- 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
If you choose to set up Google Apps yourself in step 16 of the previous section, the Admin console page opens.
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.
The console’s right pane offers a quick look at usage and activities stats, plus more tools and common tasks.
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You can use the universal Search bar at the top of the page to conduct a search. Clicking the Navigation button in the far left corner of the page displays a list of navigational options. As you open different tools, you can also use the Navigation button to return to the Admin console.
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The control icons, or tools, in the middle of 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. You can also access these tools from the Admin console menu.
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.
- Reports—View reports and audits on account activity, apps usage, and more.
- 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.
- Security—Manage Google Apps security features.
- Support—Find help through online chat, phone, or email support.
- Migrations—Import email to Google Apps.
From the Admin console, you can carry out all kinds of 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.
Set Up Google Apps
You can set up Google Apps on your own by clicking the Start Setup button on the Admin console. Google Apps walks you through the steps of verifying your domain as well as setting up users, Gmail, and billing. Although you can skip these steps and complete them independently, you need to verify your domain before you can fully use your account.
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Add a User
To add a user to your account, you assign this person 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 shows you exactly how to do this with a tutorial). The steps here show how to add them manually.
Click the Users icon on the Admin console page.
Pause over the large circle with the plus sign.
Click the Add User button.
- Enter the user’s name and the primary email address you want to assign. Google sets a temporary password for the account.
Click Create.
- Optionally, you can choose to email the sign-in instructions to the new user.
Click the Done button to finish.
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Add a User Photo
You can easily add user photos in the Admin console page. A user’s photo displays throughout Google apps, such as in Gmail, and is helpful to identify this person when interacting with others online.
Click the Users icon on the Admin console page.
Select the user whose photo you want to add.
Click the Add Photo button (pause over button to view label).
- Click Select a Photo to select a photo from your computer.
Click Upload.
Google Apps displays your new photo.
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Manage User Roles
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.
Click the Users icon on the Admin console page.
Select the user whose role you want to edit.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the Show More link.
Click the Admin Roles and Privileges section.
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 Update Roles.
Google assigns the role. You can optionally click the View Privileges link to customize user controls.
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Upload Your Company Logo
Ready to replace the generic Google account logo with something more suited to your organization? Before you upload a logo, make sure it utilizes the PNG or GIF file format, is no larger than 320 × 132 pixels, and no more than 30KB. The upload won’t work unless the logo matches these parameters.
Click the Company Profile icon on the Admin console page.
Click Personalization.
- Click the Custom Logo option button.
- Click the Choose File button and select your logo from your computer.
- Click the Upload button.
- Optionally, select the Show This Logo in All Sites That Users Create check box.
Click the Save Changes button.
Google Apps displays your new photo.
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