Get started: Workspace Studio set up guide for admins

Google Workspace Studio allows users to create "flows" that automate routine work tasks across Google Workspace apps, including Gmail, Drive, and Chat, and third-party services. Users with access to Gemini can build flows by describing what they want to do.

Flows can act on users’ behalf, drafting emails, creating and updating files, creating tasks, and more. Poorly configured flows could unintentionally edit or delete data, or send excessive notifications. Administrators can manage these risks through policy and monitoring.

This guide provides best practices for administrators to configure, support, and manage Workspace Studio to maximize productivity while maintaining security and control.

Step 1. Set up Workspace Studio for your organization

Before you let users use Workspace Studio, we recommend that configure access and guardrails to ensure flows behave as expected and data remains secure.

1. Manage access to Studio

Find the setting: Admin console Menu Apps Google Workspace Workspace Studio.
Action: Check that Service status is set to ON for the appropriate organizational units and groups.
Recommendation: Create a child organizational unit that has access to Studio turned off. This lets you quickly move a user to it to stop a flow they own.

Learn more: Turn Google Workspace Studio on or off for your organization

2. Manage access to Studio features

You can control if users can use Gemini to create flows, use AI-powered steps in their flows, use steps for other Workspace services, and use integrations or custom steps.

Recommendations:

Allow users who have access to Gemini for Google Workspace to use Gemini features in Studio.
Allow users to use steps for Workspace services that they can access. Only block steps for a service if there’s a risk of abuse.
Use the Google Workspace Marketplace allowlist to control which integrations and published custom steps users can use.

Detailed instructions: Manage access to steps and starters in Workspace Studio

3. Manage who can share flows

When you let people share flows with others internally, they can share useful flows that increase overall productivity and save time for others who don’t have to recreate the same flows.

How sharing works: When a user shares a flow, the recipient clicks a link to get a copy of the flow. The copy includes the owner’s setup, such as text they entered, email addresses, and links to files in Drive. The recipient does not get access to the owner's private data, like emails or Drive files, only the content that they can already access.
Find the setting: Admin console Apps Google Workspace Workspace Studio Sharing settings.
Recommendation: Allow sharing for trusted organizational units and groups so they can distribute standardized flow templates.

Learn more: Allow people to share flows in Workspace Studio

4. Set up alerts

You can create activity rules so that you’re notified of specific Studio activity, such as:

High-frequency alert: Detect flows that might be looping or running excessively.
- Condition: Create a rule for Rule log events where the event is Start run.
- Threshold: Set the rule to alert if the count exceeds 100 in 1 hour.
- Action: Send an email to all admins.

AI usage alert: Monitor the use of generative AI in automations.
- Condition: Create a rule where Step name contains "Ask Gemini", optionally, other AI-powered steps. For a list of all available steps, see Guide to Starters & Steps in Workspace Studio.
- Action: Send a notification to the Super Admin.

Learn how: Set up activity alerts for Workspace Studio

Step 2. Support your users

Help your users create flows, understand limits, and troubleshoot their flows.

1. Getting started

Direct users to studio.workspace.google.com to create their first flow.
Encourage users to review the Workspace Studio Help Center for tutorials on creating flows and using steps.

2. Understanding limits

Workspace Studio enforces the following limits:

flow limit: Users can create a maximum of 100 flows, including active and stopped.
Step limit: An flow can have a maximum of 20 steps.
Gmail starter: No more than 25 active flows can start from new emails.
Daily runs: There is a daily limit on total flow runs per user. If a user reaches this limit, all flows pause until the next 24-hour cycle. During that time, flows don’t start new runs.

Learn more: Learn about Google Workspace Studio limits

3. Troubleshooting common issues

Familiarize yourself with the more common issues which users may encounter with Workspace Studio.

Admin guide: Troubleshoot Workspace Studio for your users
User help: Troubleshoot issues with flows

Step 3. Monitor and manage Studio activity

You have robust tools to investigate and control flow activity.

1. Investigate activity

Use the audit and investigation tool or the security investigation tool to review what flows have done.

Data source: Select Rule log events.
Filters: You can filter by Actor (user email), Flow ID, Event, Step name, and more.
Use case: Find the owner of an flow that runs an Ask Gemini step several times a minute.

Learn more: Workspace Studio log events

2. Stop a flow

If a flow is behaving erratically, you can stop it. You have a few options:

Option 1–User stops it. Ask the user to turn off the flow or edit its setup.
Option 2–Support stops it
1. Use an investigation tool to get the Flow ID of the problematic flow.
2. Contact Google Workspace support and provide the flow ID to have it stopped.
Option 3–Emergency stop
1. Move the user to an organizational unit that has access to Studio turned off.
2. This stops all flows for that user immediately.

Learn how: Stop a Workspace Studio flow as an admin

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