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Sync Groups with Google Workspace

Push ShiftControl group membership to Google Workspace so your Google Groups, email distribution lists, and shared drive permissions stay current automatically.

Overview​

Google Sync connects a ShiftControl group to a Google Workspace group. When you enable it, ShiftControl becomes the source of truth for that group's membership. Every time someone is added to or removed from the ShiftControl group (whether through a dynamic rule, nested group, or individual assignment), that change is automatically pushed to Google Workspace.

This means you can manage all your Google distribution lists, email aliases, and group-based permissions from ShiftControl without ever touching the Google Admin Console for membership changes.

How It Works​

When you enable Google Sync on a ShiftControl group:

  1. ShiftControl looks for a matching Google Group by email address. If one exists, ShiftControl takes over managing its membership.
  2. If no match exists, ShiftControl creates a new Google Workspace distribution group with the email address, name, and description you specified.
  3. From that point forward, every membership change in ShiftControl is automatically pushed to Google Workspace. Add a user to the ShiftControl group, and they appear in the Google Group. Remove them, and they are removed from the Google Group.

The sync is one-directional: ShiftControl pushes changes to Google. If you make membership changes directly in Google, they may be overwritten the next time ShiftControl syncs.

Common Scenarios​

Office-wide email distribution -- Create a group called "All Singapore Users" with a dynamic rule matching Location equals "Singapore." Enable Google Sync with the email [email protected]. Now anyone can email the entire Singapore office, and the list updates automatically as people join or leave that location.

Department mailing lists -- Create a group for each department (Engineering, Marketing, Sales) with dynamic rules matching the Department attribute. Enable Google Sync on each. Your Google Workspace now has department distribution lists that never go stale.

Shared Drive access -- Google Workspace lets you grant Shared Drive access to Google Groups. Sync a ShiftControl group to Google, then assign that Google Group to a Shared Drive. As people are added to or removed from the ShiftControl group, their Shared Drive access updates automatically.

Project-based collaboration -- Create a group for a cross-functional project team. Nest the relevant team groups or add individual members. Enable Google Sync so the project team has an email alias and can be granted access to Google resources as a unit.

Step-by-Step​

1

Navigate to the Group

Go to Groups in the sidebar and find the group you want to sync. Click on it to open the group detail page.

2

Open the General Tab

On the group detail page, make sure you are on the General tab.

3

Enable Sync to Google

Toggle the Sync to Google switch to on. An email address field will appear.

4

Set the Email Address

Enter the email address you want this Google Group to use (e.g., [email protected]). This must be a domain registered in your Google Workspace.

5

Save Changes

Click Save Changes. ShiftControl will either connect to an existing Google Group at that email address or create a new one. All current group members are synced immediately.

Managing Synced Groups​

Changing the Email Address​

If you change a synced group's email address in ShiftControl, the existing Google Group is updated to reflect the new address. No new group is created, and membership is preserved.

Disabling Sync​

You can turn off Google Sync at any time by toggling the switch off and saving. When you disable sync:

  • The Google Group is not deleted. It continues to exist in Google Workspace.
  • ShiftControl stops managing membership for that Google Group.
  • You can manage the group manually in Google Workspace going forward, or re-enable sync later.

Removing the Email Address​

If you remove the email address from a synced group in ShiftControl, the sync stops. The Google Group remains in Google Workspace but is no longer managed by ShiftControl.

Things to Know​

  • Sync is one-directional. ShiftControl pushes membership to Google. Changes made directly in Google Admin Console may be overwritten by ShiftControl.
  • Only membership is synced. Group settings like access controls, posting permissions, and visibility must be managed directly in Google Workspace. ShiftControl syncs members, not configuration.
  • Updates are near-instant. Membership changes typically appear in Google Workspace within seconds, though occasional delays of a few minutes can occur.
  • Email addresses must be on your domain. You can only sync groups using email addresses from domains registered in your Google Workspace. Groups with external email addresses will not sync.
  • No duplicate groups are created. If a Google Group already exists with the email address you specify, ShiftControl connects to it rather than creating a duplicate.
  • Disabling sync does not delete anything. The Google Group and its current membership are preserved. ShiftControl simply stops updating it.
  • Dynamic rules and Google Sync work together. Combine a dynamic rule (e.g., Location equals "Singapore") with Google Sync to create distribution lists that automatically stay current as your organization changes. This is one of the most powerful combinations in ShiftControl.
info

Google Sync requires that your organization has connected Google Workspace as a directory in ShiftControl. If you do not see the Sync to Google option, check your directory settings.