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Use cases → Admin and governance

Remotely install applications via the Admin SDK

Use domain-wide delegation and the Admin SDK to automate app installation across managed users without manual intervention.

Who it is forIT operations teams automating software deployment to managed devices or users.
APIsAdmin SDK
Typical scopesadmin.directory.device.chromeos, admin.directory.user

The problem

Manual installation of applications at scale is slow, error-prone, and does not guarantee consistency across devices or users. Automating installation via the Admin SDK can centralise control, but requires precise handling of device, user, and application mappings.

How it works

  1. Authenticate as a service account with domain-wide delegation for the necessary Admin SDK scopes.
  2. Query the target users or devices using the Directory API.
  3. Use the Chrome Management API to assign and force-install the desired application by updating the appropriate policy.
  4. Monitor the policy status to verify application push and catch any reported errors.

What changes

Applications are installed remotely and consistently across target users or devices, reducing manual effort and configuration drift.

The trap in this one. Chrome policy changes via the Admin SDK are not applied instantly; there is a propagation delay (often several minutes) before devices enforce the new policy. If you query for application state immediately after setting the policy, the API will often return the previous state, making it look like the installation failed or was ignored. Scripts that assume immediate consistency will trigger false alarms or retry loops, compounding the delay.

Watch it explained

“Synology Active Backup For Google Workspace setup” — Mactelecom Networks on YouTube. Third-party video, included because it covers this ground well. We are not affiliated with the channel.

Questions people ask

How long does policy propagation usually take?

Propagation is typically under 10 minutes but can vary. Always build in polling with exponential backoff rather than assuming instant effect.

Can I target both users and devices?

Yes, but the API endpoints and required object IDs differ. Ensure you distinguish between user-scoped and device-scoped app assignments.

Want this built?

This is a pattern we run in production. We will set up the delegation and build this on top of it — $500 per hour, most of it working the same day.

Talk to us Or read the setup guide

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