---
title: 'Google Workspace Authentication in Prowler'
---

Prowler for Google Workspace uses a **Service Account with Domain-Wide Delegation** to authenticate to the Google Workspace Admin SDK. This allows Prowler to read directory data on behalf of a super administrator without requiring an interactive login.

## Required OAuth Scopes

Prowler requests the following read-only OAuth 2.0 scopes from the Google Workspace Admin SDK:

| Scope | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.user.readonly` | Read access to user accounts and their admin status |
| `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.domain.readonly` | Read access to domain information |
| `https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.customer.readonly` | Read access to customer information (Customer ID) |

<Warning>
The delegated user must be a **super administrator** in your Google Workspace organization. Using a non-admin account will result in permission errors when accessing the Admin SDK.
</Warning>

## Setup Steps

### Step 1: Create a GCP Project (if needed)

If you don't have a GCP project, create one at [https://console.cloud.google.com](https://console.cloud.google.com).

The project is only used to host the Service Account — it does not need to have any Google Workspace data in it.

### Step 2: Enable the Admin SDK API

1. Go to the [Google Cloud Console](https://console.cloud.google.com)
2. Select your project
3. Navigate to **APIs & Services → Library**
4. Search for **Admin SDK API**
5. Click **Enable**

### Step 3: Create a Service Account

1. In the Google Cloud Console, navigate to **IAM & Admin → Service Accounts**
2. Click **Create Service Account**
3. Give it a descriptive name (e.g., `prowler-googleworkspace-reader`)
4. Click **Create and Continue**
5. Skip the optional role and user access steps — click **Done**

<Note>
The Service Account does not need any GCP IAM roles. Its access to Google Workspace is granted entirely through Domain-Wide Delegation in the next steps.
</Note>

### Step 4: Generate a JSON Key

1. Click on the Service Account you just created
2. Go to the **Keys** tab
3. Click **Add Key → Create new key**
4. Select **JSON** format
5. Click **Create** — the key file will download automatically
6. Store it securely (e.g., `~/.config/prowler/googleworkspace-sa.json`)

<Warning>
This JSON key grants access to your Google Workspace organization. Never commit it to version control, share it in plain text, or store it in an insecure location.
</Warning>

### Step 5: Configure Domain-Wide Delegation in Google Workspace

1. Go to the [Google Workspace Admin Console](https://admin.google.com)
2. Navigate to **Security → Access and data control → API controls**
3. Click **Manage Domain Wide Delegation**
4. Click **Add new**
5. Enter the **Client ID** of the Service Account (found in the JSON key as `client_id`, or on the Service Account details page)
6. In the **OAuth scopes** field, enter the following scopes as a comma-separated list:

```
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.user.readonly,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.domain.readonly,https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.customer.readonly
```

7. Click **Authorize**

<Note>
Domain-Wide Delegation must be configured by a Google Workspace **super administrator**. It may take a few minutes to propagate after saving.
</Note>

### Step 6: Store Credentials Securely

Set your credentials as environment variables:

```bash
export GOOGLEWORKSPACE_CREDENTIALS_FILE="/path/to/googleworkspace-sa.json"
export GOOGLEWORKSPACE_DELEGATED_USER="admin@yourdomain.com"
```

Alternatively, if you need to pass credentials as a string (e.g., in CI/CD pipelines):

```bash
export GOOGLEWORKSPACE_CREDENTIALS_CONTENT=$(cat /path/to/googleworkspace-sa.json)
export GOOGLEWORKSPACE_DELEGATED_USER="admin@yourdomain.com"
```

## Credential Lookup Order

Prowler resolves credentials in the following order:

1. `GOOGLEWORKSPACE_CREDENTIALS_FILE` environment variable
2. `GOOGLEWORKSPACE_CREDENTIALS_CONTENT` environment variable

The delegated user must be provided via the `GOOGLEWORKSPACE_DELEGATED_USER` environment variable.

## Best Practices

- **Use environment variables** — Never hardcode credentials in scripts or commands
- **Use a dedicated Service Account** — Create one specifically for Prowler, separate from other integrations
- **Use read-only scopes** — Prowler only requires the three read-only scopes listed above
- **Restrict key access** — Set file permissions to `600` on the JSON key file
- **Rotate keys regularly** — Delete and regenerate the JSON key periodically
- **Use a least-privilege super admin** — Consider using a dedicated super admin account for Prowler's delegated user rather than a personal admin account

```bash
# Secure the key file
chmod 600 /path/to/googleworkspace-sa.json
```

## Troubleshooting

### `GoogleWorkspaceMissingDelegatedUserError`

The delegated user email was not provided. Set it via environment variable:

```bash
export GOOGLEWORKSPACE_DELEGATED_USER="admin@yourdomain.com"
```

### `GoogleWorkspaceNoCredentialsError`

No credentials were found. Ensure either `GOOGLEWORKSPACE_CREDENTIALS_FILE` or `GOOGLEWORKSPACE_CREDENTIALS_CONTENT` is set.

### `GoogleWorkspaceInvalidCredentialsError`

The JSON key file is malformed or cannot be parsed. Verify the file was downloaded correctly and is valid JSON:

```bash
python3 -c "import json; json.load(open('/path/to/key.json'))" && echo "Valid JSON"
```

### `GoogleWorkspaceImpersonationError`

The Service Account cannot impersonate the delegated user. This usually means Domain-Wide Delegation has not been configured, or the OAuth scopes are incorrect. Verify:

- The Service Account Client ID is correctly entered in the Admin Console
- All three required OAuth scopes are included
- The delegated user is a super administrator

### Permission Denied on Admin SDK calls

If Prowler connects but returns empty results or permission errors for specific API calls:

- Confirm Domain-Wide Delegation is fully propagated (wait a few minutes after setup)
- Verify all three scopes are authorized in the Admin Console
- Ensure the delegated user is an active super administrator
