Understanding Google Workspace's Restrictions: What You Need to Know

Google Workspace is a suite of cloud-based productivity tools that allow businesses, schools, and other organizations to collaborate and streamline their work.

Due to its broad range of services, Workspace is divided into different plans to suit different teams. And within these plans, there are certain restrictions to be aware of to maximize your Workspace subscription.

What Are Google Workspace Restrictions?

The main reason for Google Workspace restrictions is to protect users' privacy and data security. In today's digital age, data breaches and cyber-attacks are a real threat, and businesses must take strict measures to mitigate these risks.

Google Workspace restrictions help to ensure that only authorized users can access the data and that all the data is encrypted while in transit and at rest.

Another reason for the restrictions is to ensure users don't accidentally expose their sensitive data or confidential information.

For example, a user might unintentionally send an email with a confidential attachment to the wrong recipient. Google Workspace restrictions help prevent these issues by requiring users to go through authentication and authorization protocols before sending or sharing any data.

Different Types of Restrictions

Google Workspace restrictions are classified into three types: user-based, feature-based, and data-based restrictions. Here is a brief explanation of each:

• User-Based Restrictions: These restrictions are linked to the users' account settings. Admins can create user accounts for their employees and control the access and privileges of each user. They can also enforce password policies, two-factor authentication, and activity logs.
• Feature-Based Restrictions: These restrictions limit the ability to use certain features or applications within Google Workspace. This can include disabling chat, restricting file sharing, and preventing the installation of third-party add-ons or apps. Admins can also prevent users from using specific applications or services, such as Google Hangouts.
• Data-Based Restrictions: These restrictions control who can access and share data within Google Workspace. Admins can create organizational groups and restrict access to certain data based on the user's role or geography. They can also set up data-sharing policies, which limit the ability to share data outside the organization or with specific third-party services.

What Are the Key User-Based Restrictions?

As a Workspace admin, your main responsibility is to manage users and ensure their data is safe and protected. So, it's important to understand how user-based restrictions affect this process. Let's take a look at the restrictions you should be aware of.

Limitations on the Number of Users

One of the most common user-based restrictions is a limitation on the number of users that can be added to your Workspace system.

If you are part of a large organization, you'll need to opt for a bigger subscription to accommodate all users, both current and future.

Restrictions Related to Admin Roles

Another key user-based restriction in Google Workspace is admin roles. Within Workspace, you can assign different levels of admin access to users, each with its own set of restrictions and permissions.

Workspace has prebuilt administrator roles you can choose from, such as Super Admin, Groups Admin, and Help Desk Admin.

Alternatively, you can create your own admin roles and assign certain permissions to each based on that user's job. By understanding the restrictions related to specific admin roles, you can properly assign permissions to users in a way that maintains security.

Procedures for Inviting, Adding, or Removing Users

When it comes to adding or removing users from Google Workspace, you need to follow specific procedures to ensure that user data is protected and properly managed.

When a user is deleted from your Workspace system, they are no longer able to access your organization's services. When a new user is added, they must be given proper permissions to ensure they can use the services they need to do their work.

As an admin, ensure you know Workspace's restrictions and practices for inviting, adding, or removing users.

For example, only Super admins can transfer an old user's files and data to a new owner. So, if you want to delete a user but preserve their data for the next person, you must have the proper permissions to do so.

Best Practices for Managing User-Based Restrictions

Managing user-based restrictions can be a complex process, but there are a few best practices to keep in mind to ensure your system is secure and easily manageable:

• Regularly review and update user roles and permissions to ensure they are accurate and current.
• Don't share administrator accounts among users. Instead, give each admin their own identifiable account so you know who is responsible for specific activities in the audit log.
• Regularly audit your system to identify any security vulnerabilities or potential breaches.
• Use multi-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access to user accounts.

How Google Workspace Plans Are Affected by Restrictions

As mentioned, Google Workspace has different types of plans to suit unique organizations.

Let's take a look at some differences between the four main plan types: Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, and Enterprise.

Noteworthy Disparities in Restrictions

Most restrictions within Workspace plans pertain to limitations on the number of users, email recipients, and file storage. Here's a summary of the notable disparities:

• User Limits: Business Starter. Standard, and Plus plans have a maximum of 300 users, while the Enterprise Plan offers unlimited users.
• Email Storage: In Business Starter plans, you are given 30GB of email storage. For Standard plans, you'll have 2TB of storage, and for Plus plans, 5TB.
• Cloud Storage: All audio and video files stored in Google Drive, Google Meet recordings, and Google Photos are counted towards your storage limit. Business Starter provides 30GB of storage per user, while other plans offer 2TB (Standard), 5TB (Plus), and 5TB for Enterprise, with the ability to request more.
• Group Video Conferencing: In the Business Starter plan, you can have 100 participants in video meetings. The Standard plan allows 150 participants plus the recording feature, while the Plus plan offers 500 participants, the recording feature, and attendance tracking. With the Enterprise plan, you can have up to 1,000 participants, recording, attendance tracking, noise cancellation, and in-domain live streaming.

Understanding the various restrictions within Workspace plans is important to select the proper plan for your organization. Then, you'll get the most out of Google services.

How to Maximize Productivity Despite Google Workspace Restrictions

With these restrictions in mind, there are certain best practices to follow to make the most of your Workspace subscription and to serve effectively as an administrator.

• Use the built-in tools to manage your storage. Google Workspace offers several tools to help you manage your storage, such as the Trash, Spam, and Deleted Items folders in Gmail, and the Storage Manager in Drive. You can also use the Sharing settings to control who can access your files and folders.
• Use third-party tools to supplement Google Workspace. Many third-party tools can help you get more out of Google Workspace, including Promevo's exclusive management and reporting software, gPanelⓇ.
• Be creative with how you use Google Workspace. There are many ways to use Google Workspace that go beyond the basics. For example, you can use Google Docs to create interactive presentations or use Google Sheets to track your finances.
• Work with your administrator to set up custom permissions. If you know your Google Workspace administrator, you can work with them to set up custom permissions for your users. If you are an admin, you can customize permissions to ensure users can access what they need while restricting access to sensitive data.
• Reduce your storage usage. If you are concerned about storage limits, you can reduce your storage usage by deleting old emails, files, and folders you no longer need. You can also use the Trash and Spam folders to temporarily store items that you don't want to delete permanently.

Get More from Workspace with Promevo

If you're looking to get more out of your Workspace subscription for your organization and users, Promevo can help. Promevo is a certified Google partner, and our team includes Google experts who understand the nuances of Workspace.

Not only do we provide end-to-end support to help you manage Workspace, but we also offer our exclusive software, gPanel®.

gPanel® is a management and reporting software that allows admins to take precise administrative action, oversee files, and monitor internal processes. Not only does our software enhance security, but it also streamlines tasks like syncing contacts and generating reports for documents, emails, groups, and more.

Whether you're interested in a Workspace subscription but don't know where to start, or you're an admin looking to manage better, we're here to help. Contact Promevo today to get started working with Google experts.

FAQs: Google Workspace Restrictions

What are the storage limitations in Google Workspace?

Google Workspace provides a generous amount of storage space for each user account. The Workspace Business Starter plan provides 30GB of storage per user, while other plans offer 2TB (Standard), 5TB (Plus), and 5TB for Enterprise, with the ability to request more.

Are there any restrictions on the size of an email attachment?

Yes, there are restrictions on the size of an email attachment in Gmail. If you have more than one attachment, they can't add up to more than 25MB.

If your file is greater than 25MB, Gmail automatically adds a Google Drive link in the email instead of including it as an attachment.

Can I use Google Workspace on a mobile device?

Yes, Google Workspace can be used on a mobile device. Google provides mobile apps for Android and iOS devices, which can be used to access your Google Workspace account.

With mobile apps, you can access your email, documents, calendar, and other tools from anywhere, anytime.

How do I turn off Google Workspace restrictions?

Unfortunately, end users cannot turn off restrictions set by Google Workspace administrators. Only Workspace admins can configure restrictions for users in their domain through the Admin Console. If you wish to have certain sites or services unblocked, you will need to submit a request to your domain administrator.

How do I view Google Workspace administrator restrictions?

As an end user, you cannot directly view the full list of restrictions set by your Google Workspace admin. However, you will see blocked content or limited functionality when you attempt to access restricted sites, services or features. Some common Google Workspace restrictions include limiting third-party app installations, blocking access to certain websites or YouTube videos, and disabling chat or download options.

What can employers see on Google Workspace?

Google Workspace administrators have extensive visibility and control over user activities when monitoring is enabled. They can view usage statistics, access logs, emails, chats, stored files, search history, voice/video calls and more. Admins can also restrict features and access to services. Overall, employers can see a detailed view of how employees are utilizing Workspace services.

Does Google Workspace block YouTube?

Yes, Google Workspace admins can choose to block access to YouTube entirely or limit it to only specific approved videos. They can also hide YouTube from search results and prevent videos from being embedded in Google Docs or Sites. Restricting YouTube access is a common Google Workspace restriction implemented by employers, schools and other institutions.