My main question is whether creating a contextual gadget for Gmail is even feasible at this point?
I’ve been struggling with this for days now. The documentation seems outdated and I can’t find any clear examples that actually work. No matter what I try, nothing shows up in Gmail and there are no error messages to help me debug.
Here’s what I’ve been doing:
Created an XML file in Google Drive with sample gadget code
Set up a new project in the developer console
Enabled the Google Apps Marketplace SDK
Configured OAuth 2.0 client credentials
Added all the required marketplace settings like icons and descriptions
Set up the COB extension with extractor patterns
Installed the app for my domain through the test flow
Verified it appears in the admin marketplace apps list
Sent test emails with matching content
Checked Gmail with cache disabled
But absolutely nothing appears. I’ve tried different extractors, various parameter configurations, and tested with both admin and regular user accounts. The app shows as installed and enabled in the admin console but never displays in actual Gmail messages.
Is there something fundamental I’m missing about how these contextual gadgets work? Are they still supported or has Google quietly deprecated this feature?
Been down this exact rabbit hole myself back in 2019. Contextual gadgets are technically still supported but Google stopped promoting them years ago. The documentation is practically abandoned and debugging is nearly impossible since there’s no proper error reporting. Your setup process looks correct, but Gmail’s contextual gadget framework has become increasingly unreliable with browser updates and security changes. Even when everything’s configured perfectly, the gadgets often fail to render without any indication why. I eventually gave up and switched to Gmail Add-ons using Apps Script. Much more reliable, better documentation, and Google actually maintains that ecosystem. The learning curve isn’t too steep if you’re already familiar with contextual gadget concepts. You get proper debugging tools and consistent behavior across different Gmail interfaces. Save yourself the headache and migrate to the supported APIs. Your current OAuth and marketplace setup should transfer over relatively easily.
totally get it! this stuff is super frustating. contextual gadgets r kinda outdated now, google’s shifted to workspace add-ons. the gmail add-ons api is worth checking out for getting things runnig.
You’re hitting the same wall we all did. Google quietly killed contextual gadgets without telling anyone.
I wasted weeks on this exact problem building email tools for my team. Fought with those XML configs forever before realizing Google had moved on to newer APIs.
Skip the Gmail gadget headache - automation’s the way to go. Build something that actually works and does way more.
I’ve got workflows that watch Gmail, pull out what I need, and trigger stuff automatically. Users don’t need to click anything. It runs in the background, parses emails, and updates our systems.
Works with other email providers too, so you’re not stuck with Gmail. Connects to whatever tools your team already uses.