Associate Google Workspace Administrator Prep
The Associate Google Workspace Administrator certification validates your ability to manage a Google Workspace environment day to day, including user accounts, core services, security, and compliance. This study guide maps every section, task, and objective from the official exam guide to verified Google documentation so you can prepare with confidence.
Use it to work through account and Directory management, core service configuration, data governance, security controls, endpoint management, and troubleshooting in a structured way.
You can also explore more Google Cloud certification study guides on the GCP category page to keep building your skills.
Google Workspace Admin Stuff:
| Coursera | Google Workspace Administrator Professional Certificate |
| Udemy | Google Workspace Administrator Associate |
| Whizlabs | Google Cloud Workspace Administrator Associate |
Section 1: Managing user accounts, domains, and Directory (~20% of the exam)
1.1 Managing the user life cycle. Considerations include:
Identifying basic migration strategies and matching them with the appropriate Google tool.
Migrate your organization’s data to Google Workspace
About Google Workspace Migrate
Transfer data between Google Workspace accounts
Manually creating user accounts.
Add several users at once from a CSV file
Automating the provisioning and deprovisioning of users.
About automated user provisioning
Monitor automated user provisioning
About Google Cloud Directory Sync
Using a third-party identity provider (IdP) to provision and authorize users.
About automated user provisioning
Set up SSO for your organization using a third-party IdP
Sync users to Google with Directory Sync
Configuring basic SAML SSO.
Set up SSO for your organization using a third-party IdP
Set up your own custom SAML application
Identifying use cases for first-party sync tools (e.g., Directory Sync, GCDS).
About Google Cloud Directory Sync
Sync users to Google with Directory Sync
Prepare your Google Workspace account for Directory Sync
Modifying user attributes (e.g., names, email addresses, passwords, aliases).
Deleting, suspending, restoring, and archiving accounts.
Delete or remove a user from your organization
Restore a recently deleted user
Archive former employee accounts
Transferring ownership of Drive data to another account.
Transfer Drive files to a new owner as an admin
Transfer data between Google Workspace accounts
Managing licenses.
Assign specific licenses to users
Automatically assign licenses to users
Administering passwords (e.g., password resets, forcing password changes, monitoring password strength).
Enforce and monitor password requirements for users
Manage a user’s security settings
1.2 Designing and creating organizational units (OUs). Considerations include:
Designing the OU hierarchy in alignment with an organizational structure while following Google-recommended practices.
How the organizational structure works
About user and device policies
Creating and managing OUs for users and other objects.
Move users to an organizational unit
How the organizational structure works
1.3 Managing groups. Considerations include:
Designing a groups structure.
Get started managing groups for an organization
Ways to use groups in your organization
Creating and managing distribution lists.
Create a group in your organization
Get started managing groups for an organization
Creating and managing shared mailboxes (Collaborative Inbox).
Create a group in your organization
Creating and managing dynamic groups.
Manage membership automatically with dynamic groups
Create membership queries for dynamic groups
Creating, managing, and applying settings to security groups.
Control access to sensitive data with security groups
Customize service settings with configuration groups
1.4 Managing domains. Considerations include:
Adding and verifying primary and secondary domains.
Add a user alias domain or secondary domain
Verify your domain for Google Workspace
Managing domain aliases.
Add a user alias domain or secondary domain
Limitations with multiple domains
1.5 Managing buildings and resources. Considerations include:
Creating buildings and rooms in bulk.
Create buildings, features & Calendar resources
Creating and managing new resources for booking and scheduling.
Create buildings, features & Calendar resources
Establishing resource booking permissions.
Share room and resource calendars
Set up Google Calendar room booking suggestions
Creating features to add specific details to resources (e.g., capacity, whiteboard, wheelchair accessible).
Create buildings, features & Calendar resources
Section 2: Managing core Workspace services (~23% of the exam)
2.1 Configuring Gmail. Considerations include:
Configuring MX records for email routing.
Set up MX records for Google Workspace Gmail
Working with Gmail Admin settings in Google Workspace
Configuring basic mail routing scenarios.
Working with Gmail Admin settings in Google Workspace
Set up rules for advanced email content filtering
Using content compliance rules to filter and route emails based on their content.
Set up rules for advanced email content filtering
Working with Gmail Admin settings in Google Workspace
Configuring spam, phishing, and malware settings (e.g., allowlist, denylist, inbound gateway, IP allowlist).
Advanced phishing and malware protection
Customize Gmail spam filter settings
Set up an inbound mail gateway
Managing email attachment size limits and blocked file types.
Set up rules for advanced email content filtering
Advanced phishing and malware protection
Configuring Gmail forwarding and POP/IMAP access.
Turn POP & IMAP on or off for users
Turn automatic email forwarding on or off
Implementing Google-recommended email security practices (e.g., SPF, phishing prevention, DKIM, DMARC).
Help prevent spoofing and spam with SPF
Migrating email data to and from Gmail (e.g., when migrating from other email providers).
Migrate your organization’s data to Google Workspace
About Google Workspace Migrate
Explaining how to delegate Gmail access to other users.
Let users delegate access to a Gmail account
Delegate access to your mail or calendar
Managing compliance footers and email quarantines.
Add a footer to messages users send
2.2 Configuring Google Drive and Docs. Considerations include:
Configuring default sharing options for new files (e.g., internal versus external sharing).
Set general access sharing options for your organization
Manage external sharing for your organization
Identifying when Drive trust rules should be used.
Create and manage trust rules for Drive sharing
Manage external sharing for your organization
Configuring Drive settings to limit external sharing based on organizational policies.
Manage external sharing for your organization
Create and manage trust rules for Drive sharing
Managing target audiences.
Set general access sharing options for your organization
Get started: Drive setup guide for admins
Managing settings for custom Docs templates.
Get started: Drive setup guide for admins
Creating and managing Shared Drives.
Manage shared drives as an admin
Set up shared drives for your organization
Setting and adjusting storage quotas for individual users or OUs.
Set storage limits for users and shared drives
Manage your organization’s storage
Allowing or disallowing Google Drive for desktop.
Choose Google Drive for desktop settings
Transferring ownership of files and folders to other users.
Transfer Drive files to a new owner as an admin
Managing Drive Labels.
Get started as a classification labels admin
Create classification labels for your organization
Enabling and disabling offline access.
Get started: Drive setup guide for admins
Allow users to work on Google files offline
2.3 Configuring Google Calendar. Considerations include:
Creating and managing resource calendars (e.g., meeting rooms, equipment).
Create buildings, features & Calendar resources
Share room and resource calendars
Configuring booking policies for resources.
Share room and resource calendars
Set up Google Calendar room booking suggestions
Delegating calendar and resource access to another user.
Delegate access to your mail or calendar
Setting default internal sharing options for primary and secondary calendars.
Set Google Calendar sharing options
Manage Calendar for your users
Configuring shared calendars for teams or groups.
Set Google Calendar sharing options
Manage Calendar for your users
Managing external sharing options for calendars.
Set Google Calendar sharing options
Transferring event ownership to another user.
Cancel or transfer events or secondary calendars before deleting a user
Preventing invitations from unknown senders.
Manage Calendar for your users
Set Google Calendar sharing options
2.4 Configuring Google Meet. Considerations include:
Enabling or disabling Meet for an organization or specific OUs.
Turn off Meet meetings and calls for your organization
Manage Meet settings (for admins)
Configuring Meet safety settings.
Manage Meet settings (for admins)
Google Meet settings reference for admins
Configuring Meet video settings (e.g., quality, recordings, transcripts, note taking).
Turn Meet recording on or off for your organization
Manage Meet settings (for admins)
2.5 Configuring Google Chat. Considerations include:
Enabling or disabling Chat for an organization or specific OUs.
Turn Google Chat on or off for users
Configuring Chat settings in the Admin console (e.g., chat history, space settings, allowing outside domains to join Chat spaces, moderation).
Control external Chat & spaces chat options
Set Chat and space history for your organization
Managing Chat invite settings.
Control external Chat & spaces chat options
Adding Chat apps.
Manage Chat apps for your organization
2.6 Using generative AI for Google Workspace. Considerations include:
Determining how to keep organization data private and secure when using gen AI.
Gemini AI features now included in Google Workspace subscriptions
Manage access to Gemini features in Workspace services
Enabling or disabling Gemini for an organization or specific OUs.
Manage access to Gemini features in Workspace services
Enabling Google Workspace extensions for the Gemini app.
Control Gemini App access to Workspace services
Generating Gemini usage reports.
Manage access to Gemini features in Workspace services
Monitor usage & security with reports
2.7 Supporting Workspace development. Considerations include:
Identifying use cases for AppSheet and Apps Script (e.g., task automation).
Manage AppSheet in your organization
Turn Apps Script on or off for users
Enabling AppSheet for an organization or specific OUs.
Turn AppSheet on or off for users
Manage AppSheet in your organization
Section 3: Managing data governance and compliance (~15% of the exam)
3.1 Using Google Vault for eDiscovery and data retention. Considerations include:
Identifying use cases for archive user licenses when retaining data.
Archive former employee accounts
Setting up retention policies for compliance purposes.
Set up Vault for your organization
Configuring data holds for legal or investigative purposes.
Manage retention rules and holds
Creating and managing retention rules to automatically retain or delete data based on specific criteria (e.g., date, content).
Retain Gmail messages with Vault
Using Vault’s search and export capabilities.
Manage retention rules and holds
Configuring Vault settings to determine export location.
Set up Vault for your organization
Generating audit reports to track user activity and data access.
3.2 Creating and managing data loss prevention (DLP) rules. Considerations include:
Identifying which Workspace services (Gmail, Chat, Drive) support DLP and their different capabilities.
Creating and configuring automatic DLP rules and actions based on content detectors (e.g., credit card numbers, personally identifiable information) or regular expressions.
Create DLP for Drive rules and custom content detectors
Prevent data leaks in email & attachments (Gmail DLP)
Applying DLP rules to specific Workspace services (e.g., Gmail, Drive, Chat).
Create DLP for Drive rules and custom content detectors
Customizing DLP notification messages.
Prevent data leaks in email & attachments (Gmail DLP)
Create DLP for Drive rules and custom content detectors
3.3 Creating and managing Drive trust rules. Considerations include:
Limiting sharing to specific OU groups, domains, or users.
Create and manage trust rules for Drive sharing
Blocking sharing of certain OU groups, domains, or users.
Create and manage trust rules for Drive sharing
Allowing or restricting sharing outside an organization (e.g., visitors, external users).
Create and manage trust rules for Drive sharing
Manage external sharing for your organization
3.4 Determining how to store and export your environment’s data. Considerations include:
Managing Google Takeout settings (e.g., allowing or restricting certain data types).
Control which Google services users can take out
Export all your organization’s data
Using the Data Export tool.
Export all your organization’s data
Choosing a geographic location for your data.
Choose a geographic location for your data
Configuring legal and compliance settings based on industry regulations.
Choose a geographic location for your data
Export all your organization’s data
3.5 Classifying data. Considerations include:
Identifying use cases for applying labels to data (e.g., user classification, DLP, default classification, AI classification).
Get started as a classification labels admin
Apply classification labels to Drive files automatically with DLP rules
Configuring classification labels to manage files and messages (e.g., Drive, Gmail).
Create classification labels for your organization
Gmail DLP & automatic classification labels
Edit and monitor classification labels for your organization
Section 4: Managing security policies and access controls (~20% of the exam)
4.1 Securing user access. Considerations include:
Enforcing strong password policies and two-step verification (2SV) rules.
Enforce and monitor password requirements for users
Configuring password policies and recovery options (e.g., security questions, verification codes).
Enforce and monitor password requirements for users
Manage a user’s security settings
Configuring 2SV methods (e.g., Google Authenticator app, text message, passkeys).
Protect your business with 2-Step Verification
Identifying when to use context-aware access policies.
Protect your business with Context-Aware Access
Create Context-Aware access levels
Applying security policies to users and groups.
Assign Context-Aware Access levels to apps
Control access to sensitive data with security groups
Assigning prebuilt and custom administrative roles to users (e.g., Super Admin, Groups Admin, User Management Admin) and delegating specific administrative tasks.
Create, edit, and delete custom admin roles
Configuring user signout with Google Session Control.
Prevent cookie theft with session binding
Set session length for Google services
4.2 Reporting, auditing, and investigating security risks and events. Considerations include:
Investigating and analyzing logs and security events by using audit and investigation tools.
About the audit and investigation tool
Search and investigate user log events
Identifying security risks and threats by using the security center.
Admin privileges for the security center
Identifying gaps in security-related configurations by using the security health page in the security center.
Get started with the security health page
Creating activity rules and alerts.
Create and manage activity rules
Grant access to the alert center
4.3 Enabling additional Google and third-party applications. Considerations include:
Managing the Marketplace allowlist.
Manage data access for admin-installed Marketplace apps
Manage Marketplace apps on your allowlist
Deploying and restricting Google Workspace Marketplace and Google Play Store applications.
Manage data access for admin-installed Marketplace apps
Manage Google Play Store apps for managed devices
Configuring SSO in third-party applications.
Set up your own custom SAML application
Set up SSO for your organization using a third-party IdP
Managing access to additional Google services (e.g., AdSense and YouTube) for a specific set of users.
Turn additional Google services on or off
Control which third-party & internal apps access Google Workspace data
Removing connected applications and sites.
Manage a user’s security settings
Control which third-party & internal apps access Google Workspace data
Section 5: Managing browsers and endpoints (~10% of the exam)
5.1 Managing mobile devices. Considerations include:
Determining when to use a basic, advanced, or third-party mobile management solution.
Set up advanced mobile management
Set up basic mobile management
Applying security policies to mobile devices by using Google basic mobile management.
Set up basic mobile management
Apply settings for Android devices
Maintaining visibility and control over registered devices, including both company-owned and bring your own device (BYOD).
Set up advanced mobile management
Offboarding mobile devices from former employees.
5.2 Managing Chrome browsers. Considerations include:
Applying Chrome browser policies (e.g., offline access, update policies).
Set Chrome policies for users or browsers
Understand Chrome policy management
Enrolling browsers and applying policies.
Enroll cloud-managed Chrome browsers
Managing extensions and apps (e.g., allowing, blocking, force-installing) based on OUs or groups.
Set app and extension policies
Set Chrome policies for users or browsers
Section 6: Monitoring and troubleshooting common issues (~13% of the exam)
6.1 Identifying and diagnosing Workspace issues. Considerations include:
Navigating the Admin console to access audit logs.
About the audit and investigation tool
Interpreting log entries to identify error messages, unusual activity, or patterns related to an issue.
Checking the Google Workspace Status Dashboard for service disruptions or outages.
Contact Google Workspace support
Google Workspace diagnostic tools
Recommending a solution related to mail delivery issues (e.g., implementing mail policy changes).
Set up rules for advanced email content filtering
Google Workspace diagnostic tools
6.2 Troubleshooting and resolving common issues. Considerations include:
Troubleshooting problems with user accounts, passwords, 2-step verification, or access to services.
Manage a user’s security settings
Avoid account lockouts when 2-Step Verification is enforced by your organization
Troubleshooting email delivery problems (e.g., undelivered messages, spam filtering issues) by using Email Log Search.
Track messages with Email Log Search
Troubleshooting email delivery problems using user-provided message headers (i.e. SPF, DKIM, DMARC compliance) and the Google Admin Toolbox.
Google Workspace diagnostic tools
Track messages with Email Log Search
Assisting users with troubleshooting issues related to email forwarding, filters, or labels.
Turn automatic email forwarding on or off
Turn POP & IMAP on or off for users
Troubleshooting Calendar events that are not syncing or displaying correctly (e.g., Apple Calendar, Outlook).
Manage Calendar for your users
Set Google Calendar sharing options
Troubleshooting issues with calendar sharing or managing permissions.
Set Google Calendar sharing options
Share room and resource calendars
Troubleshooting Calendar issues with sharing free/busy information.
Set Google Calendar sharing options
Troubleshooting Drive issues with sharing and managing permissions.
Manage external sharing for your organization
Create and manage trust rules for Drive sharing
Resolving problems with Drive for Desktop.
Choose Google Drive for desktop settings
Recovering accidentally deleted files in Drive or mail in Gmail.
Recover deleted files and folders for Drive users
Restore a deleted user’s Drive files
Troubleshooting Drive offline access issues.
Allow users to work on Google files offline
Choose Google Drive for desktop settings
Diagnosing network performance issues (e.g., video and sound quality) by using the Meet quality tool.
Monitor meeting quality and statistics
Prepare your network for Meet meetings
Troubleshooting Meet issues (e.g., users unable to access Meet events).
Google Meet settings reference for admins
Monitor meeting quality and statistics
6.3 Viewing, creating, and managing reports and audit logs. Considerations include:
Monitoring app usage.
Monitor usage & security with reports
View Apps reports on your organization
Monitoring storage limits.
Manage your organization’s storage
Monitor usage & security with reports
Using the audit reports to check
About the audit and investigation tool
Monitoring device activity.
Monitor usage & security with reports
6.4 Using support resources. Considerations include:
Documenting steps taken by the end user to reproduce an issue.
Contact Google Workspace support
Collecting appropriate log file types.
Google Workspace diagnostic tools
Searching for an application’s status and known issues.
Contact Google Workspace support
What’s new in Google Workspace (recent releases)
Generating HAR files.
Google Workspace diagnostic tools
Identifying Google-recommended practices to open a case with Google Support.
Contact Google Workspace support
Using the Google Workspace updates blog, status dashboard, and release calendar to identify service releases and disruptions.
What’s new in Google Workspace (recent releases)
Contact Google Workspace support
Associate Google Workspace Administrator Study Guide – Final Thoughts
This Associate Google Workspace Administrator study guide walked through all six exam sections, from managing users, domains, and the Directory to core service configuration, data governance, security controls, endpoint management, and troubleshooting. With every objective mapped to official Google documentation, you can study each task methodically and fill any gaps before test day.
Keep practicing in a real Admin console where possible, and revisit the sections that carry the most weight to build lasting confidence.
You can also explore more Google Cloud certification study guides on the GCP category page to keep building your skills. Have a question or tip? Leave a comment below and share this guide with others preparing for the exam.
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