# WIP.drive-docs-sheets.md

## Status
Status: `closed`
Owner: `zap`
Opened: `2026-03-12`
Decision: `2026-03-12`

## Purpose
Evaluate whether the n8n Google Workspace action bus should expand beyond Gmail + Calendar into Drive / Docs / Sheets, or whether those surfaces should stay direct-tool-only for now.

## Decision

**All three surfaces: NO - defer for now**

### Rationale

The Gmail + Calendar integration succeeded because they map cleanly to the approval/queue pattern:

- **Discrete actions:** One-shot operations (send draft, create event)
- **Clear audit value:** Each action is a standalone event worth recording
- **Low iteration cost:** No back-and-forth editing required
- **Operator clarity:** "Send this email" / "Create this event" are clear human decisions

Drive / Docs / Sheets don't fit this pattern as naturally:

#### Drive
- Read/search operations are discovery tools, not approval-worthy events
- File management (move, trash) is edge case and rare in automation flows
- Direct `gog drive ...` usage is simpler for most cases
- **Verdict:** Overkill to queue through n8n for standard file ops

#### Docs
- Document editing is inherently iterative - you need to see, tweak, see again
- Approval gating for "create this doc" is fine, but then what?
- The real value is in the editing loop, not the initial create action
- Document work belongs in focused tool flows, not a one-shot queue
- **Verdict:** Wrong pattern for the action bus

#### Sheets
- Strongest candidate (structured writes map well to approval)
- But without a clear use case, this is premature optimization
- Append/update flows are useful *if* you have a structured data pipeline
- We don't have that yet, so building it now is YAGNI
- **Verdict:** Highest-priority "if needed later" item, but not today

## When to revisit

Revisit each surface only when a concrete use case appears:

- **Drive:** If you need approval-gated file moves/trash for an automation workflow
- **Docs:** If you have a "draft document → review → approve → publish" pattern that fits queueing
- **Sheets:** If you need structured data logging/metrics with an audit trail

## Recommendation preserved

Keep the action bus focused on the patterns that work:
- Notification routing (already implemented)
- Gmail actions (already implemented)
- Calendar actions (already implemented)
- Future surface additions should pass the same "discrete, approval-worthy, low-iteration" test

## Evidence referenced
- `WIP.md` — Gmail + Calendar completion record
- `skills/n8n-webhook/references/openclaw-action.md` — current action contract
- `skills/n8n-webhook/assets/openclaw-action.workflow.json` — live workflow

## Success criteria met
- ✅ One-page recommendation covering Drive / Docs / Sheets
- ✅ Clear go / no-go per surface
- ✅ No implementation scope added
- ✅ Preserved the compact operator contract for future use

## Next actions
- Update `memory/2026-03-12.md` with this decision
- Close out the Google Workspace n8n work in `memory/tasks.json`
- Consider syncing `feat/n8n-action-bus-v2` to the LAN Gitea repo for backup/review