Table of Contents
Overview
gSync is a Google Workspace management platform designed for K–12 schools. It connects directly to your school's Google Admin Console to streamline account provisioning, classroom management, email administration, and more — all from a single, secure web interface.
What gSync Can Do
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Account Sync | Import student and staff data from a Google Sheet to create and manage accounts |
| Provisioning | Create Google Workspace accounts in bulk from imported data |
| Deprovision | Suspend or delete accounts and remove users from groups |
| Classroom Sync | Create Google Classroom courses and enroll students automatically |
| Group Management | Manage Google Workspace group memberships |
| Gmail Admin | Set out-of-office replies and email forwarding for users |
| Signature Manager | Create and deploy HTML email signatures to users and organizational units |
Signing In
Google Sign-In
gSync uses your school's Google account for authentication
gSync uses Google OAuth to authenticate users. Only accounts authorized by your gSync administrator can sign in.
https://app.gsync.io/yourschool/Session Timeout
For security, gSync automatically signs you out after 20 minutes of inactivity. A warning banner appears at 18 minutes. Click "Stay Signed In" to extend your session.
Dashboard
The dashboard is your central hub. All features are organized into collapsible sections. Click any section header to expand or collapse it.
Navigation
- Each feature is a collapsible card — click the header to expand
- Sections with a 🔒 badge are not available on your current plan
- Your name and sign-out button appear in the top navigation bar
- A daily message may appear as a modal on login — click to dismiss
Daily Messages
Your administrator may configure a daily message that appears when you first log in each day. Check the "Don't show again today" checkbox to suppress it for the rest of the day.
Account Sync
Account Sync
Import and manage accounts from Google Sheets
Account Sync reads student and staff data from a Google Sheet and syncs it into gSync's database. This is the first step before provisioning accounts.
Setting Up Your Spreadsheet
Your spreadsheet must have a tab named Demographics with the following columns:
| Column Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
Email | Required | Full Google Workspace email address |
First Name | Required | User's first name |
Last Name | Required | User's last name |
Org Unit | Required | Google Workspace OU path (e.g. /Students/Grade 9) |
Role | Optional | User role (e.g. student, staff) |
Grade | Optional | Grade level |
Graduation Year | Optional | Expected graduation year |
Division | Optional | School division (e.g. Upper School) |
Password | Optional | Initial password (uses default if blank) |
Change Password | Optional | Yes/No — require password change at first login |
Send Welcome Email | Optional | Yes/No — flag for welcome email sending |
Title | Optional | Job title (synced to Google Directory) |
Address | Optional | Work address |
Phone Number | Optional | Work phone |
Parent 1 First Name | Optional | Parent/guardian first name |
Parent 1 Last Name | Optional | Parent/guardian last name |
Parent 1 Email | Optional | Parent/guardian email (used for welcome emails) |
Running a Sync
Sync Behavior
- New rows — creates a new record in gSync
- Changed rows — updates the existing record
- Removed rows — marks the record as "removed" (does not delete from Google)
- Unchanged rows — skipped (no action taken)
Student Roster
The Student Roster shows all imported accounts with their provisioning status, role, grade, and parent information. You can search, filter, and bulk-delete records from this view.
Provisioning Accounts
Provisioning
Create Google Workspace accounts from imported data
Provisioning creates actual Google Workspace accounts for users imported via Account Sync. gSync reads the data from its database and calls the Google Admin API to create each account.
Before You Provision
- Ensure the Account Sync has been run and the Student Roster is populated
- Verify org unit paths are correct — accounts will be created in the specified OU
- Confirm default password settings in Settings → Provisioning
Provisioning Users
Provisioning Status
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Not provisioned | Account exists in gSync but has not been created in Google Workspace |
| Provisioned | Account was successfully created in Google Workspace |
| Skipped | Account already exists in Google Workspace — no action taken |
| Error | Account creation failed — check the provisioning log for details |
Welcome Emails
If a user has "Send Welcome Email" set to Yes and parent email addresses are present, gSync can send a welcome email to parents with the student's login credentials. Configure email templates and Mailgun settings in the Settings section.
Deprovisioning Accounts
Deprovision Accounts
Suspend or delete Google Workspace accounts
The Deprovision tool allows you to suspend or permanently delete Google Workspace accounts. It also automatically removes users from all Google Groups before taking action.
Deprovisioning Methods
| Method | Description | Use When |
|---|---|---|
| Suspend | Disables the account. User cannot sign in but data is retained. | End of year, temporary leave, graduating students |
| Delete | Permanently removes the account and all associated data. | Former staff, permanent departures |
Deprovisioning via Search
Deprovisioning via Spreadsheet
You can deprovision multiple users at once using the Deprovision tab in your Google Sheet. Add a tab named Deprovision with two columns:
| Column | Values |
|---|---|
Email | Full Google Workspace email address |
Action | suspend or delete |
Click "Load from Sheet" in the Deprovision section to import the list, then run the deprovision.
What Happens During Deprovision
- User is removed from all Google Groups
- Account is suspended or deleted in Google Admin
- If a target OU is specified, the account is moved (suspend only)
- The gSync student record is updated with the deprovision status
Classroom Sync
Classroom Sync
Create courses and sync rosters to Google Classroom
Classroom Sync reads course data from your Google Sheet and creates courses in Google Classroom, enrolling students automatically.
Setting Up Your Courses Sheet
Add a tab named Courses to your spreadsheet with these columns:
| Column | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
Course ID | Required | Unique identifier for the course (e.g. ENG101-A) |
Course Title | Required | Full course name |
Section | Optional | Section identifier |
Teacher | Required | Teacher's Google Workspace email |
Students | Optional | Comma-separated list of student emails |
Archive | Optional | Yes/No — mark course for archiving |
Google Course ID | Optional | Auto-filled by gSync after first sync |
Syncing Courses
Archiving Courses
Set Archive to "Yes" in the spreadsheet to mark a course for archiving. On the next sync, gSync will unenroll all students and set the course to ARCHIVED in Google Classroom. You can also manually archive courses from the Classroom Sync section.
Group Management
Group Management
Manage Google Workspace group memberships
Group Management lets you view, create, and manage Google Workspace groups and their memberships directly from gSync.
Viewing Groups
The Group Management section lists all groups in your Google Workspace domain. Click any group to view its members.
Managing Members
- Add member — Enter an email address and click Add
- Remove member — Click the remove button next to any member
- Bulk sync — Add or remove multiple members at once using the bulk sync option
Creating a New Group
Gmail Admin
Gmail Admin
Create and deploy auto-replies and forwarding rules for users
Gmail Admin allows you to set out-of-office auto-replies and email forwarding for one or more users in your domain — without needing access to each user's individual Gmail settings.
Selecting Users
Both the Out of Office and Email Forwarding tabs share the same user selector. Search for users by name or email, then click to add them as chips. Multiple users can be selected at once — the same settings will be applied to all selected users.
Out of Office (Vacation Responder)
Merge Tags — Out of Office
Insert these tags in your message to personalize per user:
| Tag | Replaced With |
|---|---|
| {{firstName}} | User's first name |
| {{lastName}} | User's last name |
| {{email}} | User's email address |
| {{title}} | User's job title from Google Directory |
| {{department}} | User's department from Google Directory |
Email Forwarding
Signature Manager
Signature Manager
Create and deploy HTML email signatures to users and OUs
Signature Manager lets you create branded HTML email signatures and deploy them to users or entire organizational units in your Google Workspace domain.
Creating a Signature Template
Merge Tags — Signatures
| Tag | Replaced With |
|---|---|
| {{firstName}} | User's first name |
| {{lastName}} | User's last name |
| {{email}} | User's email address |
| {{title}} | Job title from Google Directory |
| {{department}} | Department from Google Directory |
| {{phone}} | Phone number from Google Directory |
Assigning Templates
Assignments control which template is deployed to which users. Two assignment types are supported:
| Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| User | Assigns a template to a specific user email | jsmith@school.org |
| OU | Assigns a template to all users in an organizational unit | /Staff/Faculty |
Deploying Signatures
Settings
Settings is accessible from the main dashboard. It contains configuration for your school's gSync environment.
General Settings
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| School Name | Your school's display name, used in emails and the interface |
| Email Domain | Your Google Workspace domain (e.g. school.org) |
| Default Password | Default password for provisioned accounts when none is specified |
| Change Password at Next Login | Default setting for requiring password change on first login |
Authorized Users
The Authorized Users list controls who can sign in to gSync. Add email addresses of IT administrators who should have access. Leave empty to allow all users in your domain to sign in.
Email Settings (Mailgun)
gSync uses Mailgun to send welcome emails to parents. Configure the following:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Mailgun API Key | Your Mailgun private API key |
| Mailgun Domain | Your verified Mailgun sending domain |
| From Email | Sender email address |
| From Name | Sender display name |
Click "Send Test Email" to verify your Mailgun configuration before sending to parents.
Spreadsheet Connector
Enter your Google Sheet ID or URL here. Use "Generate Template" to create a new Google Sheet with all required tabs and columns pre-built.
Daily Messages
Configure a message that appears to all administrators when they log in each day. Useful for communicating important reminders. Messages can be set per day of the week.
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
| Issue | Likely Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| "Not authorized" on login | Your email is not in the authorized users list | Ask your gSync admin to add your email in Settings → Authorized Users |
| Provisioning fails with "Insufficient permissions" | Your Google OAuth token doesn't have Admin SDK access | Sign out and sign back in, granting all requested permissions |
| Sync shows no records | Sheet tab not named exactly "Demographics" | Rename the tab to "Demographics" (case-sensitive) |
| Courses not found in sync | Sheet tab not named exactly "Courses" | Rename the tab to "Courses" |
| Signature not applying | Service account lacks domain-wide delegation | Contact your gSync administrator — the service account may need reconfiguration |
| Session expires too quickly | 20-minute inactivity timeout | Click "Stay Signed In" when the warning appears |
| Feature shows 🔒 badge | Feature not enabled on your plan | Contact your gSync Customer Manager to enable the feature |
| Emails not sending | Mailgun not configured or API key expired | Check Settings → Email Settings and send a test email |
Getting Help
If you encounter an issue not covered here, contact your gSync Customer Manager. They can review your account configuration, feature flags, and deployment settings.