Learn about the ways you can
build Chat interfaces
using add-on triggers, actions, and event objects.
Limitations and known issues
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.
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:
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.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-18 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eExtend Google Chat with add-ons to preview links, automate tasks, and receive alerts.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eGoogle Chat add-ons function as Chat apps, enabling interactions like sending messages, responding to commands, and opening dialogs.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eTo build a Chat add-on, developers can utilize Apps Script or HTTP services, configure the app through the Chat API, and design interfaces using triggers and actions.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eCertain features like Dialogflow, Card Service, custom authorization cards, and add-on homepages are currently unavailable for Chat add-ons.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eExisting add-ons need specific configurations, including enabling the Chat API, allowing individual and admin installations, and using the Chat API's visibility setting for deployment.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],["Google Workspace add-ons in Chat function as Chat apps, allowing users to preview links, automate tasks, and receive alerts. These apps can send interactive messages, respond to commands, open dialogs, and preview links. To start, developers can use Google Apps Script or an HTTP service. Key limitations include the unavailability of Dialogflow, Pub/Sub, and certain Card Service features. Configuration must be done through the Chat API, as Marketplace settings are ignored in Chat.\n"],null,["This page provides an overview about how to build Google Workspace add-ons that extend\nGoogle Chat.\n\nGoogle Workspace add-ons that extend Chat can help users do any of the\nfollowing:\n\n- Preview links from Chat messages, and take action without leaving the conversation.\n- Automate or perform tasks across Google Workspace applications.\n- Receive alerts or notifications about external tools or services.\n\nHow Google Workspace add-ons work in Chat\n\nIn Chat, add-ons appear to users as\nGoogle Chat apps. To interact with users, Chat apps\ncan do the following:\n\n- [Send messages](/workspace/add-ons/chat/send-messages) that contain text, cards, and interactive UI elements.\n- Respond to [quick commands](/workspace/add-ons/chat/quick-commands).\n- Respond to [slash commands](/workspace/add-ons/chat/slash-commands).\n- Open [dialogs](/workspace/add-ons/chat/dialogs) to help users complete multi-step processes, like filling in form data.\n- [Preview links](/workspace/add-ons/chat/preview-links) in messages by attaching cards with helpful information that let users take action directly from the conversation.\n\nGet started\n\nTo start building Google Workspace add-ons that work in Chat, see the\nfollowing documentation:\n\n- Try a quickstart to build a basic Chat app using [Google Apps Script](/workspace/add-ons/chat/quickstart-apps-script) or an [HTTP service](/workspace/add-ons/chat/quickstart-http).\n- [Configure a Chat app](/workspace/add-ons/chat/configure) and its interactive features using the Chat API.\n- Learn about the ways you can [build Chat interfaces](/workspace/add-ons/chat/build) using add-on triggers, actions, and event objects.\n\nLimitations and known issues **Note:** This documentation explains how to build a Chat app as a Google Workspace add-on. You can also build Chat apps using *interaction events* . To learn about each framework and its available features, see [Build an interactive Google Chat app](/workspace/chat/interact-users-overview) in the Google Chat API documentation.\n\nThe following Chat and add-on features\nare unavailable:\n\n- The Chat app architectures [Dialogflow](/workspace/chat/build-dialogflow-chat-app-natural-language), [Pub/Sub](/workspace/chat/quickstart/pub-sub), and [AppSheet](https://support.google.com/appsheet/answer/12923581) are unavailable. Instead, you must build the Chat app using Apps Script or an HTTP service.\n- Apps Script's [Card Service](/apps-script/reference/card-service). To use [Chat actions](/workspace/add-ons/chat/build#actions) and build cards, return JSON objects instead. For examples, see [Open interactive dialogs](/workspace/add-ons/chat/dialogs) and [Preview links](/workspace/add-ons/chat/preview-links).\n- Custom authorization cards. To authenticate and grant authorization to your service from Chat, the Chat app must return a [basic authorization card](/workspace/add-ons/guides/connect-third-party-service#basic-auth-card).\n- [Add-on homepages](/workspace/add-ons/concepts/homepages) in the Chat sidebar. If you've configured a [homepage trigger](/workspace/add-ons/concepts/workspace-triggers) for your add-on, the homepage only appears in the sidebar of the other Google Workspace applications that your add-on extends.\n- [Chat app homepages](/workspace/chat/send-app-home-card-message), which appear in the **Home** tab of direct messages with the Chat app.\n\nIf you're updating an existing Google Workspace add-on, consider the following\n[configuration requirements](/workspace/add-ons/chat/configure#considerations)\nfor Chat apps:\n\n- The [Google Workspace Marketplace installation settings](/workspace/marketplace/enable-configure-sdk#installation-settings) must permit both individuals and Google Workspace administrators to install the add-on.\n- Any common configuration settings in the add-on's [manifest](/workspace/add-ons/concepts/workspace-manifests) (`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](/workspace/add-ons/chat/configure).\n- 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](/workspace/chat/test-interactive-features) in the Chat API documentation.\n- 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](/workspace/add-ons/chat/configure). 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](/workspace/marketplace/manage-app-listing#draft-app-listing) before submitting any changes.\n\nRelated topics\n\n- [Google Chat API documentation overview](/workspace/chat/overview)"]]
