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First Service Account - Docs

Steps to set up Google Docs Service Account with Xkit

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Google's Guide: https://developers.google.com/identity/protocols/oauth2/service-account
Authorization protocol: OAuth 2.0

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User Impersonation tokens

Google Service Accounts allow you to retrieve access tokens for any user in a G Suite / Google Workspace account with user impersonation. To get tokens for a specific user, use the provider_user_id query parameter in the Get User Connection API call. See Retrieve user tokens for more information.

1. Add the Google Docs Service Account connector in the Xkit platform.

  • In the Xkit platform, click "New connector" in the sidebar.
  • Click "Google Docs Service Account".

2. Create a project in the Google Cloud Platform.

  • Next, in a separate window, visit the Google Cloud Platform.
  • Hover the cursor over "IAM & Admin" and click on Service Accounts
  • Click "CREATE PROJECT", enter the name of your application and click "CREATE".

3. Create your Service Account.

  • From the Google Service Accounts page, click on your project.
  • Click "+ Create Service Account" at the top of the page.
  • Enter the requested "Service Account Details" and click "Create".
  • Continue through the "Service Account Permissions" and then click "Done" on the "Grant Users Access to this Service Account" to create the service account.

4. Create new key and download JSON file.

  • Click on the recently created service account.
  • Scroll down and click on "Add Key" and then "Create new key" to download the JSON file.

5. Enable the Google Docs API.

  • Use the sidebar to go to the "API & Services" dashboard
  • Click "ENABLE APIS AND SERVICES".
  • Search "Google Docs" and click on it.
  • Click "ENABLE".

6. Provide Xkit with JSON file and update Service Provider Settings.

  • Return to the Xkit Google Docs Service Account connector page.
  • Click "Select File" and upload the downloaded JSON file; the info will populate in the Xkit fields.
  • Click "Save" to update the service provider settings.
  • Confirm the "Catalog Settings" and click "Save".
  • Select the requested Scopes and click "Save".

You've now successfully connected Google Docs Service Account with Xkit!

Retrieve user tokens

You'll note that the https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.user.readonly scope is required in order to use Google Service Accounts.

Supplying this scope gives you read-only access to the Directory API of the Admin SDK. In order to retrieve tokens for each individual user in a Google Workspace / G Suite organization, you need to:

  1. Enable the Admin SDK for your application in the developer console
  2. Call the List Users endpoint to get a list of all users in an organization
  3. Use each user's email address in the provider_user_id query parameter in the Get User Connection API to retrieve an access token for each user

Each individual access token will enable you to impersonate the specific user.

Updated almost 4 years ago