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Compliance relevance
SOC 2CC6 CC6.2 CC6.3ISO 27001:2022A.5.15-A.5.18

google workspace integration Google Workspace Integration Guide

If your organization uses Google Workspace for identity and collaboration, this integration pulls directory data into Openlane so you have the user and group context you need for User Access Reviews, onboarding/offboarding evidence, and identity governance.

Key Capabilities​

  • OAuth Connectivity Validation: Confirms Workspace token access and directory API availability.
  • Directory Metadata Sync: Reads users, groups, and group memberships from the Workspace directory, giving you the identity baseline for access reviews and audits.
  • Scoped Directory Collection: Supports optional organizational unit (OU) filtering so you only collect identities within your compliance boundary.

Prerequisites​

  • Google Workspace super admin account to authorize directory access during OAuth.
  • Admin SDK API enabled in your Google Cloud project.

Step-by-Step Setup​

Step 1: Authorize Google Workspace​

  1. Navigate to Organization Settings > Integrations and find Google Workspace.
  2. Click Configure.
  3. Click Continue to Authorization. You will be redirected to Google. There are no credentials to enter manually.
  4. Sign in with a Workspace super admin account and grant the requested directory permissions.
  5. After authorization, you are redirected back to Openlane and the connection is saved.

Step 2: Configure Sync Behavior​

Optionally configure which data is collected and how records are filtered before ingestion:

Directory Sync​

SettingDescription
Primary DirectoryDesignate this connection as the primary directory source for your organization; the primary directory is the authoritative source that populates the majority of fields on identity holder records
Filter ExpressionOptional Common Expression Language (CEL) expression evaluated against each record; only records that match are ingested (allows inclusion)

Filter expression example:

payload.orgUnitPath.startsWith('/engineering/')

CEL expressions have access to the full raw payload for each record via payload.<field>.

Validate Connection​

After saving, Openlane runs a health check against Google Workspace and displays the result on the Installed tab of the Integrations page. You should see a Healthy badge confirming connectivity. If the badge shows Needs Attention, review the troubleshooting section below.

What Openlane Syncs​

Openlane reads directory user metadata, group memberships, and identity context. This data feeds directly into User Access Reviews, onboarding/offboarding verification, and identity scope validation. This saves you from manually compiling identity rosters when an auditor asks for access control evidence.

Disconnect​

To remove this integration:

  1. Navigate to Organization Settings > Integrations
  2. Select the Installed tab
  3. Open the menu on the integration card and select Disconnect.

This removes stored credentials and stops all collection activity. You can reconnect later by configuring the integration again.

Troubleshooting​

  • Directory API errors: verify Admin SDK is enabled and that all required OAuth scopes were granted during authorization.
  • No user data: verify the authorizing account has super admin or equivalent directory read permissions.

References​