ABAC: Creating audiences via Google

Overview

Google Groups allow you to segment users into predefined groups within your organization. By integrating these groups into Simpplr, you can create audiences based on existing Google Group memberships, streamlining your audience creation process.

Who is this for: App Managers, Audience managers

Jump to a section:

• Step 1: Connect Google Groups
• Step 2: Create audiences automatically or create audiences manually
• Migrate existing Google users to groups
• Use Google Groups audience with other features
• Best practices
• Troubleshooting

⭐️ Supported Google Groups: Distribution groups, mail security groups, Google Workspace groups, Security groups

When to use Google Groups for audience creation

There are multiple ways to create audiences, as described here. Audiences are customizable groups of users based on attributes like role, location, or specific individuals. They can then be used to manage who has access to specific features and content.

We recommend creating audiences with Google Groups when:

• You want to leverage existing organizational groupings for audience creation.
• You prefer to manage audiences based on Google Group memberships rather than individual attributes.
• You aim to simplify audience management by utilizing predefined groups.

Step 1: Connect Google Groups

Before you create audiences using Google Groups, make sure it’s integrated at the application level. This requires your Google Admin and an App manager to complete the connection.

Follow these steps:

1. As the Google Admin user and an App manager in Simpplr, in your Simpplr account, go to Manage > Application > Integrations > People data.
2. Connect your Google account.
3. When you connect to your admin account for the first time, you'll be given the option to use Google Groups.
4. Select Use Google Groups if you want to use Google Groups to create audiences.
5. The Google Groups modal will pop up. Select the groups you want to use later to build your audiences*.The entire list of an organization’s Groups can be fetched, and any subset can be enabled for use in Audience creation
6. Select Done.

✨ Selected groups will automatically sync every 24 hours through scheduled jobs to ensure Audiences reflect the updated group data.

Option 1: Creating audiences automatically using Google Groups

Once the Google Groups have been selected, App managers can choose to create audiences automatically.

Follow these steps:

1. As the Google Admin user and an App manager in Simpplr, in your Simpplr account, go to Manage > Application > Integrations > People data.

Option 2: Creating audiences manually using Google Groups

App managers can also create any custom Audience manually using one or more Google Groups as Audience members.

1. To get there, head to your user menu, then Manage > Audiences. App managers can select the groups for one or more group types and create a new Audience.
2. From Add audience, locate Select by Google Group.

Connect Google Groups

1. As the Google admin user and an App manager in Simpplr, in your Simpplr account, go to Manage > Application > Integrations > People data.
2. When you connect to your admin account for the first time, you'll be given the option to use Google Groups.
3. If you select Use Google Groups, you'll be directed to the Google Groups modal. Choose which groups you want to use later as Audience membership. When creating Google Group–based Audiences, the groups selected here will appear as options.

• This feature will add to existing App Management capabilities to enable Google Groups to be used for Audience members.
• The entire list of an organization’s Groups can be fetched and any subset can be enabled for use in Audience creation.

Note:

Selected groups will automatically sync every 24 hours through scheduled jobs, to ensure Audiences reflect the updated group data. 

Creating/deleting bulk audiences using Google Groups

Once the Google Groups have been selected, App managers can choose to create or delete bulk audiences automatically.

1. The Create audiences option allows them to automatically generate bulk audiences, one audience respective to each selected Google Group.

   Note:
   Audiences created automatically through Google Groups get created as system audiences under the audience category ‘Google Groups’. 

   

   

2. The Do not create audiences option deletes all the automatically created audiences. Audiences cannot be deleted if they are being used anywhere in a site, content, access control group etc. Hence, groups or audiences can be deleted only if audiences using the groups are not being used anywhere.

Manually create audience using Google Groups

App managers can also create any custom Audience manually using one or more Google Groups as Audience members. The Select by Google Group can be found in Add audience. To get there, head to your user menu, then Manage > Audiences. App managers can select the groups for one or more group types and create a new Audience.

Only previously enabled groups by the App manager are available here as group options. Follow these steps to add an audience using Google Groups:

1. Go to Manage > Audiences
2. Click on Create
3. Add a name for your audience, select a parent (e.g. audience category), and select Google Groups in the Type drop down
4. Select the Google Group in the middle drop-down next to the Is, Is not, All drop down
5. Select attributes you want to add to the audience.
6. Select Create

If you want to add multiple group types in a single audience, we recommend adding a rule to your group and using the "or" operator. You can also create two groups in your audience by using a single rule in each grouping.

For example: Group 1 = Google Workspace group Is HR-Talent Management, Simpplr-Marketing. Add group and use the "or" operator. Group 2 = Security group Is App-Access-ServiceNow App-Access-Salesforce.

This setup will add users from both Google Groups in the same audience. 

Migrate existing Google users to groups

Existing users who already had Google accounts connected will be given a prompt on the Integrations screen, informing them that if they wish to migrate to the new Google Groups, reconnection of the Google account is required.

Once they disconnect and reconnect the account, Google Groups will be available for use.

Use Google Groups Audience with other features

Similar to the existing Audience functionality, we can continue to use the Google Groups Audiences with Site Subscriptions, Alerts, Access Control Groups, Newsletters, and Social campaigns.

Best practices

• Use Google Groups managed by your IT or HR teams to ensure accuracy.
• Keep audience names aligned with their corresponding group names.
• Avoid duplicating audiences that mirror the same Google Group.
• Review and refresh group mappings periodically.

Troubleshooting

If your Google Groups audience doesn’t appear or update as expected:

• Confirm your integration with Google Groups is active.
• Check if the selected Google Groups are still available and active.