Google Docs Manager Skill

Google Docs Manager Skill

Expert in managing and editing Google Docs with comprehensive read/​write/​update operations, advanced formatting, styling, table of contents, images, and tables.

Core Capabilities

Document Management

• Create & Copy: Create blank documents or copy from templates (Template v2)
• Content Editing: Insert, update, delete text with advanced formatting
• Structure Navigation: Get document structure, navigate by headings

Advanced Text Formatting

• Text Styles: Bold, italic, underline, strikethrough
• Colors: Apply RGB colors to text
• Font Size: Change font size in points
• Alignment: Left (START), center, right (END), justified

Lists

• Bulleted Lists: Multiple styles (disc, checkbox, arrow, diamond)
• Numbered Lists: Hierarchical numbering (1. a. i.)
• Remove Lists: Convert lists back to normal text

Advanced Table Operations

• Create Tables: Insert formatted tables from CSV with legends
• Modify Structure: Add/​delete rows and columns dynamically
• Update Content: Edit individual cell content
• Style Cells: Apply background colors and padding
• Merge/​Unmerge: Create complex table layouts

Advanced Image Features

• Insert Images: Add images with legends from URLs
• Resize: Control image width and height
• Borders: Add colored borders to images
• Text Wrapping: Control how text flows around images

Document Structure

• Headers & Footers: Add custom headers/​footers with page numbers
• Table of Contents: Auto-generate and update TOC
• Markdown Support: Convert markdown to Google Docs (utility)

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when users request:

Basic Operations

• "Create a new Google Doc from the template"
• "Read the content of this document"
• "Update chapter 3 in the document"
• "Convert this markdown to a Google Doc"
• "Get the content of the 'Introduction' section"

Advanced Formatting

• "Make this text bold and red"
• "Apply amber color (#bf9000) to this status text"
• "Make this text green (#38761d) and bold"
• "Add strikethrough to this paragraph"
• "Center align this section"
• "Change the font size to 14 points"
• "Apply underline formatting"

Lists

• "Create a bulleted list with checkboxes"
• "Add numbered bullets to these items"
• "Convert this list back to normal text"

Table Operations

• "Add a table with this data"
• "Add 3 more rows to the table"
• "Delete the second column"
• "Update cell B3 with new data"
• "Merge the header cells"
• "Make the header row gray"

Image Operations

• "Insert this image with a caption"
• "Resize the image to 600x400"
• "Add a black border to the image"

Document Structure

• "Add a header with the company name"
• "Add a footer with page numbers"
• "Update the table of contents"

Document Creation Workflow

Template v2 - Standard Document Template

IMPORTANT: When creating new documents, always use the copy command to duplicate from "Template v2" rather than creating blank documents.

Template v2 Document ID: 1lcUWzmqtj-h0OMdM_NcvDN_qa4EyAfwCgE-IZUAlLPc

Workflow:

1. Copy Template v2: Use copy command with Template v2 ID, new title, and target folder
2. Populate Content: Use set-markdown or update-section to add content

Example:

# Step 1: Copy Template v2 to create new document
google-docs-manager copy 1lcUWzmqtj-h0OMdM_NcvDN_qa4EyAfwCgE-IZUAlLPc "My New Article" --folder <FOLDER_ID>

# Step 2: Add content
google-docs-manager set-markdown <NEW_DOC_ID> content.md

Why use Template v2?

• Pre-configured styles (Title, Headings 1-5, Normal Text)
• Consistent formatting across all documents
• Saves time compared to styling from scratch
• Medical articles must be written as text content, not markdown formatting

Available Tools

Google Docs Manager Binary

Location: ~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager

Type: Standalone Go binary (no Python dependencies required)

Source Code: ~/​projects/​new/​google-docs-manager/

Usage:

Basic Document Operations:

# Create new document (blank)
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager create <title> --folder <folder_id>

# Copy existing document (RECOMMENDED for creating from templates)
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager copy <source_document_id> <new_title> --folder <folder_id>

# Read document (full content as markdown)
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager read <document_id>

# Get document structure (headings with indices)
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager get-structure <document_id>

# Set content from markdown
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager set-markdown <document_id> <markdown_file>

# Update section from markdown
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager update-section <document_id> <heading_text> <markdown_file>

# Insert after section
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager insert-after <document_id> <heading_text> <markdown_file>

# Get document info
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager info <document_id>

Text Operations:

# Delete text range
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager delete-text <document_id> <start_index> <end_index>

# Format text (bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, color, font-size)
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager format-text <document_id> <start_index> <end_index> \
    [--bold] [--italic] [--underline] [--strikethrough] \
    [--color "R,G,B"] [--font-size N]

# Color Format Details:
# --color accepts RGB values as comma-separated integers (0-255)
# Format: "R,G,B" where R=Red, G=Green, B=Blue
#
# Hex to RGB Conversion:
# To convert hex colors (e.g., #bf9000) to RGB:
# 1. Split hex into pairs: #bf9000 → bf, 90, 00
# 2. Convert each pair from hex to decimal:
#    - bf (hex) = 191 (decimal)
#    - 90 (hex) = 144 (decimal)
#    - 00 (hex) = 0 (decimal)
# 3. Result: "191,144,0"
#
# Common Colors:
# - Black: "0,0,0" (#000000)
# - White: "255,255,255" (#ffffff)
# - Red: "255,0,0" (#ff0000)
# - Green: "0,255,0" (#00ff00)
# - Blue: "0,0,255" (#0000ff)
# - Dark Red: "153,0,0" (#990000)
# - Dark Green: "56,118,29" (#38761d)
# - Amber/​Orange: "191,144,0" (#bf9000)
#
# Examples:
# Apply amber color to text at indices 100-115:
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager format-text DOC_ID 100 115 --color "191,144,0"
#
# Apply dark green with bold:
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager format-text DOC_ID 200 210 --bold --color "56,118,29"
#
# Apply black color (default):
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager format-text DOC_ID 300 315 --color "0,0,0"

# Align paragraph
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager align-paragraph <document_id> <start_index> <end_index> <ALIGNMENT>
# ALIGNMENT: START (left), CENTER, END (right), JUSTIFIED

List Operations:

# Create bulleted list
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager create-bullets <document_id> <start_index> <end_index> [--style STYLE]
# STYLES: BULLET_DISC_CIRCLE_SQUARE (default), BULLET_CHECKBOX, BULLET_ARROW_DIAMOND_DISC, BULLET_DIAMONDX_ARROW3D_SQUARE

# Create numbered list
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager create-numbered <document_id> <start_index> <end_index>

# Remove bullets/​numbering
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager remove-bullets <document_id> <start_index> <end_index>

Table Operations:

# Insert table from CSV
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager insert-table <document_id> <csv_file> [--legend LEGEND] [--index INDEX]

# Update cell content
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager update-table-cell <document_id> <table_index> <row_index> <column_index> "text"

# Style cell (background color)
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager style-table-cell <document_id> <table_index> <row_index> <column_index> \
    [--bg-color "R,G,B"]
# Note: --bg-color uses same RGB format as --color (see format-text color documentation above)
# Example: --bg-color "191,144,0" for amber (#bf9000)

Image Operations:

# Insert image
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager insert-image <document_id> <image_url> [--legend LEGEND] [--index INDEX]

Headers & Footers:

# Add/​update header
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager add-header <document_id> <text> [--page-number]

# Add/​update footer
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager add-footer <document_id> <text> [--page-number]

Examples:

# Create a new document
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager create "Q4 Report" 1folderabc123

# Read full document
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager read 1docabc123xyz

# Get document structure
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager get-structure 1docabc123xyz

# Set content from markdown file
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager set-markdown 1docabc123xyz content.md

# Update specific section
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager update-section 1docabc123xyz "Methodology" methodology.md

# Insert table with legend
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager insert-table 1docabc123xyz data.csv --legend "Table 1: Sales Data Q4 2024"

# Insert image with legend
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager insert-image 1docabc123xyz "https://example.com/​chart.png" --legend "Figure 1: Revenue Trends"

# Apply color formatting (convert hex #bf9000 to RGB 191,144,0)
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager format-text 1docabc123xyz 100 115 --color "191,144,0"

# Apply multiple formatting options (green + bold)
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager format-text 1docabc123xyz 200 215 --bold --color "56,118,29"

How It Works: The binary is a standalone Go executable that:

• Requires no Python installation or virtual environment
• Uses OAuth2 credentials stored in ~/​.credentials/
• Provides fast, direct access to Google Docs API
• Can be rebuilt from source at ~/​projects/​new/​google-docs-manager/

Default Styles

Documents created with the create command use standard Google Docs styles:

• Title style (for # title)
• Heading 1 style (for ## chapter)
• Heading 2 style (for ### sub-chapter)
• Heading 3 style (for #### sub-sub-chapter)
• Heading 4 style (for ##### sub-sub-sub-chapter)
• Heading 5 style (for ###### sub-sub-sub-sub-chapter)

Markdown to Google Docs Mapping

Note: Italic formatting supports both asterisk (*text*) and underscore (_text_) syntax. This is particularly useful for scientific names and technical terms that conventionally use underscores in markdown (e.g., _Chlamydophila pneumoniae_).

Operations

1. Create Document

Creates a new blank Google Doc with standard styles.

Process:

1. Create new document in specified folder
2. Apply standard Google Docs styles
3. Return new document ID

2. Read Document

Extract document content as markdown or plain text.

Full Read:

• Returns entire document content
• Preserves structure (headings, paragraphs, tables)
• Converts to markdown format

Section Read:

• Extracts content under specific heading
• Returns only the section content
• Preserves formatting

3. Get Document Structure

Returns hierarchical structure of document headings.

Output:

{
  "headings": [
    {
      "level": 1,
      "text": "Introduction",
      "index": 15,
      "style": "HEADING_1"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Background",
      "index": 45,
      "style": "HEADING_2"
    }
  ]
}

4. Set Content from Markdown (Utility)

This is a utility function for markdown conversion. The primary focus of this skill is document editing.

Replaces entire document content with markdown-formatted content.

Markdown Conversion Process:

1. Clear existing content
2. Parse markdown and convert to Google Docs API requests
3. Apply proper styles based on heading levels:
   • # text → Title style
   • ## text → Heading 1 style
   • ### text → Heading 2 style
   • #### text → Heading 3 style
   • ##### text → Heading 4 style
   • ###### text → Heading 5 style
   • Regular text → Normal Text style
   • **bold** → Bold formatting
   • *italic* or _italic_ → Italic formatting (both syntaxes supported)
   • - item → Bullet point (Normal Text with dash)
4. Split requests into batches of 400 (Google Docs API limit)
5. Execute batch updates sequentially

Important Notes:

• Google Docs API has a limit of ~400 requests per batchUpdate call
• Large documents are automatically split into multiple batches
• Empty lines in markdown are skipped to avoid unwanted spacing
• Paragraphs flow continuously without extra blank lines
• After content insertion, always use update-toc to add automatic TOC
• Markdown conversion is a convenience feature; main purpose is document editing

5. Update Section

Updates content under a specific heading.

Process:

1. Find heading in document structure
2. Determine section boundaries
3. Replace section content with new markdown
4. Preserve surrounding content
5. Update table of contents

6. Insert Table

Inserts a formatted table with optional legend.

Format:

Table 1: Sales Data Q4 2024  (italic, above table)

┌────────────┬──────────┬──────────┐
│   Month    │  Sales   │  Growth  │
├────────────┼──────────┼──────────┤
│  October   │  $125k   │   +5%    │
│  November  │  $142k   │  +13%    │
│  December  │  $198k   │  +39%    │
└────────────┴──────────┴──────────┘

Input: CSV file or JSON data Output: Google Docs table with legend

7. Insert Image

Inserts an image into the document with optional legend.

CRITICAL LIMITATION - Google Docs API Requirements: Google Docs API ONLY accepts images via publicly accessible HTTP/​HTTPS URLs. Local files CANNOT be inserted directly.

Required Workflow for Local Images:

1. Upload to Google Drive: Local image files must first be uploaded to Google Drive
2. Make Publicly Accessible: Set Drive file permissions to type: anyone, role: reader
3. Get Drive URL: Use format https://drive.google.com/​uc?export=view&id=FILE_ID
4. Insert into Document: Use the Drive URL with insert-image command

Alternative Approaches (NOT supported by API):

• ❌ Base64 data URIs (API rejects with "URL should start with http:// or https://")
• ❌ Direct local file paths
• ❌ File system URLs (file://)

Recommended Practice:

• Upload images to the same Google Drive folder as the document
• This keeps all related content together in Google Workspace
• Images are accessible through proper Drive permissions
• No dependency on external hosting services

Format:

[Image]

Figure 1: Revenue Trends  (italic, below image, left-aligned)

[blank line automatically added after legend for spacing]

Input: Publicly accessible HTTP/​HTTPS URL (typically from Google Drive) Output: Inline image with legend and blank line after for proper spacing

Example Workflow:

# 1. Upload image to Drive (using google-drive-manager skill)
# Use the google-drive-manager skill to upload the image and get FILE_ID

# 2. Make image publicly accessible
# Use the google-drive-manager skill to set permissions (type: anyone, role: reader)

# 3. Insert into document
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager insert-image DOC_ID \
    "https://drive.google.com/​uc?export=view&id=FILE_ID" \
    --legend "Figure 1: Description"

8. Update Table of Contents

Inserts "Table of content" heading placeholder at document start.

IMPORTANT LIMITATION: Google Docs API v1 does NOT support programmatic TOC insertion. This command only inserts the heading.

Process:

1. Check if "Table of content" heading already exists at document start
2. If not, insert "Table of content" heading (Heading 1 style) at position 1
3. Provide instructions for manual TOC insertion

Manual Steps Required: After running this command, you must manually complete the TOC insertion:

1. Open the document in Google Docs UI
2. Place cursor after the "Table of content" heading
3. Click Insert > Table of contents > Choose style (with page numbers or links)

Notes:

• The automatic TOC will be clickable and navigable
• TOC automatically updates when headings change
• Shows all heading levels that are formatted as headings

Prerequisites

System Requirements

• Binary: Pre-compiled Go binary (no runtime dependencies)
• GCP Project with Docs API enabled
• Google OAuth Credentials stored in ~/​.credentials/

Google Cloud Setup

1. Enable Required APIs:

   gcloud services enable docs.googleapis.com
   gcloud services enable drive.googleapis.com
   

2. Create OAuth Credentials:

   • Go to Google Cloud Console (https://console.cloud.google.com/)
   • Navigate to APIs & Services > Credentials
   • Create OAuth 2.0 Client ID (Desktop application type)
   • Download credentials as JSON file
   • Save to ~/​.credentials/​google_credentials.json

3. First-time Authentication:

   # Create credentials directory
   mkdir -p ~/​.credentials
   
   # Copy downloaded credentials
   cp ~/​Downloads/​client_secret_*.json ~/​.credentials/​google_credentials.json
   
   # Run any command - will open browser for OAuth consent
   ~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager info <document_id>
   
   # Token saved to ~/​.credentials/​google_token.json for future use
   

4. Subsequent Runs:

   • Token automatically refreshed when expired
   • No browser interaction needed
   • Seamless authentication

Installation

No installation required! The binary is pre-compiled and ready to use:

• Just run the binary directly
• No dependencies to install
• No virtual environment needed

Common Workflows

1. Create New Report

# Create new document
DOC_ID=$(~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager create "Q4 Sales Report" 1folderabc123 | grep "Document ID:" | cut -d' ' -f3)

# Set content from markdown
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager set-markdown $DOC_ID report.md

# Add table
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager insert-table $DOC_ID sales_data.csv --legend "Table 1: Quarterly Sales"

# Add chart image
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager insert-image $DOC_ID "https://charts.example.com/​q4.png" --legend "Figure 1: Sales Trends"

2. Update Existing Document Section

# Read current section (requires custom implementation - use get-structure to find section boundaries)
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager get-structure 1docabc123

# Edit methodology.md locally...

# Update section
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager update-section 1docabc123 "Methodology" methodology.md

3. Generate Report from Data

# Create document
DOC_ID=$(~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager create "Analysis Report" 1folder123 | grep "Document ID:" | cut -d' ' -f3)

# Generate markdown report from data
python generate_report.py --output report.md

# Set content
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager set-markdown $DOC_ID report.md

# Add multiple tables
for table in results/​*.csv; do
    legend=$(basename "$table" .csv | sed 's/​_/ /​g')
    ~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager insert-table $DOC_ID "$table" --legend "Table: $legend"
done

Best Practices

Document Creation

• Use create command: Creates new documents with standard Google Docs styles
• Set content from markdown: Use set-markdown to populate document with structured content
• Add elements incrementally: Use insert-table and insert-image to add data visualizations

Content Management

• Section updates: Use section updates for partial modifications to preserve other content
• Structure first: Use get-structure to understand document organization

Markdown Conversion

• Heading levels: Follow markdown to heading style mapping
• Tables: Use CSV format for clean table conversion
• Images: Upload images to Drive first if using local files

Formatting

• Table legends: Always in italic above the table
• Image legends: Always in italic below the image, left-aligned
• Consistent styles: Use standard Google Docs styles for uniform formatting

Performance

• Batch operations: Group multiple updates when possible
• Large documents: Consider section updates for large documents
• API limits: Be mindful of Google Docs API quotas

How to Respond to Docs Requests

When users request Docs operations:

1. Identify the operation:

   • Create, read, update, insert table/​image, update TOC

2. Gather required parameters:

   • Document ID (from user or search)
   • Content/​markdown file
   • Section headings
   • Table/​image data

3. Run the appropriate command:

   • Execute script with proper arguments
   • Monitor output for progress and errors
   • Report results to user

4. Handle document structure:

   • Use get-structure to understand organization
   • Find section boundaries for updates
   • Verify heading names exist

5. Handle errors:

   • Check authentication if OAuth errors occur
   • Verify document IDs if not found
   • Confirm API access if permission errors occur

Example Interactions

Example 1: Create Document and Add Content

User: "Create a new Google Doc for the Q4 report and add this markdown content"

Response:

I'll create a new Google Doc and add your content.

Creating document...

Execute:

~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager create "Q4 Report" 1folderabc123

Then:

~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager set-markdown 1newdoc123 content.md

Final response:

Created document "Q4 Report"
Added content from markdown

Document link: https://docs.google.com/​document/​d/​1newdoc123/​edit

Example 2: Update Specific Section

User: "Update the 'Conclusion' section in this document with new content"

Response:

I'll update the Conclusion section with your new content.

First, let me check the document structure...

Execute:

~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager get-structure 1docabc123
~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/​google-docs-manager update-section 1docabc123 "Conclusion" new_conclusion.md

Final response:

Updated 'Conclusion' section

The Conclusion section has been updated while preserving all other content.

Troubleshooting

"Google OAuth credentials not found"

# Create credentials directory
mkdir -p ~/​.credentials

# Download OAuth credentials from Google Cloud Console
# Save to ~/​.credentials/​google_credentials.json

"Permission denied" errors

# Ensure Docs and Drive APIs are enabled
gcloud services enable docs.googleapis.com drive.googleapis.com

# Verify OAuth scopes include:
# - https://www.googleapis.com/​auth/​documents
# - https://www.googleapis.com/​auth/​drive

"Section not found"

• Verify exact heading text (case-sensitive)
• Use get-structure to see all available headings
• Check heading style (must be Heading 1-5, not just bold text)

Re-authenticate

# Delete token to trigger new OAuth flow
rm ~/​.credentials/​google_token.json
# Run any command to re-authenticate

Security & Privacy

• OAuth authentication: Uses secure OAuth 2.0 flow
• Local credentials: Stores credentials in ~/​.credentials/
• API access: Only requests minimum required scopes
• No logging: Binary does not log or store document content
• Secure transfer: All transfers use HTTPS

Dependencies

None! The binary is self-contained with all dependencies compiled in:

• Google Docs/​Drive API client libraries (compiled into binary)
• OAuth 2.0 authentication (compiled into binary)
• No external runtime dependencies required

Response Approach

To accomplish Docs management tasks:

1. Identify the specific operation requested
2. Gather required parameters (document ID, content, sections)
3. Check document structure if needed (get-structure)
4. Execute the appropriate binary command
5. Monitor output for progress and errors
6. Report results with document link
7. Handle errors with appropriate troubleshooting steps

Building from Source

To rebuild the binary after making changes:

# Navigate to source directory
cd ~/​projects/​new/​google-docs-manager/

# Build the binary
make

# Copy to skill directory
cp google-docs-manager ~/​.claude/​skills/​google-docs-manager/​scripts/

The binary will be compiled with all dependencies included.