What is the Google Workspace Admin console?
The Admin console is the web dashboard where you run your Google Workspace account. You sign in at admin.google.com with an admin account. From there you add and remove users, reset passwords, manage groups, control which apps people can use, set security policies, manage devices, and handle billing.
Only accounts with admin roles can open it. Regular users manage their own settings, such as their password and recovery options, in their Google Account instead.
What should a new admin set up first?
Start with access and security, then structure. These settings are easier to get right before users arrive than to fix afterward.
- Make sure at least two people hold super admin access, so one lost phone cannot lock you out. Use super admin accounts for admin work only, not for daily mail.
- Turn on 2-Step Verification and plan how you will enforce it. Our guide on rolling out 2-Step Verification without the help desk chaos covers timing.
- Create organizational units if different groups of people need different settings.
- Create groups for shared addresses such as info@ or billing@.
- Review Drive sharing defaults, especially sharing outside your organization.
- Confirm your domain, mail routing, and email authentication. See SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for Google Workspace.
How do users, groups, and organizational units work?
Users are people with accounts, groups are collections of users that share an email address or access, and organizational units are containers that decide which settings apply to which users. Organizational units are often called OUs.
The difference between groups and OUs trips up many new admins. Each user belongs to exactly one OU, and settings flow down from the top-level OU to the ones below it. Use OUs to apply policy, such as turning a service on for one department or applying stricter rules to staff who handle sensitive data.
A user can belong to many groups. Groups are best for email distribution, shared inboxes, and sharing files or calendars with a team. Keep the OU structure shallow. A small organization often needs only a few.
Shared mailboxes in Microsoft 365 often become groups in Google Workspace. See migrating shared mailboxes and distribution lists.
Which admin roles should you assign?
Assign the smallest role that lets each person do their job. Google Workspace includes prebuilt admin roles, such as roles for managing users, groups, and help desk tasks, and you can create custom roles with exactly the privileges you choose.
A simple pattern for a small organization is two super admins, a help desk role for whoever resets passwords, and a custom role with billing privileges for whoever manages the subscription.
Review admin access whenever someone changes jobs or leaves. Admin accounts are high-value targets, so keep the list short. The departure steps are in offboarding employees in Google Workspace.
Where do you find reports and audit logs?
Reports and audit logs live in the reporting area of the Admin console. Reports show usage across services such as Gmail, Drive, and Meet. Audit logs record events such as admin changes, sign-ins, and file sharing, which helps when you need to work out what happened.
The Admin console also shows security alerts and includes the data migration service for basic email moves. For a broader review, use our Google Workspace security checklist for small businesses. The Google Workspace adoption and training guide shows how admin training fits the wider rollout.
Next step
If you want an admin walkthrough before go-live, see our support and training services or contact us.
Frequently asked questions
Should our outside IT provider have super admin access?
That depends on what they manage. Give an outside provider the role they need for their work, and keep at least one super admin account controlled by your own organization. Review their access whenever the engagement changes or ends.
Where do users change their own Google Workspace password?
Users change their password in their Google Account settings, not in the Admin console. Admins can reset a password for any user from the Admin console and can require the user to set a new one at their next sign-in.
