Google Contacts

The Google Contacts connector gives AI agents the ability to search, read, create, and manage contacts and contact groups via the Google People API using OAuth 2.0. Your credentials are stored encrypted in MCPGate's vault and are never exposed to the AI client.

Batch create limit

contacts_batch_create accepts up to 200 contacts per call. Requests exceeding this limit will be rejected by the Google People API.

Required scopes#

MCPGate requests the following OAuth scopes when you connect a Google Contacts account.

ScopePurpose
contacts.readonlyRead contacts and contact group memberships
contactsCreate, update, and delete contacts and groups

Tool reference#

The Google Contacts connector exposes 13 tools. Use the MCP Apps page to enable or disable individual tools per app, and the Guardrails page to add fine-grained rules on top.

ToolCategoryDescription
contacts_searchreadSearch contacts by name or email
contacts_getreadGet a specific contact by resource name
contacts_listreadList contacts with pagination
contacts_list_groupsreadList contact groups/labels
contacts_createwriteCreate a new contact
contacts_updatewriteUpdate an existing contact
contacts_create_groupwriteCreate a new contact group
contacts_update_groupwriteRename a contact group
contacts_add_to_groupwriteAdd a contact to a group
contacts_remove_from_groupwriteRemove a contact from a group
contacts_batch_createwriteBatch create up to 200 contacts
contacts_deletedeleteDelete a contact
contacts_delete_groupdeleteDelete a contact group

Common guardrail recipes#

Read-only access#

Enable only contacts_search, contacts_get, contacts_list, and contacts_list_groups. Deny all write and delete tools. This is the safest configuration for assistants that only need to look up contact details.

Block contact deletion#

Deny contacts_delete and contacts_delete_group while keeping all other tools enabled. This prevents accidental removal of contacts while still allowing the AI to create and update records.

Limit batch creation#

Apply the max_count template to contacts_batch_create and set a lower limit (e.g. 10) to prevent the AI from bulk-importing large contact lists without explicit human approval.

Troubleshooting#

  • Resource name format — Google Contacts uses resource names like people/c123456789. Ensure the AI passes the full resource name string, not just the numeric ID.
  • Group membership not reflected — After contacts_add_to_group, changes may take a few seconds to propagate. A subsequent contacts_get call should reflect the updated membership.
  • 403 on batch create — The connected account was granted fewer scopes than MCPGate requested. Disconnect and reconnect to trigger a fresh consent screen.