- All About Google Apps
- What Do I Need to Get Started with Google Apps?
- Signing Up for Google Apps
- Exploring the Admin Console
- Signing In and Out
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Exploring the Admin Console
The Admin console page, also called the dashboard, is your go-to spot for administrating tasks for Google Apps for you and your team. Google takes you to the Admin console after you complete the signup process, but you can sign in anytime by typing google.com/a/yourdomain.com in your browser’s address box, substituting your own domain name, of course.
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Look for any announcements and alerts using the Notifications button, which is shaped like a bell. Click the button to view all notifications. To the right of the Notifications button, you can find the Help and Settings buttons. Use them to find help with tasks or change settings.
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You can use the universal Search bar at the top of the page to conduct a search. As you open different tools, you can use the Navigation button at the far left corner of the page to return to the Admin console.
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The console’s right pane offers a quick look at usage and activities stats, plus more tools and common tasks.
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The control icons, or tools, on the Admin console page are for managing apps and users. You can drag them around the page to rearrange them. To add more controls, you can click the More Controls link and drag icons from the bar to the dashboard to add them to your main administration tools.
Here’s what you can do with the default tools already on the console:
- Users—Add more users to your domain. You can also reset passwords and view activity logs.
- Company Profile—View and personalize your Google account, such as adding a company logo, time zone setting, and more.
- Billing—Access tools for managing your billing, payment plans, and subscription renewals for the account.
- Google Apps—Manage how Google Apps works for your team. You can enable and disable individual apps and customize the settings for how each app works.
- Device Management—Manage devices that connect with the account, such as smartphones and tablets.
- Support—Find help through online chat, phone, or email support.
From the Admin console, you can carry out administration tasks for your Google Apps account and however many users you have assigned to it. You can use the console page to activate services, configure features, add more users or reset passwords, check billing, and more. Whether you’re the only user or administrating a large group of users, the Admin console page is your launching pad for taking care of your organization’s Google Apps account.
Add Users
To add users to your account you assign them a unique email address. You can choose to invite users to work with you by sending out an email invitation, add users manually, or add a bunch at once using a CSV file upload (Google provides a tutorial). The steps here show how to add them manually.
Click the Users icon on the Admin console page and click the Add More Users button.
- Click the Add a User manually option button.
Click the Continue button.
- Enter the user’s name and the primary email address you want to assign. Google sets a temporary password for the account.
- Click the Set Password link if you want to set a password for the account and enter a password and retype it to confirm it. Optionally, select the Require User to Change Password at Next Sign In check box.
Click the Create New User button.
- Optionally, you can choose to email the sign in instructions to the new user, or you can print them out.
Click the Done button to finish, or click the Create Another User button to add more users.
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Manage Users
From your list of active users, you can click a username to view that person’s Information page, which includes tools for editing the profile, resetting a password, assigning groups, and viewing a user license.
To add administrative privileges from the user’s information page, click the Admin Roles and Privileges link.
Click the Manage Roles button.
- Select a role for the user. If you select Super Admin, for example, the user is assigned the same administrative tools and privileges as the original account owner.
Click the Update Roles button.
- Google assigns the role. Optionally, if you want to customize which controls the user can manage, you can click the View Privileges link.
Click the Close button (x) to exit.
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Add Apps
You can easily add apps and services to your account from the Admin console page. You can quickly view additional services Google offers, as well as link to the Google Apps Marketplace to shop for more.
Click the Get More Apps and Services link.
- Click the Add It Now button to add a listed app or service.
Click the Shop Now button to shop for more apps.
- Scroll through the apps and pause your mouse pointer over an app to learn more about it. To add it, click the Install App button.
- Select the agreement check box..
- Click the Accept button to add the app to your account..
Click the Close button (x) to exit.
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Upload Your Company Logo
Ready to replace the generic Google account logo with something more suited for your organization? Before you upload a logo, make sure it utilizes the PNG or GIF file format, and is sized at 143 x 59 pixels. The upload won’t work unless the logo matches these parameters.
Click the Company Profile icon on the Admin console page and click Personalization.
- Click the Custom Logo option button.
Click the Choose File button.
- Navigate to the logo file you want to use, select it.
click the Open button.
- Click the Upload button.
- Optionally, select the Show This Logo in All Sites That Users Create check box.
- Click the Save Changes button.
Click the Close button (x) to exit.
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Change Your Personal Profile Picture
You can easily change the profile picture in the upper-right corner of the Admin console page. Your profile picture is displayed throughout your apps, such as Gmail, and is helpful to identify you when interacting with others online.
- Click the drop-down arrow next to your profile picture on the Admin console page.
Pause your mouse pointer over the image and click Change Photo.
Click the Select a Photo from Your Computer button.
- Navigate to picture file you want to use, select it.
Click the Open button.
- Google uploads the file; drag the corners to crop the picture the way you want it.
Click the Set as Profile Photo button.
Your image is now part of your profile.
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