Google Workspace Changes

Add lists and code blocks to Google Chat app cards.

Developers can now enrich Google Chat app cards with ordered, unordered, and nested lists, as well as code blocks. These features are crucial for displaying structured data, programming examples, and organizing complex details, significantly enhancing the readability and comprehension of information for users.

Google Chat apps now support Markdown for text formatting.

Google Chat apps now offer new Markdown support for text formatting, simplifying the card-building process for developers. This is particularly beneficial for AI agents, as standard outputs from many Large Language Models (LLMs) are in markdown, eliminating the need for manual conversion to HTML.

New carousel widget for more engaging Google Chat apps.

Developers can now create more engaging Google Chat apps using a new carousel widget. This widget enables the display of complex and organized information in a horizontally scrollable and compact format, allowing for product listings, multiple data points, or various options within a single card, thereby enhancing the user experience.

Introduction of 'owner' role in Google Chat spaces, alongside existing manager and member roles, for more flexible permission management.

Google Chat spaces are introducing a new 'owner' role, in addition to the existing managers and members. This change aims to facilitate easier sharing of space management tasks among colleagues. Existing space managers will automatically become owners, retaining full control. A new 'manager' role will have most owner permissions but cannot delete the space or upgrade users to owners. The 'member' role remains unchanged. Both owners and managers will be able to control permissions within space settings, such as who can use '@all', add apps, or manage chat history.

Google Chat apps will now automatically install into future conversations after initial user installation, removing the need for manual re-installation.

Google Chat is introducing a new feature that will automatically add Chat apps to future conversations once they have been installed by a user. Previously, users were required to manually install a Chat app into every space, group chat, and direct message. This update streamlines the process, allowing users to initiate actions with an app, such as creating a poll, and have the app automatically available in subsequent conversations without needing to reinstall it. Admins can still control app installation permissions and can also choose to pre-install apps for their organization.

Google Chat now offers real-time push notifications for reactions on messages to keep users updated.

Google Chat users can now receive real-time push notifications for reactions on their messages. This feature helps users stay informed about engagement with their messages and ensures they don't miss important updates. Reactions, such as emojis like a smiley face or a thumbs up, allow for easier conveyance of information or sentiment, and now message authors will be aware of these reactions without manually checking the conversation.