Skylar Configuration Operation Manual

This manual is for users installing the Skylar desktop app for the first time. After installation, complete setup from the Setup page in the left navigation of Skylar.

1. Install and Open Skylar for the First Time

2. Prepare Google OAuth credentials.json

Skylar uses the Gmail and Google Drive APIs, so you need a Google OAuth client file named credentials.json. Instructions for obtaining credentials.json are in the Google Gmail and Drive API setup section 9.

Google authorization must include these scopes:

On the Setup page:

  1. Click Choose credentials.json and select your Google OAuth credentials.json file.
  2. Click Save credentials.json.
  3. Click Start Google OAuth.
  4. In the browser page that opens, sign in to your Google account and grant access.
  5. Return to Skylar and click Refresh status.
  6. Confirm that both credentials.json and token.json labels turn green.
  7. If OAuth fails, upload credentials.json again, then click Start Google OAuth again to authorize.

3. Fill in Local Runtime Configuration

In the Local runtime configuration section, fill in these key fields:

4. Choose the Gmail Query Scope

The Gmail query fields on the Setup page use dropdown selections. These fields include:

Available values:

Figure 1 - Gmail Primary category exists

Figure 2 - Gmail without Primary category

Executive Memory Gmail query is also selectable and follows the same logic:

5. Enable the Automations You Need

At the bottom of the Setup page there are three automation switches:

These switches only control whether background workers run. After saving, it is recommended to restart Skylar so the background workers use the latest configuration.

6. Save Configuration and Restart

  1. After filling in the configuration, click Save setup.
  2. Save setup only saves the configuration. It does not immediately fetch Gmail, Drive, Asana, or RSS data.
  3. After changing an API key, project name, Drive folder, query, or automation switch, exit and reopen Skylar.
  4. After reopening, Skylar starts background services and workers using the saved configuration.
  5. When upgrading Skylar, you usually do not need to configure it again. User configuration, the Google token, SQLite databases, and logs are kept in the local user data directory.

7. Data and Security

The Skylar desktop app stores user data in the local user directory. It does not write user data to the installation directory, and user data is not bundled into the installer.

This directory typically stores local setup configuration, the Google OAuth token, SQLite databases, runtime logs, and automation state.

The installer does not include your Gmail token, Asana PAT, DashScope API key, or local data. Upgrading the application only replaces program code and does not delete user data.

8. Troubleshooting

Google OAuth Fails

Select and save credentials.json again, then click Start Google OAuth. If it still fails, confirm that the Google OAuth client and authorization account are valid, and that the scopes include Gmail read/modify/send and Drive readonly/file.

Tasks Has No Data

Check the following:

Mail Reply Has No Drafts

Check the following:

Doc Drafts Has No Document Drafts

Check the following:

Executive Memory Has Too Few Contacts

Check the following:

Do I Need to Configure Again After an Upgrade?

No, normally you do not. Skylar stores user data in the local user data directory. Upgrading only replaces application code and does not delete Setup configuration, the Google token, SQLite databases, or logs.

9. Google Gmail and Drive API Setup Steps

Step 1: Create a Project

  1. Sign in to Google Cloud Console.
  2. At the top of the page, click the project selector, usually labeled Select a project, then click New Project.

Figure 3 - Create a new Google Cloud project

  1. Enter a project name, for example Skylar-Tool, and click Create.

Step 2: Enable API Services

You need to tell Google which services this project will use:

  1. In the left menu, choose APIs & Services > Library.

Figure 4 - Open APIs and Services

Figure 5 - Open the API Library

  1. Search for and enable these two APIs:
  1. Open each API and click Enable.

Figure 6 - Google Drive API

Figure 7 - Gmail API

The OAuth consent screen defines who can authorize this application.

  1. Return to APIs & Services > OAuth consent screen.

Figure 8 - OAuth consent screen

  1. Choose the user type:

Figure 9 - User type selection

Figure 10 - External app setup

  1. Fill in the required information, including app name, user support email, and developer contact information.
  2. For scopes, click Add or Remove Scopes, search for and add ../auth/gmail.readonly, ../auth/gmail.modify, ../auth/gmail.send, ../auth/drive.readonly, and /auth/drive.file, or choose the permissions you need. You can also manually add these scopes:
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.readonly,
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.modify,
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.send,
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.readonly,
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.file

Figure 11 - Add OAuth scopes

Figure 12 - Search and select scopes

  1. Save after the scopes are added.

Figure 13 - Save OAuth scope settings

  1. For Test Users when using External, make sure to add the Gmail address you use. Otherwise, authorization may fail later.

Figure 14 - Add test users

Step 4: Create Credentials and Download JSON

This is the final and most important step.

  1. Click Clients in the left menu.
  2. Click + Create client, then select OAuth client ID.

Figure 15 - Create an OAuth client

  1. Choose the application type:

Figure 16 - Choose the application type

  1. Click Create.
  2. The dialog shows OAuth client created. Click Download JSON.

Figure 17 - Download the OAuth client JSON

  1. Rename the downloaded file. The downloaded file name is usually long. Rename it to credentials.json. It is recommended to place it in your project root directory.

Figure 18 - Rename the downloaded file to credentials.json

10. Asana API Setup Steps

Sign in to Asana

Sign in to your Asana account and make sure this account can access the projects, tasks, teams, or workspace you want Skylar to read or update. A PAT has the same permissions as the Asana user who creates it. In other words, data that this user cannot see in Asana cannot be accessed through the API either.

Open the Asana Developer Console

Open Asana personal settings, go to Apps, and then open the developer application management page.

Figure 19 - Open Asana Apps settings

Select Apps, scroll to the bottom, and open the developer console.

Figure 20 - Open the Asana developer console

Create a Personal Access Token

In the Personal access tokens area, click Create new token or New access token.

Figure 21 - Create a Personal Access Token

Then fill in the following fields:

Field Example
Token name internal-report-script, n8n-integration, asana-backup
API terms Check the box to accept the Asana API terms

Figure 22 - Fill in PAT details

After you click Create token, Asana generates a token. Asana’s quick-start documentation notes that the token is shown only once, so copy it immediately and store it securely.

Store the Token Securely

Save the token in a secure place, for example:

ASANA_ACCESS_TOKEN=your_token

Figure 23 - Store the Asana token securely