api/chat.googleapis.com/hangouts-chat):
   - Fill in the **Application info**:
     - **App name**: (e.g. `Gensparx`)
     - **Avatar URL**: (e.g. `https://gensparx.com/logo.png`)
     - **Description**: (e.g. `Personal AI Assistant`)
   - Enable **Interactive features**.
   - Under **Functionality**, check **Join spaces and group conversations**.
   - Under **Connection settings**, select **HTTP endpoint URL**.
   - Under **Triggers**, select **Use a common HTTP endpoint URL for all triggers** and set it to your gateway's public URL followed by `/googlechat`.
     - _Tip: Run `gensparx status` to find your gateway's public URL._
   - Under **Visibility**, check **Make this Chat app available to specific people and groups in &lt;Your Domain&gt;**.
   - Enter your email address (e.g. `user@example.com`) in the text box.
   - Click **Save** at the bottom.
6. **Enable the app status**:
   - After saving, **refresh the page**.
   - Look for the **App status** section (usually near the top or bottom after saving).
   - Change the status to **Live - available to users**.
   - Click **Save** again.
7. Configure gensparx with the service account path + webhook audience:
   - Env: `GOOGLE_CHAT_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_FILE=/path/to/service-account.json`
   - Or config: `channels.googlechat.serviceAccountFile: "/path/to/service-account.json"`.
8. Set the webhook audience type + value (matches your Chat app config).
9. Start the gateway. Google Chat will POST to your webhook path.

## Add to Google Chat

Once the gateway is running and your email is added to the visibility list:

1. Go to [Google Chat](https://chat.google.com/).
2. Click the **+** (plus) icon next to **Direct Messages**.
3. In the search bar (where you usually add people), type the **App name** you configured in the Google Cloud Console.
   - **Note**: The bot will _not_ appear in the "Marketplace" browse list because it is a private app. You must search for it by name.
4. Select your bot from the results.
5. Click **Add** or **Chat** to start a 1:1 conversation.
6. Send "Hello" to trigger the assistant!

## Public URL (Webhook-only)

Google Chat webhooks require a public HTTPS endpoint. For security, **only expose the `/googlechat` path** to the internet. Keep the gensparx dashboard and other sensitive endpoints on your private network.

### Option A: Tailscale Funnel (Recommended)

Use Tailscale Serve for the private dashboard and Funnel for the public webhook path. This keeps `/` private while exposing only `/googlechat`.

1. **Check what address your gateway is bound to:**

   ```bash
   ss -tlnp | grep 18789
   ```

   Note the IP address (e.g., `127.0.0.1`, `0.0.0.0`, or your Tailscale IP like `100.x.x.x`).

2. **Expose the dashboard to the tailnet only (port 8443):**

   ```bash
   # If bound to localhost (127.0.0.1 or 0.0.0.0):
   tailscale serve --bg --https 8443 http://127.0.0.1:18789

   # If bound to Tailscale IP only (e.g., 100.106.161.80):
   tailscale serve --bg --https 8443 http://100.106.161.80:18789
   ```

3. **Expose only the webhook path publicly:**

   ```bash
   # If bound to localhost (127.0.0.1 or 0.0.0.0):
   tailscale funnel --bg --set-path /googlechat http://127.0.0.1:18789/googlechat

   # If bound to Tailscale IP only (e.g., 100.106.161.80):
   tailscale funnel --bg --set-path /googlechat http://100.106.161.80:18789/googlechat
   ```

4. **Authorize the node for Funnel access:**
   If prompted, visit the authorization URL shown in the output to enable Funnel for this node in your tailnet policy.

5. **Verify the configuration:**

   ```bash
   tailscale serve status
   tailscale funnel status
   ```

Your public webhook URL will be:
`https://<node-name>.<tailnet>.ts.net/googlechat`

Your private dashboard stays tailnet-only:
`https://<node-name>.<tailnet>.ts.net:8443/`

Use the public URL (without `:8443`) in the Google Chat app config.

> Note: This configuration persists across reboots. To remove it later, run `tailscale funnel reset` and `tailscale serve reset`.

### Option B: Reverse Proxy (Caddy)

If you use a reverse proxy like Caddy, only proxy the specific path:

```caddy
your-domain.com {
    reverse_proxy /googlechat* localhost:18789
}
```

With this config, any request to `your-domain.com/` will be ignored or returned as 404, while `your-domain.com/googlechat` is safely routed to Gensparx.

### Option C: Cloudflare Tunnel

Configure your tunnel's ingress rules to only route the webhook path:

- **Path**: `/googlechat` -> `http://localhost:18789/googlechat`
- **Default Rule**: HTTP 404 (Not Found)

## How it works

1. Google Chat sends webhook POSTs to the gateway. Each request includes an `Authorization: Bearer <token>` header.
   - gensparx verifies bearer auth before reading/parsing full webhook bodies when the header is present.
   - Google Workspace Add-on requests that carry `authorizationEventObject.systemIdToken` in the body are supported via a stricter pre-auth body budget.
2. gensparx verifies the token against the configured `audienceType` + `audience`:
   - `audienceType: "app-url"` → audience is your HTTPS webhook URL.
   - `audienceType: "project-number"` → audience is the Cloud project number.
3. Messages are routed by space:
   - DMs use session key `agent:<agentId>:googlechat:dm:<spaceId>`.
   - Spaces use session key `agent:<agentId>:googlechat:group:<spaceId>`.
4. DM access is pairing by default. Unknown senders receive a pairing code; approve with:
   - `gensparx pairing approve googlechat <code>`
5. Group spaces require @-mention by default. Use `botUser` if mention detection needs the app’s user name.

## Targets

Use these identifiers for delivery and allowlists:

- Direct messages: `users/<userId>` (recommended).
- Raw email `name@example.com` is mutable and only used for direct allowlist matching when `channels.googlechat.dangerouslyAllowNameMatching: true`.
- Deprecated: `users/<email>` is treated as a user id, not an email allowlist.
- Spaces: `spaces/<spaceId>`.

## Config highlights

```json5
{
  channels: {
    googlechat: {
      enabled: true,
      serviceAccountFile: "/path/to/service-account.json",
      // or serviceAccountRef: { source: "file", provider: "filemain", id: "/channels/googlechat/serviceAccount" }
      audienceType: "app-url",
      audience: "https://gateway.example.com/googlechat",
      webhookPath: "/googlechat",
      botUser: "users/1234567890", // optional; helps mention detection
      dm: {
        policy: "pairing",
        allowFrom: ["users/1234567890"],
      },
      groupPolicy: "allowlist",
      groups: {
        "spaces/AAAA": {
          allow: true,
          requireMention: true,
          users: ["users/1234567890"],
          systemPrompt: "Short answers only.",
        },
      },
      actions: { reactions: true },
      typingIndicator: "message",
      mediaMaxMb: 20,
    },
  },
}
```

Notes:

- Service account credentials can also be passed inline with `serviceAccount` (JSON string).
- `serviceAccountRef` is also supported (env/file SecretRef), including per-account refs under `channels.googlechat.accounts.<id>.serviceAccountRef`.
- Default webhook path is `/googlechat` if `webhookPath` isn’t set.
- `dangerouslyAllowNameMatching` re-enables mutable email principal matching for allowlists (break-glass compatibility mode).
- Reactions are available via the `reactions` tool and `channels action` when `actions.reactions` is enabled.
- `typingIndicator` supports `none`, `message` (default), and `reaction` (reaction requires user OAuth).
- Attachments are downloaded through the Chat API and stored in the media pipeline (size capped by `mediaMaxMb`).

Secrets reference details: [Secrets Management](/gateway/secrets).

## Troubleshooting

### 405 Method Not Allowed

If Google Cloud Logs Explorer shows errors like:

```
status code: 405, reason phrase: HTTP error response: HTTP/1.1 405 Method Not Allowed
```

This means the webhook handler isn't registered. Common causes:

1. **Channel not configured**: The `channels.googlechat` section is missing from your config. Verify with:

   ```bash
   gensparx config get channels.googlechat
   ```

   If it returns "Config path not found", add the configuration (see [Config highlights](#config-highlights)).

2. **Plugin not enabled**: Check plugin status:

   ```bash
   gensparx plugins list | grep googlechat
   ```

   If it shows "disabled", add `plugins.entries.googlechat.enabled: true` to your config.

3. **Gateway not restarted**: After adding config, restart the gateway:

   ```bash
   gensparx gateway restart
   ```

Verify the channel is running:

```bash
gensparx channels status
# Should show: Google Chat default: enabled, configured, ...
```

### Other issues

- Check `gensparx channels status --probe` for auth errors or missing audience config.
- If no messages arrive, confirm the Chat app's webhook URL + event subscriptions.
- If mention gating blocks replies, set `botUser` to the app's user resource name and verify `requireMention`.
- Use `gensparx logs --follow` while sending a test message to see if requests reach the gateway.

Related docs:

- [Gateway configuration](/gateway/configuration)
- [Security](/gateway/security)
- [Reactions](/tools/reactions)
