What's the difference between Google Pub/Sub and Nylas PubSub Notification Channel?

There are two distinct Pub/Sub implementations in the Nylas ecosystem that serve different purposes:

(1) Pub/Sub Connector (Google Provider Integration)

How to set it up:
Set up Pub/Sub for your Google application 

• This is how Nylas receives notifications from Google about changes in your users' Google accounts
• Required when using Google as a provider with Nylas
• Helps Nylas get real-time updates about changes in Gmail, Google Calendar, or Google Contacts
• Set up as part of your Google connector configuration
• Improves sync performance for Google accounts

Dashboard view:

When to Use:

Pub/Sub Connector:

• Required when setting up a Google connector in Nylas
• Ensures Nylas gets timely updates from Google
• Only applies to Google provider integration

(2) Pub/Sub Notification Channel (Nylas to Your Application)

How to set it up:
Using a Pub/Sub notification channel 

• It's a webhook alternative
• This is how Nylas sends notifications to your Google Cloud Pub/Sub infrastructure application about any changes across all providers
• Works with any email provider (not just Google)
• You will need to set your webhook endpoint in the Google Cloud Pub/Sub infrastructure, which will then allow your application to receive notifications about emails, calendars, and contacts from Google Cloud Pub/Sub.
  Nylas -> Pub/Sub Notification Channel -> Your webhook endpoint
• More reliable alternative to webhooks for high-volume scenarios
• Built on Google Cloud Pub/Sub infrastructure but handles notifications from all providers

Dashboard view:

When to Use:

Pub/Sub Notification Channel:

• Use when you want a webhook alternative to receive notifications from Nylas about any changes
• Ideal for high-volume notification scenarios
• Works with all providers (Google, Microsoft, IMAP, etc.)
• Alternative to traditional webhooks

In many cases, you might use both: the (1) Pub/Sub connector to ensure Nylas gets timely updates from Google, and a (2) Pub/Sub notification channel to receive notifications from Nylas about changes across all your connected accounts.

The most common use is to rely solely on the (1) Pub/Sub Connector to ensure Nylas receives updates from Google, along with traditional webhooks so Nylas can send you notifications.

Updated March 11, 2025 14:01