Extend Google Chat

This page provides an overview about how to build Google Workspace add-ons that extend Google Chat.

Google Workspace add-ons that extend Chat can help users do any of the following:

Preview links from Chat messages, and take action without leaving the conversation.
Automate or perform tasks across Google Workspace applications.
Receive alerts or notifications about external tools or services.

How Google Workspace add-ons work in Chat

In Chat, add-ons appear to users as Google Chat apps. To interact with users, Chat apps can do the following:

Send messages that contain text, cards, and interactive UI elements.
Respond to quick commands.
Respond to slash commands.
Open dialogs to help users complete multi-step processes, like filling in form data.
Preview links in messages by attaching cards with helpful information that let users take action directly from the conversation.

To start building Google Workspace add-ons that work in Chat, see the following documentation:

Try a quickstart to build a basic Chat app using Google Apps Script or an HTTP service.
Configure a Chat app and its interactive features using the Chat API.
Learn about the ways you can build Chat interfaces using add-on triggers, actions, and event objects.

The following Chat and add-on features are unavailable:

The Chat app architectures Dialogflow, Pub/Sub, and AppSheet are unavailable. Instead, you must build the Chat app using Apps Script or an HTTP service.
Apps Script's Card Service. To use Chat actions and build cards, return JSON objects instead. For examples, see Open interactive dialogs and Preview links.
Custom authorization cards. To authenticate and grant authorization to your service from Chat, the Chat app must return a basic authorization card.
Add-on homepages in the Chat sidebar. If you've configured a homepage trigger for your add-on, the homepage only appears in the sidebar of the other Google Workspace applications that your add-on extends.
Chat app homepages, which appear in the Home tab of direct messages with the Chat app.

If you're updating an existing Google Workspace add-on, consider the following configuration requirements for Chat apps:

The Google Workspace Marketplace installation settings must permit both individuals and Google Workspace administrators to install the add-on.
Any common configuration settings in the add-on's manifest (addons.common) are ignored in Chat. To configure the add-on to work in Chat, you must enable and configure the Chat API. For steps, see Configure a Google Chat app.
To deploy and test an add-on in Chat, you must use the Chat API's Visibility setting. Any visibility or testing settings that you've configured in the Google Workspace Marketplace SDK are ignored. To deploy a test version of the add-on in Chat, see Test interactive features for Google Chat apps in the Chat API documentation.
If your add-ons is published to the Google Workspace Marketplace, you can't save a draft of any changes to the Google Chat API configuration settings. When you update Chat API configuration settings, the updated Chat app is immediately available to all existing users. To update your Marketplace listing, you can create a draft before submitting any changes.