Can Google Workspace admins view user emails? The ultimate guide.
As a Google Workspace admin, it’s your responsibility to safeguard your organization's data, support business continuity, and ensure compliance with company policies. Sometimes, this requires you to access emails and other user data.
For example:
You’re troubleshooting a technical or security issue
You need to access critical information in the mailbox of a user who’s on vacation or leave
You’re performing an audit to ensure compliance with company policies or regulations
You’re investigating a sensitive matter concerning a specific customer or employee
In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the various ways Google Workspace admins can view user emails, the pros and cons of each method, in addition to the ethical and privacy considerations involved.
It's critical to understand the methods available and their implications. Whether you're troubleshooting an issue, conducting an audit, or investigating a security incident, this post will equip you with the knowledge you need to access user emails responsibly and effectively.
How to view user emails in Google Workspace - a guide for admins
Administrators of Google Workspace have several methods at their disposal to gain access to and view a user's emails.
The choice of method will depend on the specific situation and the Google Workspace edition subscribed to by the organization.
This ultimate guide provides admins with step-by-step instructions for each method, empowering you to effectively access user emails in accordance with business requirements.
Email log search
Email Log Search offers a non-intrusive way to investigate email activities without directly accessing the content of the messages. It allows admins to search and analyze email logs, providing valuable insights into email traffic patterns, potential security threats, and compliance issues. This method is available to all Google Workspace editions.
Step one: Find emails using Email Log Search
Sign-in to the Google Admin console.
In the navigation menu on the left, click Reporting then Email log search.
Select predefined search to search all emails, or custom search to search emails of a specific date range, user, sender, recipient or subject.
Enter the user’s email address in the Sender email or Recipient email field, in addition to any other relevant search criteria.
Click Search.
Results will display beneath the search button. Click on a result to reveal details of the email, including date, time, size, number and size of attachments, other recipients, and delivery status - but not its contents.
Pros
Non-intrusive
Find specific emails quickly and easily
Available to all Google Workspace editions
Export search results to Google Sheets for analysis
Identify opportunities to coach-back to users on email security best practices
Track email activity and identify potential compliance, deliverability or security issues
Cons
Email contents aren’t visible
Can be time-consuming to use, and challenging to interpret the results
Messages sent from a group email address don’t include information about message delivery to individual group members
Messages older than 30 days the complete recipient email address and the message ID of message(s) you wish to audit, cannot display results for a Google Group email address, and display message post-delivery status only (message delivery status is not available)
Password reset
Resetting a user's password is the most straightforward method for accessing their email account. However, it's essential to use this method sparingly, as it can impact the user's workflow and raise privacy concerns. This method is available to all Google Workspace editions.
Step one: Reset the user’s password
Sign-in to the Google Admin Console.
In the Google Admin console, search for the user whose mailbox you require access to.
From the user’s account in the Admin Console, click Reset password in the list of quick actions below their name.
In the Reset password dialog box that appears, select Automatically generate a password, then click Reset.
Copy the generated password, store it somewhere safe (we recommend a password manager like 1Password), then click Done.
From the user’s account in the Admin Console, click Security, then Require password change, and switch it OFF, otherwise you’ll be required to set a new password the moment you sign into the user’s account.
Scroll up to 2-step verification. If the user has 2-step verification ON, then you’ll also need a backup verification code in order to sign-in to their mailbox. In this case, click Get backup verification codes, copy an unused backup verification code, and store it somewhere safe.
Step two: Sign-in to the user’s account
In Google Chrome browser, open a new Incognito window. Signing-in to the user’s account in an Incognito window will ensure that it does not interfere with your user account.
Sign-in to the user’s mailbox at mail.google.com using the credentials recorded in prior steps.
Search for the email messages you need to access or audit. For more information about Gmail search, check the official article Search in Gmail.
Once your audit is complete, sign-out of the user’s account, and close the Incognito window.
Step three: Restore user access
From the user’s account in the Admin Console, click Security, then Require password change, and switch it ON, so they’ll be required to set a new password the moment they sign into their account.
Supply the user with the password you used to access their account, and instruct them to set a new password upon sign-in.
Pros
Available to all Google Workspace editions
Full access to the user’s Gmail mailbox and other Google Workspace services makes it easy to perform broad or non-targeted audits
Cons
User is aware their account is being scrutinized
User may feel their privacy has been compromised
Messages that have been permanently deleted cannot be audited
Process must be repeated each time mailbox access is required by the administrator
User access to their account will be unavailable from the time their password is reset, to the time the audit is complete
Full access to the user’s Gmail mailbox and other Google Workspace services makes it easy to accidentally expose potentially sensitive information not relevant to the audit
Gmail mailbox delegation
Gmail mailbox delegation is a (potentially) less-intrusive way to directly access emails directly from the user’s mailbox. This method provides full access to the user’s mailbox, which makes it easy to perform broad or non-targeted searches, but also risks unnecessary exposure to potentially sensitive information. This method is available to all Google Workspace editions.
Step one: Enable Gmail mailbox delegation
Sign-in to the Google Admin Console.
Navigate to Apps / Google Workspace / Gmail / User settings, then click on Mail delegation.
Ensure Let users delegate access to their mailbox to other users in the domain is selected (on). If you wish to leave this off, you can turn it on for a specified organizational unit, or group, only, if desired.
Step two: Delegate the user’s Gmail mailbox
In order to delegate a user’s mailbox, the admin must either sign-in to the user’s mailbox, and delegate the mailbox to themselves (or another user), or delegate the mailbox remotely using free and open-source command-line tool for Google Workspace admins, Google Apps Manager (GAM).
Signing into the user's mailbox in order to delegate the mailbox to the admin (or another user) is an equally-intrusive extension of the password reset method, above, with one additional step. The only difference is that mailbox delegation can persist beyond initial mailbox access, enabling future audits.
To avoid repetition, this guide focuses on remote mailbox delegation using GAM, instead.
Install Google Apps Manager (GAM).
Run the following command: gam user user@domain.com create delegate admin@domain.com
Step three: Access the user’s Gmail mailbox
Sign-in to Gmail.
Click on the account switcher and select user@domain.com (delegated)
Perform the audit.
Step four: Un-delegate the user’s Gmail mailbox
Run the following GAM command: gam user user@domain.com delete delegate admin@domain.com
Pros
Available to all Google Workspace editions
User account access is uninterrupted while the audit is being performed
If delegated via GAM, the user may be unaware their account is being scrutinized
Full access to the user’s Gmail mailbox (but not other Google Workspace services) makes it easy to perform broad or non-targeted audits
Gmail mailbox delegation can be persistent (process need not be repeated each time mailbox access is required), although users can remove the delegation anytime via Gmail settings
Cons
Messages that have been permanently deleted cannot be audited
Mailbox delegations are visible to the user, and revocable, via Gmail settings
Accidental changes to the user’s mailbox could further reveal to the user that their mailbox has been accessed by someone other than themselves, and could be under scrutiny:
Drafted, sent or received messages
Messages marked read or unread
Labelled, unlabelled, or reorganized messages
Changes to mailbox settings
Full access to the user’s Gmail mailbox and other Google Workspace services makes it easy to accidentally expose potentially sensitive information not relevant to the audit
Gmail content compliance rule
Gmail content compliance rules are a non-intrusive way of monitoring future emails sent to or from a user’s Gmail mailbox by blind-copying (BCCing) an email address the admin (or others) can monitor. This method is available to all Google Workspace editions.
Step one: Create a Gmail content compliance rule
Sign-in to the Google Admin Console.
Navigate to Apps / Google Workspace / Gmail / Compliance, then click on Content compliance.
Click Add another rule and enter a name for the rule.
In section 1, select which messages you want to monitor: Inbound, outbound, internal - sending, internal - receiving, or any combination thereof.
In section 2, add any or all expressions that match the content (sender, recipient, subject, body, headers etc) of emails you need to monitor for, or select a predefined content match, if available.
In section 3, select Modify message then Add more recipients and enter the email address of the user or group you’ll use to monitor the specified messages.
When the audit is complete, disable or delete the Gmail content compliance rule.
Pros
Available to all Google Workspace editions (except Predefined content match expressions, which require Google Workspace Enterprise Standard or Plus)
The user is unaware their account is being scrutinized (unless those monitoring their email messages accidentally reply)
User account access is uninterrupted while the audit is being performed
Cons
Only future emails can be monitored
Content compliance rule may be visible to other administrators
Accidental replies to monitored messages may reveal to the user that their emails may be accessible to someone other than themselves, and other recipients
Overly-broad rule criteria could result in false positives that accidentally expose potentially sensitive information not relevant to the audit, while overly-narrow rule criteria could result in false negatives that accidentally exclude potentially relevant information, and adjustments to the content compliance rule only improve accuracy of the audit for future emails
Google Vault
Google Vault is Google Workspace’s integrated e-discovery and retention tool. Google Vault helps organizations ensure compliance by retaining or purging data according to regulations and contractual requirements, as well as investigating, and defending themselves, when matters arise.
As a result, Google Vault is one of the best options for auditing, investigating, and monitoring a user’s Gmail mailbox - even messages the user has deleted, subject to retention policies. Not only admins audit, investigate or monitor a single user’s Gmail mailbox, but also multiple users, plus Calendar, Chat, Drive, Groups, Meet, Sites, and Voice, as well.
This method is available for the following Google Workspace editions: Google Workspace Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Standard, Education Plus, and Frontline Standard.
Step 1: Create a matter in Google Vault
Sign-in to Google Vault and click on Matters.
Click Create then enter a name and description of the matter (which will be available to other Vault admins), then Create again.
On the Search tab, choose the service you want to search, then enter the desired search criteria (or no criteria at all, to investigate all content), and click Search.
Review the search results (including email contents in the panel on the right) and adjust the search criteria if needed based on investigation requirements. Once satisfied with the search results, click Save to avoid having to recreate the search in the future.
Specific emails can be exported to PDF via the print icon in the top-right of the email contents, or an export of all search results (in MBOX or PST format) can be created from the Export tab.
Optionally share the matter with other Vault users by clicking on the share icon in the top right of the search results.
Pros
Results include full message contents
Results include messages deleted by users, subject to retention policies
Discreet auditing process, 100% undetectable by the scrutinized users
Search for and investigate matters that span multiple users and/or content types quickly and easy
Role-based access control, safeguarding sensitive data by granting personalized access to authorized users
Automated data retention via set policies, ensuring necessary data is retained and unnecessary data is purged
Advanced search functionality yields results that are broad or specific as needed to satisfy investigative requirements without unnecessarily exposing irrelevant and potentially sensitive data
Matters can easily be shared with internal users, and results can easily be exported to external parties (e.g. accountants, auditors, insurance adjusters, legal counsel) in bulk
Cons
Useful for auditing and investigations only; no ability to take actions on search results (such as delete, quarantine, restore the message, and mark it as phishing or spam)
Only available in specific Google Workspace subscriptions
Security Investigation Tool
The Google Workspace Security Investigation Tool is a powerful tool that empowers admins to investigate and take action on security and privacy issues within their domain, including auditing email usage. While the Security Investigation Tool is available with Google Workspace Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Standard, and Education Plus, the Gmail log events and Gmail messages are only available with Google Workspace Enterprise Plus or Education Plus.
Step 1: Create a Security Investigation Tool investigation
Sign-in to the Google Admin Console.
Navigate to Reporting / Audit and investigation / Gmail messages.
Click Add condition to use and/or conditions to narrow your search as needed to satisfy investigative requirements.
Click Search.
Review search results and adjust conditions as necessary.
Click on the subject line of an email message to view message headers on the Message headers tab.
Click on Message to view the contents of the email message, after entering a business justification for doing so.
If desired, click the corresponding link at the bottom of the message panel to delete the message, restore the message, mark the message as spam or phishing, and send it to inbox or quarantine.
If desired, return to the search results to export them to Google Sheets for further analysis.
If desired, save the investigation for future auditing or reference.
If desired, share the investigation with other admins.
Pros
Results include full message contents
Results include messages deleted by users, for up to 6 months
Discreet auditing process, 100% undetectable by the scrutinized users (unless actions are taken on emails being scrutinized)
Search for and investigate matters that span multiple users quickly and easy
Advanced search functionality yields results that are broad or specific as needed to satisfy investigative requirements without unnecessarily exposing irrelevant and potentially sensitive data
Investigations can easily be shared with other admins, and results can easily be exported to Google Sheets
Actions can be taken on search results in order to maintain security or compliance
Cons
Audit logs only retain data for up to 6 months (unless Big Query auto-export is used to retain longer)
Actions taken on emails in search results may indicate to users that their emails are being scrutinized
Only available in specific Google Workspace subscriptions
Is it ethical to view Google Workspace user emails?
Respecting user privacy builds trust and helps maintain a healthy work environment. However, it’s important to remember that data within company Google Workspace accounts, which can often be sensitive, ultimately belongs to the organization.
Therefore, while Google Workspace admins have the technical means to access user emails, it's crucial to exercise this power responsibly and ethically.
Accessing data in user accounts should only be done when there is a legitimate business justification for doing so - such as investigating security breaches or threats, ensuring business continuity or compliance with organizational policies, and troubleshooting critical issues.
Every organization needs clear policies outlining the circumstances under which admins can access user data, and these policies should be communicated to all employees.
It’s important that admins:
Narrow their search as much as possible to satisfy investigative requirements without risking unnecessary exposure to irrelevant and potentially sensitive information.
Maintain a log of access to user data, including the date, time, target account, data accessed, business justification, and the name of the person who requested, or approved the account access.
Consult with their legal team when in doubt, and always adhere to local laws and regulations regarding data privacy and employee monitoring.
Google Workspace admins have a range of tools at their disposal to view user emails, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The choice of method depends on the specific situation, the level of access required, and the Google Workspace edition in use.
It's crucial to remember that accessing user emails is a sensitive matter, and admins must always prioritize user privacy and adhere to legal and ethical guidelines. By understanding the available methods and their implications, admins can strike the right balance between safeguarding their organization's data and respecting user privacy.
Get Google Workspace investigation help
If you’re conducting an investigation and need help finding the information you need, while striking a balance between business requirements and user privacy, book a no-cost consultation with us.
Have you faced similar challenges with Google Workspace investigations? Reach out, and share your experiences with us!
