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In this article, we’ll cover key features, setup options, and security permissions you’ll need for the Google Drive file storage integration to work properly. We will also provide step-by-step instructions for End users and App managers.

Table of Contents

• Integration path
• Integration features
• Need to know before setup
• Security overview
  
  • Changing site ownership
• Establish your org domain(s) for the integration
• Enable Google Drive as a Site owner
• Enable Google Drive as an End user
• Enable Google Drive as an Application manager
• Google Drive file search

Integration path

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1. Review the integration features below and decide specifications needed for your organization.
2. Define the Drive structure your organization wants to use in connecting the integration. 
3. Establish your Google domain in Simpplr.
4. Enable the integration at the application level. 
5. Content teams add the correct files to their target folders, and connect them to Simpplr content. 
6. End users connect their integration to their Simpplr profile.
7. Now the files will be available for all users to access.

Integration features

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1. Attach files from your Drive directly to your Simpplr content.
2. Add new versions of files, and download files to Google Drive from your intranet interface.

Need to know

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1. When Google Drive is enabled in the intranet, its folder structure should be visible to the users in file manager.
2. Your org's Google domain needs to be aaded in Simpplr before the integration can be set up.

Security overview

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Each user will need to connect their account at the profile level under their Profile & settings menu. The End user will only need to do this once.

Google Drive OAuth Permissions/Scopes

Establish your org domain(s) for the integration

Before the integration can be established, Simpplr must first establish a domain connection. This will determine which domain(s) can be used for the integration; for example, company.com can be added as a domain, but if you have employees under othercompany.com, you can also add that domain so that the integration will work for all users. 

The Google admin user must be the user to complete these steps. To get started:

1. From your user profile in Simpplr, go to Manage > Application > Integrations.
2. From the Domains tab, find Google and select Add domain name.
3. Enter your company domain name and click Add. If you have multiple domains, repeat these steps. 
4. Click Save. Now when your users connect at the user profile level, their domain will be supported if separate from the primary company domain.

Multi-domain support

You can enable multiple domains for your Google Drive and Google Calendar integrations with Simpplr. 

• App managers can add, view, and delete domains for Google Drive and Calendar.
• Domains can be managed by going to Manage > Application > Integrations > Domains. 
• Upgrading to multi-domain is optional.

Set up and add/remove multiple domains

To set up multi-domain:

1. Go to Manage > Application > Integrations > Domains.
2. Add the domain names you want.

Enable Google Drive as a Site owner in Simpplr

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As a Site owner, it is up to you to enable Google Drive functionality at the site level. To link folders to a site where Google Drive has been integrated, you must select Google Drive as the site’s file storage. Please note you must first connect your own individual profile to Google Drive before connecting your site. See instructions below for connecting your user profile. To connect at the site level:

1. From your Simpplr site, go to Manage site > Setup > External files.
   
2. From the dropdown list, choose Google Drive. Note you can only select one file storage option per site.

Note:

All Site owners and managers can link folders to a site, as long as they and the site are connected to Google Drive.

 

To link Google Drive folders to your site:

1. Navigate to Files from your site landing page.
   
2. Select the Google Drive files folder.
   
3. Select Link Google Drive Folder. If you can’t see this option, it is likely because:
   • You need to create a new Google Drive folder first, or
   • You are not the Site owner or manager.

Note

You can also create a new Google Drive folder. Doing so will create a new folder directly in Google Drive. If you create a new folder inside another folder, the permissions will be inherited from the parent folder. However, you can only create a folder inside another folder if the parent folder is linked. 

• Select the folder you wish to link to the Simpplr site from Shared Drives (if enabled) or My Drive.
  

Note

You can also unlink folders. Any folders unlinked are removed from the Site root folder. The permissions for the folder are removed from the Site group.

 

Connect Google Drive as an End user on Simpplr

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As a Simpplr End user, once your Application manager has set up the connection with Simpplr, you will be able to attach, share, and edit files you have access to in Google Drive, all from within your Simpplr intranet. First you must enable Google Drive on your profile. To do so:

1.  Navigate to your user profile image and click Profile & settings. Once your profile is open, click Edit profile & settings.
2. Click External apps, then next to Google Drive, click Sign in with Google. You will be asked to allow the permissions from Google. Click Allow. Your Google account is now connected with your Simpplr interface.
3. Now when you create content and want to attach files, you'll be given the option to include files from your Google Drive account.
   

Connect Google Drive as an App manager in Simpplr

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App managers can integrate Google Drive with their Simpplr intranet. Until Google Drive is integrated with Simpplr, your Site owners and Content managers will not be able to access MyDrive and/or Shared drives. To integrate Google Drive with Simpplr.

1. Ensure your org's Google domain(s) is/are set up in the Manage > Application > Domains tab.
2. Go to Manage > Application.

3. Go to the Integrations tab and select File management.

4. Check the box next to Google Drive.

5. Choose Enable sharing from shared drives and My Drive, or Enable sharing from My Drive

6. Choose your org’s access permissions (see Access permissions section below).

7.  Click Save. Google Drive is now integrated with Simpplr.

Access permissions

You must determine how Simpplr users can interact with Google Drive files they don’t have access to. Choose whether or not users without file access are shown an ‘Open in Google Drive’ prompt. Giving users this prompt may allow them to request file access directly in Google Drive. 

Linking Google Drive to sites

Once Google Drive has been enabled, users can link Drive files and folders to sites, making them available for users to discover within Simpplr as well as sharing content on the site.

• Users can only link a single drive to a site.
• Users can still link multiple folders from My Drive.

Global search

Once Google Drive is integrated, users that have connected their Simpplr profile (as an End user) search Google Drive content directly in Simpplr. 

Shared drive content will be discoverable on Simpplr's global search, based on the user's Google Drive permissions.

Site search 

Searching for Google Drive files in site search will only return files from the Shared drive(s) linked to the site.