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Mainbranch

Google Workspace

This guide covers how to connect Google Workspace to Mainbranch, enabling search across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Calendar.

Overview

Section titled “Overview”

The Google Workspace connector provides access to:

  • Google Drive — Documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and other files
  • Gmail — Emails and attachments
  • Google Calendar — Events and meeting details

Prerequisites

Section titled “Prerequisites”

Before connecting Google Workspace:

  • Admin access to Mainbranch
  • Google Workspace admin access (for organization-wide connection)
  • Understanding of what data will be indexed

Connecting Google Workspace

Section titled “Connecting Google Workspace”

  1. Navigate to Apps

    Go to Workspace settings > Setup > Apps.

  2. Select Google Workspace

    Find the Google Workspace connectors (Drive, Gmail, Calendar).

  3. Start Connection

    Click to begin the connection process.

  4. Authorize Access

    You will be redirected to Google. Sign in with a Google Workspace admin account and grant the requested permissions.

  5. Configure Options

    Set any specific options for what to sync.

  6. Complete Setup

    Confirm and start the initial sync.

Permissions Required

Section titled “Permissions Required”

Mainbranch requests the following permissions:

  • Drive — Read access to files and folders
  • Gmail — Read access to emails
  • Calendar — Read access to events

What Gets Indexed

Section titled “What Gets Indexed”

Google Drive

Section titled “Google Drive”
  • Documents (Docs, Sheets, Slides)
  • PDFs
  • Images
  • Other supported file types
  • File metadata and sharing settings

Gmail

Section titled “Gmail”
  • Emails in all folders
  • Email attachments
  • Email metadata (sender, recipients, date)

Google Calendar

Section titled “Google Calendar”
  • Calendar events
  • Event descriptions
  • Attendee information

Access and Permissions

Section titled “Access and Permissions”

How Permissions Work

Section titled “How Permissions Work”
  • Mainbranch respects Google Drive sharing settings
  • Users only see files they have access to in Google Drive
  • Shared drives and shared files follow Google’s sharing rules

Permission Inheritance

Section titled “Permission Inheritance”

If a user can see a file in Google Drive:

  • They can see it in Mainbranch search results
  • They can access it through the AI Assistant

If a user cannot see a file in Google Drive:

  • It will not appear in their Mainbranch results
  • Even if other users can see it

Sync Details

Section titled “Sync Details”

Initial Sync

Section titled “Initial Sync”

The first sync indexes all content. Duration depends on:

  • Amount of data in your Google Workspace
  • Number of users
  • Network conditions

Initial sync can take several hours to complete.

Ongoing Sync

Section titled “Ongoing Sync”

After initial sync:

  • New files are indexed within minutes
  • Changes sync automatically
  • Deleted files are removed from the index

Configuration Options

Section titled “Configuration Options”

Scope

Section titled “Scope”

Choose what to include:

  • All users in the organization
  • Specific organizational units
  • Specific users

Content Types

Section titled “Content Types”

Select which Google services to connect:

  • Google Drive only
  • Gmail only
  • Google Calendar only
  • All services

Troubleshooting

Section titled “Troubleshooting”

Connection Failed

Section titled “Connection Failed”
  • Verify you have admin permissions
  • Check that the Google account is a workspace admin
  • Try signing out and reconnecting

Sync Not Starting

Section titled “Sync Not Starting”
  • Verify the connection completed successfully
  • Check connector status for errors
  • Allow time for sync to begin

Missing Files

Section titled “Missing Files”
  • Verify the file exists in Google Drive
  • Check permissions on the file
  • Ensure the file type is supported
  • Allow time for sync to complete

Permission Issues

Section titled “Permission Issues”
  • Permissions sync from Google Drive
  • Changes may take time to reflect
  • Verify sharing settings in Google

Security Considerations

Section titled “Security Considerations”

Data Access

Section titled “Data Access”
  • Only authorized data is accessed
  • Credentials are stored securely
  • Access can be revoked at any time

Compliance

Section titled “Compliance”
  • Connection follows Google’s API policies
  • Data handling complies with your organization’s policies
  • Audit logs track sync activity

Best Practices

Section titled “Best Practices”

Before Connecting

Section titled “Before Connecting”
  • Review what data will be indexed
  • Communicate with your team about the connection
  • Plan for initial sync time

After Connecting

Section titled “After Connecting”
  • Monitor sync status
  • Review indexed content
  • Address any errors promptly

Ongoing

Section titled “Ongoing”
  • Check connector status periodically
  • Keep authorization current
  • Review permissions as needed

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”