Article

    Google Groups

    4 min read
    Last updated 1 day ago

    Unthread's Google Groups integration allows you to dynamically manage group members from an automation. To set it up, head to "Apps & Integrations", and hit "Configure". You'll be asked to set up a service account in your Google account to give us proper authentication to manage these groups.

    How to Generate a Google Service Account Email and Private Key for Unthread

    Prerequisites

    Before starting, make sure you:

    • Have admin access to your Google Workspace organization

    • Have permission to create projects and service accounts in Google Cloud

    • Can access the Google Cloud Console

    Step 1: Create or Select a Google Cloud Project

    1. Go to the Google Cloud Console
      https://console.cloud.google.com

    2. In the top navigation bar, click the Project Selector.

    3. Either:

      • Select an existing project, or

      • Click New Project and create one (e.g., Unthread Integration).

    Step 2: Enable the Required APIs

    Unthread needs access to the Admin SDK to manage Google Group memberships.

    1. In the Google Cloud Console, navigate to:

      APIs & Services → Library

    2. Search for and enable:

    • Admin SDK API

    Step 3: Create a Service Account

    1. Go to:

      IAM & Admin → Service Accounts

    2. Click Create Service Account.

    3. Enter the following:

    FieldValue
    Service account nameunthread-groups-access
    Service account ID(auto-generated)
    DescriptionAllows Unthread to manage Google Group membership

    1. Click Create and Continue.

    2. You can skip granting roles for now and click Done.

    Step 4: Generate a Private Key

    Now you'll create the private key that Unthread will use to authenticate.

    1. In the Service Accounts list, click the new service account.

    2. Navigate to the Keys tab.

    3. Click Add Key → Create New Key.

    4. Select:

    • JSON
    1. Click Create.

    A JSON key file will download to your computer.

    ⚠️ Important:
    Store this file securely. It contains credentials that allow API access to your Google environment.

    Step 5: Locate the Service Account Email

    Open the downloaded JSON file and locate the field:

    client_email

    Example:

    unthread-groups-access@your-project.iam.gserviceaccount.com

    This is the Service Account Email you will provide to Unthread.

    Step 6: Add Credentials to Unthread

    In Unthread:

    1. Navigate to Settings → Apps & Integrations → Google Groups

    2. Enter:

    FieldValue
    Service Account EmailThe email address above
    Private KeyPaste the entire JSON key file here
    1. Save the configuration.

    Step 7: Grant Domain-Wide Delegation (Required)

    To allow the service account to manage Google Groups across your Workspace, you must grant domain-wide delegation.

    1. In Google Cloud Console, open the service account.

    2. Click Edit.

    3. Enable:

    Enable Google Workspace Domain-wide Delegation

    1. Save the Client ID.

    Next:

    1. Go to the Google Admin Console

      https://admin.google.com

    2. Navigate to:

    Security → API Controls → Domain-wide Delegation

    1. Click Add new.

    2. Enter:

    FieldValue
    Client IDService Account Client ID
    OAuth Scopeshttps://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.group<br>https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.group.member
    1. Click Authorize.

    Step 8: Verify the Integration

    Once the credentials are saved in Unthread:

    1. Trigger a Google Groups sync from the Unthread dashboard.

    2. Confirm that groups and memberships are visible.

    If everything is configured correctly, Unthread will now be able to:

    • View Google Groups

    • Add users to groups

    • Remove users from groups

    • Synchronize membership changes

    Security Best Practices

    • Treat the JSON private key like a password

    • Do not commit it to source control

    • Rotate the key periodically if desired

    • Restrict access to the service account to administrators only