This article provides instructions for connecting Google Workspace to your Akooda account. This connection essentially provides Akooda with access to public Calendar events and private Drive folders/documents that are shared explicitly with Akooda.
For more information about how Akooda helps your organization evolve and the inherent privacy and security protections in place, see Akooda Integration Principles.
NOTE: Using Okta? Make sure to follow the dedicated "Connecting to Google Workspace via Okta" guide, which includes an additional step to import the users and keep the systems in sync. This is also true for the Gmail app, and requires additional steps as mentioned in the respective "Connecting to Google Gmail" guide.
Before We Begin
Before connecting your organization’s Google Workspace account, check that:
You’re an Admin in Akooda.
You’re an Admin for your Google Workspace account with the "Users > Write" permissions.
If you don’t have the right permissions as mentioned above, please send this guide to the right individual in your organization (usually this is IT or Info Security personnel). If you require further assistance getting the right permissions, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team at [email protected].
NOTE: At any point, if the Google Workspace integration account is deleted or admin access permissions are revoked, your Akooda sync will stop working and will require re-connecting by following this guide’s steps.
How to Connect
Step 1: Create an Akooda Google Workspace Integration Account
Head over to your Google Workspace Admin console (admin.google.com)
Add a new account by going to “Users” and “Add new user” (as instructed in Google’s Add an account for a new user guide) such that their account information is as follows:
First and last name: Akooda App
Primary email: akooda@[YOUR_EMAIL_DOMAIN]
Secondary email: [email protected]
Then, create a password either automatically or manually - and keep that password by clicking “Copy Password” as you will need it in a few steps.
Lastly, click “Done” to finish adding the new user, and then refresh the following screen to make sure the last action is updated.
NOTE: The integration account will be visible in the Admin console and to all organization’s contacts and will be used to select Drive folders/documents and all public Calendar events.
Step 2: Assign the Integration Account Admin Roles
Create a new custom admin role with the following privileges by following Google’s Create, edit, and delete custom admin rolesguide:
Admin API: Organization Units - Read
Admin API: Users - Read
Admin API: Groups - Read
Alternatively, you can also simply assign a pre-built role of “Groups Admin”. This is an easier solution but it will also grant Akooda permissions to edit groups - which will never be used.
On the “Users” screen found under your Google Workspace Admin console (admin.google.com) scroll down to the newly created Akooda integration account (called “Akooda App”, with akooda@[YOUR_EMAIL_DOMAIN] email).
Once there, click on it to enter its user settings page and scroll down to the “Admin roles and privileges” section (as instructed in Google’s Assign specific admin roles guide).
There, assign the newly created custom admin role, or toggle the pre-built “Groups Admin” role to “Assigned”.
Finally, click “Save”.
Important!
Please ensure to use the designated Akooda integration account (akooda@[YOUR_EMAIL_DOMAIN]) for a successful setup.
Using a different account risks integration failure and could require a restart of the entire process.
NOTE: This provides the integration account with restricted access to view user profiles, groups and organizational structure. This step is necessary in order to associate individuals as collaborators in Google interactions, even when added as a group - for example gtm@[YOUR_EMAIL_DOMAIN]).
Step 3: Link the Google Integration Account with Akooda
Sign into Akooda (app.akooda.co) with your personal Akooda admin user (not the integration account).
Navigate to the “Apps” page under the Account Settings (app.akooda.co/settings/apps)
Click on the “Connect” button for either Google Calendar or Google Drive, which will open a user selection page.
Sign in with the newly created Akooda integration account (called “Akooda App”, with akooda@[YOUR_EMAIL_DOMAIN] email).
Ensure all of the checkboxes of required permissions are ticked on (see note below).
Click "Allow" to provide consent for Akooda to view the information needed to connect Google Workspace.
NOTE: The permissions granted include seeing Google Drive files, calendar events, and domain’s groups and user information. These permissions are required for Akooda to be able to analyze the users’ meetings and interactions with public (/selected) files.
Following Akooda’s “Least-privilege Models” policy. The requested permissions do not include any write permissions.
In cases where some of the permissions are missing, usually when not ticked on in the installation process, the sync will fail.
Step 4 (optional): Invite the Akooda Integration Account to Private Folders/Documents
Many organizations use Google Workspace such that they have private drives/folders/docs that are shared with specific teams (aka Groups) or individuals. In such a case, members with invite permissions must opt-in those shared content to Akooda, by adding the user created in the previous step.
Head to the private drive/folder/doc in Google Drive, and right-click “Share”.
Add akooda@[YOUR_EMAIL_DOMAIN] as a Contributor.
NOTE: The integration account will be shown as a member with all drives/folders/docs participants, much like any other member, and can be removed by the owner at any time. This is key to allowing everyone participating to maintain their right for privacy. Once removed, the processed data history will also be purged from Akooda. Moreover, private interactions will be descriptively shown only to members with view permissions and above within the Akooda app.
Next Up
Processing your organization's data post initial integration may take up to 24 hours. Once done, you will be able to see tagged Google Workspace interaction data in your Akooda account (according to each individual user’s access permission).
If you run into any problems, we’re here to help. Reach out to [email protected] to get assistance for your organization.
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