Testing Gmail add-ons

When you publish an add-on, users can install it through Gmail or the G Suite Marketplace. Before publication, however, it is useful to test add-ons that you develop within Gmail.

This page describes how to install an add-on that is currently under development (called an unpublished or developer add-on) for testing or personal use.


You must meet the following requirements to test a Gmail add-on:

  • The account you use to install and test an unpublished add-on must have read access to that add-on's script project.
  • You must have the ID of a valid deployment of the add-on. You can look up its deployment IDs from the Apps Script editor.

It is possible to install more than one deployment of the same add-on, provided you have the deployment IDs for each. You can also install an unpublished add-on created by another developer, provided you have the deployment ID and permission to access the associated script project. Users in a G Suite organization can only install and run unpublished add-ons authored by users in the same organization.

Install an unpublished add-on

You can install an unpublished add-on's deployment with the following steps:

  1. Open the Gmail add-on settings tab.
  2. In the Add-ons tab, make sure that you have selected the Enable developer add-ons for my account checkbox.
  3. Paste your add-on's deployment ID into the Developer add-on textbox and click Install.

Once installed, the add-on is immediately available in Gmail. You may need to refresh the Gmail tab before the add-on appears.

Uninstall an unpublished add-on

If you wish to uninstall a developer add-on deployment, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Gmail add-on settings tab.
  2. In the Add-ons tab, find the add-on deployment you wish to uninstall in the list under Developer add-ons.
  3. Click the Uninstall link for that deployment.

Gmail immediately removes the deployment and the add-on no longer appears in Gmail. You can reinstall the deployment at any time by using the same deployment ID.