Google: Renew a Shared Account

Environment

U-M Google, Shared Accounts

Issue

How do I renew a Google Shared Account using the ITS Shared Account Manager?

Resolution

In an effort to improve the lifecycle management of Google Shared Accounts, you will now be required to renew the account annually using the ITS Shared Account Manager tool. This process will be similar to the existing MCommunity group renewal process, wherein you will be notified 30 days before the account expires and asked to use the tool to renew both the account and its associated group.

The new renewal process began on September 10, 2024. Shared Accounts that existed prior to that date were communicated with and must import their accounts into the ITS Shared Account Manager tool to renew and manage the account moving forward. These accounts have until December 6, 2024, before the account is deactivated and scheduled for deletion. The instructions below include steps for importing your Shared Account into the tool, which will automatically renew it.

To initiate the renewal process:

  1. Speak with the other Shared Account owners to ensure only one of you completes the process.
    • You must be a faculty or regular staff member and an owner in the associated MCommunity group to import.
  2. Go to the ITS Shared Account Manager tool.
  3. Click the green Import a Shared Account button.
  4. Select your Shared Account from the "Which Shared Account would you like to import?" drop-down menu.
    • If your Shared Account does not appear in the drop-down, there are three likely reasons:
      1. You are not an owner in the associated MCommunity group.
        • If you are an owner of a subgroup within the Shared Account's MCommunity group but not an explicit owner of the main group, you must be added as an owner to the main group to import it.
      2. You do not have an eligible role (i.e., faculty or regular staff).
        • If you are an account owner and have an eligible role, contact the ITS Service Center for assistance.
      3. Another owner has already imported the Shared Account into the tool.
        • You may or may not notice the account listed on the Shared Accounts You Own page in the tool, depending on whether the other owner left you assigned. Reach out to the other owners for more information.
    • Shared Accounts with no valid MCommunity group will not appear in the tool.
  5. Select your school, college, or unit from the drop-down menu provided.
    • Only schools/colleges/units with which you have an official university affiliation will appear. (The data used to populate this field is pulled from official HR systems.)
  6. Verify that the Google display name for your Shared Account is correct in the field provided. If not, update the name as needed.
    • This only changes the name displayed in Google, not MCommunity.
  7. Review the current MCommunity group owners that auto-populated in the field provided.
    1. Remove ineligible individuals and groups from the list (i.e., students, temporary staff, sponsored affiliates, alumni, retirees, Shared Accounts, MCommunity groups, friend accounts, and external (non-UM) users).
    2. Enter the uniqname(s) of at least one eligible individual (in addition to yourself). There must be at least two owners.
      • The account requires two owners to ensure redundancy if the account loses an eligible owner due to affiliation changes. If you do not have another owner, add a trusted faculty or staff member (such as a supervisor, HR staff, or department head) as the second owner. There are no exceptions to this policy.
      • You can add up to 50 owners to your account.
      • Owners will automatically update in the associated MCommunity group.
      • Moving forward, you must update the account/group owners via the ITS Shared Account Manager tool. Changes made to owners in MCommunity will be reverted within 24 hours. (MCommunity group members will continue to be managed via MCommunity.)
  8. Select I Confirm from the confirmation drop-down.
  9. Click Import Shared Account.
  10. Repeat this process for every Shared Account you own and manage. (There is no bulk import/renewal option.)

Your Shared Account has been successfully imported and renewed. From now on, you will manage this account using the ITS Shared Account Manager tool. This includes renewing the account annually and changing the account/MCommunity group owners, Google display name, and associated school/college/unit. (Refer to Shared Accounts in U-M Google for details on using the tool to manage accounts.)

Additional Information

  • Shared Accounts created after September 10, 2024, are automatically added to the tool, and their expiration date is 365 days from the date they were created.
  • If the Shared Account is no longer needed, speak with the other owners before requesting its deletion by submitting a ticket to the ITS Service Center.
  • If you do not want to be a Shared Account owner anymore, you must ask another owner to remove you from the account using the ITS Shared Account Manager tool. You cannot remove yourself using the tool.

Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.

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