Gemini in Google Workspace can now pull HubSpot, Mailchimp and QuickBooks into the side panel

By Jason Sibley

What happened

On 15 September 2026, Google announced new Model Context Protocol (MCP) integrations that let Gemini in Workspace connect directly to Asana, Atlassian Rovo, HubSpot, Intuit Mailchimp, Intuit QuickBooks, Monday and Salesforce. The connectors surface through the Gemini side panel in Docs, Sheets and Slides, as well as in Google Chat, and are on by default for anyone with Gemini for Google Workspace access. They're rolling out now on both Rapid and Scheduled Release. Source: Google Workspace Updates.

What it means for a small business

For time-pressed teams, the appeal is fewer tab switches: drafting a client proposal in Docs while Gemini checks pipeline status in HubSpot, or building a Sheet while it pulls figures from QuickBooks, rather than flicking between five browser tabs.

On cost, the feature rides on your existing Gemini for Google Workspace entitlement on Business Standard, Business Plus and the listed Enterprise editions. The announcement doesn't describe it as a separate SMB "AI suite" purchase, though it remains subject to Google's usage limits.

The bigger consideration is risk. Because these connectors are switched on by default, they widen what the AI can see across your business tools the moment they're enabled. Treat this like any other integration: apply least-privilege access, use OU or group policies to control who has it, and set a firm rule that Gemini's output is a draft until a human checks it against the CRM or accounts system of record. Prompt injection and over-sharing are real operational risks once an AI tool can read third-party data on your behalf.

There's also a customer-expectation angle. Faster internal answers ("what did we last pitch this client?") are genuinely useful, but customers should never hear "our AI said" as the final word, particularly on prices, refunds or account balances.

What you can do this week

1. Admin: Open Third-Party Connectors and switch off everything except one tool the business already trusts (HubSpot or Mailchimp, for example), and document who's allowed to use it.
2. Pilot with two people: one from sales, one from ops. Have each run three real tasks (a pipeline summary pulled into a Docs brief, a campaign status check in Chat, and an invoice or cash-position question in Sheets) and log any errors they hit.
3. Write a one-page rule: no sending client emails or changing CRM fields on the strength of an AI suggestion without human sign-off, and revoke any connector you're not actively piloting.

How we can help

If you're weighing up which connector to switch on first (CRM, email marketing or accounts), our AI sales & marketing desk can map the right starting point and the guardrails to put in place before the wider team gets access.