Know all about Google Admin API

The Google Admin API is a RESTful API that helps manage your App Engine applications. Irrespective of the programming language, Google Admin API provides programmatic access to various App Engine administrative operations provided in the Google Cloud console.

After the authenticity has been configured, you can start managing your apps with Google Admin API's help. This includes the deployment of the app versions and management of the traffic to these app versions.

The Google Apps Admin API aids in your App Engine apps according to your app environment. For example, the Admin API provides the following:

• Tighter control for deploying new versions.
• Ability to automate traffic migration between two versions or split the traffic across more than one version of the app.
• Integration point for app development and the tools for building it.
• Manage apps by programming across multiple projects on Google Cloud.

What is Google API used for?

Google API admin console is used for the following things:

• Google APIs is an application programming interface that Google has developed to allow it to communicate with other Google Services and integrate with them. Some famous examples are Google Search, Gmail, Google Translate, and Google Maps.
• The Google Admin API allows the developers to create apps that leverage the storage of Google Admin over the cloud. 
• Developers can make applications that integrate with a Google Admin account. 
• It also gives your app robust functionality in using the Google Admin API.

How do I enable API access in Google Admin?

Depending on the API, the process of enabling it can vary. Some APIs prompt the user to accept the terms of service before enabling them. Some APIs are available in preview mode, which means a special signup is required before you can use it. Simply speaking, some modules of Foresight request access to your Gmail or Google Drive data or settings of your Google Admin account without being verified by Google. This process is called whitelisting, and it is important from the view of cybersecurity. Before you can use the API, everything from your Gmail ID, Google Drive ID, and Google Account information will be checked. Only after that will you be given access.

In some cases, your organization's contact information and the name of the app you are developing would also be asked. It will not be shared with third parties, and Google uses it as a secondary detail database in case they need to contact you regarding something. Enabling an API links it with the current project adding monitoring pages, and also helps in enabling the billing.

Enabling an API

To enable an API for the development project, you need to:

1. Visit the API Console.
2. From the list of projects, choose a project that has already been created, or you can create a new one.
3. If the APIs and services page hasn’t been opened yet, go to the left side menu on the console web page, and click on APIs & services. Then you need to select Library.
4. Click the API you want. You can also use the search field if you want to find the API.
5. Click ENABLE.

The capabilities of Google Admin API

If you want to provide privileges to an admin in the Google Admin API console, then give them the respective API rights. Let us understand this with the help of an example; you can grant the admin the privilege of creating users in the console. It allows the admins to create users with the help of the API. Similarly, the admin can also update the API rights of the admin as the respective privileges. 

For granting any privileges from the console without permitting the admins to interact with an API, you need to switch off access for API for the specific admin account. You need to visit the manage the unrestricted or restricted access to Google services option.

You can access the same from: Google Admin Console > Menu> Security >  Access and data control > API controls > Manage Google Services > Add a filter > Google services access > Unrestricted/Restricted.

Learn more – Control which third-party and internal apps access Google Workspace data

The capabilities of the Google Admin API

The capabilities of the Google Admin API privilege are as follows:

• Organizational Units - The admins are allowed to perform all operations granted related to the OUs with the help of the Admin console privilege of the Organizational Units. 
• Users - The admins are allowed to perform all operations related to users using the Directory API.
• Groups - Using the API for Directory and API for Group Settings, the admins can perform all operations granted by the Groups.
• User Security Management – With the help of the Directory API and the Admin Settings API, the Admins can perform all of the operations related to this functionality. 
• Data Transfer – Service admins or Super admins can transfer ownership of Drive files with the help of the Admin console. This can be done using the privileges of the Drive Services.
• Schema Management—Service admins or Super admins can create schemas for defining custom fields to their domain, locations, user projects, or any other field.
• License Management— With the license management role, super admins and admins can manage and assign licensure of Google Workspace accounts for the organization or the organization’s group.
• Billing Management—For setting up an account for billing or modifying the payment method. 
• Domain Management—Admins can add/remove domains and create aliases for the domain.
• Domain Allowlist Management—For creating and managing the allowlist of trustworthy domains for sharing the necessary files with your organization.
• Domain Allowlist Read—For viewing the allowlist of trusted domains for sharing the file.
• Add group security label—Admins are permitted to define groups for managing access to confidential resources and information. 

If an admin(s) wants to create a customized role, they can do that by checking the box adjacent to the set of privileges. It will help the admin use that API to perform all the desired actions on the specific object. But that’s not all. Or you could also click on individual actions like Read or Create to permit only selected actions. Read More: An Overview of the Admin API

How Foresight leverages Google Admin APIs to automate IT tasks

Foresight, a no-code Google Workspace Workflow Automation platform is a cloud-based productivity tool that allows Google Workspace admins and Google Workspace users to create automated processes and workflows without having to write any code. With the integration of no-code workflow automation, Foresight users can automate and streamline processes, saving time and increasing productivity.

Enable Google Admin API access for Foresight

Foresight connects with your Google services via Google APIs and OAuth 2.0 protocol. The OAuth 2.0 protocol has a concept called Scope.

You must be signed in as a Super Admin to perform this step.

1. Log in to your Google Admin Console account.
2. Then you need to go to the Security > API reference.
3. After that, you need to verify whether the Enable API access box has been checked.
4. At the bottom of the page, click Save.

You also need to whitelist Foresight to enable an API with the help of Foresight. Given below are some steps that you need to follow:

Follow these steps to add Foresight to your trusted app list.

1. Log into your Google Admin Console
2. Then you need to go to Security > API Controls
3. In the App access control section, you need to select MANAGE THIRD-PARTY APP ACCESS
4. If you see Foresight is a part of the third-party app list, change its Access from Limited to Trusted.