Google Workspace Updates

Migrate your classic Google Sites before December 1, 2022

Monday, May 16, 2022

Quick summary We’re extending the previously announced timeline to give Google Workspace customers more time to migrate from classic Google Sites to new Google Sites. The new timeline is:

Starting December 1, 2022 (previously June 1, 2022): You will no longer be able to edit any remaining classic Sites in your domain.
Starting January 1, 2023 (previously July 1, 2022): Classic Sites will no longer be viewable unless they are converted to new Google Sites.

To ensure a smooth transition and access to new Sites functionalities, end users and admins are encouraged to use the Classic Sites Manager to complete migration and convert individual classic Sites to new Google Sites before December 1, 2022.

After January 1, 2023, we will replace each remaining classic Site with a Takeout archive and will attempt to convert each classic Site to a new Site. Review your domain’s settings prior to January 1, 2023 to ensure a successful migration.

You will be notified once all the sites on your domain have been migrated. This may take multiple months for your domain, depending on the number and complexity of your sites. In the meantime, you can check the status of your sites in the Classic Sites Manager. After migration, your classic Sites will no longer be available.

Getting started

Admins and Google Workspace end-users:

Use the Google Sites Migration Guide and the Classic Sites Manager to help your users transition. Visit our Help Center to learn how to convert a classic Site to a new Site, including new and improved Sites functionality.

To ensure a smooth transition, we recommend the following best practices when migrating your sites:

Create an archive of your classic Sites using the bulk “Download” functionality in the Classic Sites Manager so that you can refer to them later, if needed.
Since sharing settings work differently in new Sites than in classic Sites, always check your sharing settings after conversion:
Check that you are sharing with the desired audience before publishing.
Control whether collaborators can share your site with other users or publish the site in sharing settings. By default, all converted sites now have this setting disabled.
If your domain’s classic Sites sharing options are different from its Drive sharing permissions, confirm that access is correctly set for any users outside your domain.

Note that the timeline for this transition is different for users with personal Google accounts — see this article in the Help Center for more information. There are no changes to the timeline for users with personal Google accounts.

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers

Resources

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - May 13, 2022

Friday, May 13, 2022

New updates Unless otherwise indicated, the features below are fully launched or in the process of rolling out (rollouts should take no more than 15 business days to complete), launching to both Rapid and Scheduled Release at the same time (if not, each stage of rollout should take no more than 15 business days to complete), and available to all legacy Google Workspace and G Suite customers.

New idle status in Google Chat In Google Chat on web and Chat in Gmail, you'll see an orange clock badge for users that were recently active in Chat, but aren't currently active. We hope this makes it easier to determine the best time to connect with your colleagues. Visit the Help Center to learn more about availability statuses in Google Chat.

Changes to the default Host Management controls in Google Meet for users with personal accounts The default setting for Host Management controls is changing for users with personal Google accounts. Previously, Host Management controls were ON by default — going forward, this setting will be OFF by default for new meetings. There are no changes to the behavior for Google Workspace customers or Google Workspace Individual users.

Previous announcements

The announcements below were published on the Workspace Updates blog earlier this week. Please refer to the original blog posts for complete details.

Improved user interface for sharing your working location in Google Calendar

This update improves the working location feature by offering the same functionality for easily entering and updating location information in a more compact format that uses screen space more efficiently. | Learn more here and here.

Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Business customers.

Easily search for Google Meet content in Google Drive

In Google Drive, you can now use app:”Google Meet” to easily find and organize Meet content such as Meet recordings, meeting transcripts, and more. | Learn more.

Import existing custom themes to new Google Sites

You can now import a custom theme from one new Google Site to another. | Learn more.

Create Spaces and Add Members with the Google Chat API, available in Developer Preview

Using the Google Chat API, you can now programmatically create new Spaces and add members to those Spaces. This functionality is available in preview – developers can apply for access through our Google Workspace Developer Preview Program. | Learn more.

Require email verification to book appointments in Google Calendar

When using appointment scheduling in Google Calendar, you can now opt to have users verify their email before booking an appointment. When enabled, the user must be signed into a Google account or validate their email address using a PIN code to complete the booking. | Learn more.

Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, and Nonprofits customers.

New delegated VirusTotal privilege in the Alert Center

In 2021, we announced an integration between the Alert Center and VirusTotal. At that time, any admin who had the Alert Center privilege could access all VirusTotal reports. Now, we’ve added the ability for admins to control who can view VirusTotal reports. | Learn more.

Available for Google Workspace Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Standard and Education Plus.

Set up SSO profiles for multiple third-party identity providers with the Multi-IdP SSO beta launch

You can further customize authentication by setting up single sign-on (SSO) profiles for multiple identity providers and then configuring authentication for each group or OU. This feature is available beginning today as an open beta, which means you can use it without enrolling in a specific beta program. | Learn more.

For a recap of announcements in the past six months, check out What’s new in Google Workspace (recent releases).

Set up SSO profiles for multiple third-party identity providers with the Multi-IdP SSO beta launch

Thursday, May 12, 2022

What’s changing For over a decade, we have given admins the ability to configure authentication through a third-party identity provider . In 2021, we expanded this capability by making it possible to choose between third-party identity provider or Google authentication for specific groups or organizational units (OUs).

Now, you can further customize authentication by setting up single sign-on (SSO) profiles for multiple identity providers and then configuring authentication for each group or OU. This feature is available beginning today as an open beta, which means you can use it without enrolling in a specific beta program.

You can now set up SSO profiles for multiple third-party identity providers

Who’s impacted

Admins

Why you’d use it

Currently, you can configure SSO with a third-party identity provider to apply to your entire domain and then require a subset of your users, such as vendors or contractors, to authenticate with Google instead. However, if you have more than one identity provider, you might require greater customization of authentication options. For example, your company might be migrating from one provider to another, or it might have acquired another company that uses a different provider.

The Multi-IdP SSO beta lets you set up SSO profiles for each of your third-party identity providers, giving you the flexibility to specify the authentication method for various users in your organization as needed.

Getting started

Admins: In the Admin console, navigate to Security > Settings > Set up single sign-on (SSO) with a third party IdP > Manage SSO Profile assignments. Visit the Help Center to learn more about setting up SSO for your organization.

Go to the Security settings to set up SSO profiles for third-party identity providers

End users: There is no end user setting for this feature.

Rollout pace

This feature is available now for all users.

Availability

Available to Google Workspace Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, Frontline, and Nonprofits, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers
Available to all Cloud Identity customers
Not available to Google Workspace Essentials customers
Not available to users with personal Google Accounts

Resources

New delegated VirusTotal privilege in the Alert Center

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

What’s changing In 2021, we announced an integration between the Alert Center and VirusTotal. At that time, any admin who had the Alert Center privilege could access all VirusTotal reports. Now, we’ve added the ability for admins to control who can view VirusTotal reports.

Important note: Once this feature is rolled out in your domain, some admins may lose access to VirusTotal. If so, super admins will have to re-provision access by going to Admin Privileges > View VirusTotal Reports.

Who’s impacted Admins

Why you’d use it This change will help ensure only those with proper privileges can view VirusTotal reports regarding sensitive data. The VirusTotal integration provides an added layer of investigation on top of existing alerts, empowering admins to take deeper look into threats and potential abuse, helping them better protect their organization and data. Visit the Help Center to learn more about using VirusTotal reports in the Alert Center.

Additional details VirusTotal provides an investigation layer on top of alerts but isn’t being used directly for detection or alerting. No customer information is shared from Google to VirusTotal.

Getting started

Admins: Visit the Help Center to learn more about using VirusTotal reports in the Alert Center and assigning admin privileges.
End users: There is no end user impact.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on May 11, 2022

Availability

Available to Google Workspace Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals and Education Plus customers
Not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Enterprise Essentials, Frontline, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers

Resources

Google Workspace Admin Help: Grant access to the alert center
Google Workspace Admin Help: View VirusTotal reports from the alert center
Google Workspace Updates Blog: Alert Center enrichment with VirusTotal threat context now generally available

Require email verification to book appointments in Google Calendar

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Quick summary When using appointment scheduling in Google Calendar, you can now opt to have users verify their email before booking an appointment. When enabled, the user must be signed into a Google account or validate their email address using a PIN code to complete the booking.

This setting is off by default and is “sticky”. This means that if you turn it on or off, the configuration will be saved for any new appointment scheduling series. We hope this feature helps ensure you’re protected against potentially malicious actors.

Appointment scheduling user interface with email verification option unchecked.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: This feature will be OFF by default and can be turned on by the user. Visit the Help Center to learn more about appointment scheduling and requiring email verification for appointments.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on May 11, 2022
Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on May 25, 2022

Availability

Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, and Nonprofits customers
Not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Frontline, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers

Resources

Create Spaces and Add Members with the Google Chat API, available in Developer Preview

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

What’s changingUsing the Google Chat API, you can now programmatically create new Spaces and add members to those Spaces. This functionality is available in preview – developers can apply for access through our Google Workspace Developer Preview Program.Google Workspace administrators can also use the API controls in Admin Console if they would also like to restrict access to Google Chat data.

Who’s impactedAdmins and DevelopersWhy you’d use it While it’s easy to create new Spaces and add members directly in Google Chat, there are cases where Spaces can be filled with many topics and side conversations, making it difficult to keep track of important information. Using the new API functionality, you can set up new spaces that focus on a specific topic, team, or project. For example, an on-call app can automatically create a space when an outage has been detected.Getting started

Developers: To use the Google Chat API, developers can apply for access through our Google Workspace Developer Preview Program.

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers

Resources

Import existing custom themes to new Google Sites

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Quick summary You can now import a custom theme from one new Google Site to another. This highly requested feature makes it easier to reuse themes that align with your organization’s brand guidelines or your personal style across your various sites.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: In a new Site, navigate to Themes > Custom > Import theme. Visit the Help Center to learn more about changing how your site looks.

Rollout pace

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers
Available to users with personal Google accounts

Resources

Easily search for Google Meet content in Google Drive

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Quick summary In Google Drive, you can now use app:”Google Meet” to easily find and organize Meet content such as:

Meeting recordings
Chat transcripts
Attendance reports
Polls or question and answer reports
Meeting transcripts
Meeting notes created in Google Calendar

We hope this update makes it easier for you to quickly and efficiently find files related to Meet events in Drive. For example, you can search for Meet transcripts by the words they contain instead of their file format, Meet videos based on what folders they may be in (such as My Drive), or Meet recordings based on the date they were recorded.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
End users: When searching for Meet related files in Drive, use app:“Google Meet” in your query.

Rollout pace

Rapid Release and Scheduled domains: Full rollout (1-3 days for feature visibility) starting on May 10, 2022

Availability

Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers
Available to users with personal Google accounts

Resources

Improved user interface for sharing your working location in Google Calendar

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Quick summary In August 2021, we gave users the ability to share where they’re working from directly on their calendar. This update improves the working location feature by offering the same functionality for easily entering and updating location information in a more compact format that uses screen space more efficiently.

Getting started

Admins: Working location is ON by default and can be disabled at the domain or OU level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning working location on or off for users.
End users: Unless disabled by your admin, this feature will be OFF by default. Visit the Help Center to learn more about setting your working location.

Rollout pace

Rapid and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on May 10, 2022

Availability

Available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Business customers
Not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Education Fundamentals, Frontline customers as well as G Suite Basic customers
Not available to users with personal Google Accounts

Resources

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - May 6, 2022

Friday, May 6, 2022

New updatesUnless otherwise indicated, the features below are fully launched or in the process of rolling out (rollouts should take no more than 15 business days to complete), launching to both Rapid and Scheduled Release at the same time (if not, each stage of rollout should take no more than 15 business days to complete), and available to all legacy Google Workspace and G Suite customers.
Space descriptions and guidelines in Google Chat rolling out now
Earlier this year, we announced the ability for space managers to add descriptions and guidelines for their spaces. This feature is now available on mobile and will be gradually rolling out for web. | Learn more here and here.

Previous announcements

The announcements below were published on the Workspace Updates blog earlier this week. Please refer to the original blog posts for complete details.

Use new table templates and dropdown chips in Google Docs to create highly collaborative documents

We’re introducing two new enhancements for our flexible, smart canvas for collaboration: dropdown chips and table templates in Google Docs. | Learn more.

Share your video feed when using Companion mode in Google Meet

When using Companion mode in Google Meet, you can now turn your camera on and share your video feed with all other participants. | Learn more.

Set recurring task end options directly in Google Tasks

You can set the end option for a recurring task (never, on a certain date, or after X occurrences) directly in Google Tasks. | Learn more.

Space managers can now delete messages in Google Chat

This feature will allow Space managers to easily moderate their spaces and remove any content that is irrelevant or inappropriate in the space. | Learn more.

For a recap of announcements in the past six months, check out What’s new in Google Workspace (recent releases).

Useful Links

Join the official community for Google Workspace administrators

In the Google Cloud Community, connect with Googlers and other Google Workspace admins like yourself. Participate in product discussions, check out the Community Articles, and learn tips and tricks that will make your work and life easier. Be the first to know what's happening with Google Workspace.

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Learn about more Google Workspace launches

On the “What’s new in Google Workspace?” Help Center page, learn about new products and features launching in Google Workspace, including smaller changes that haven’t been announced on the Google Workspace Updates blog.

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Updates

Migrate your classic Google Sites before December 1, 2022

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - May 13, 2022

Set up SSO profiles for multiple third-party identity providers with the Multi-IdP SSO beta launch

New delegated VirusTotal privilege in the Alert Center

Require email verification to book appointments in Google Calendar

Create Spaces and Add Members with the Google Chat API, available in Developer Preview

Import existing custom themes to new Google Sites

Easily search for Google Meet content in Google Drive

Improved user interface for sharing your working location in Google Calendar

Google Workspace Updates Weekly Recap - May 6, 2022

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