Apply settings to different users

When changing settings in your Google Admin console, you often have the option to apply settings only to users in specific organizational units or configuration groups. To do this, you must first create these entities and add users to them. Understand the options below. Then, follow the links to get started.  

Use organizational units (for standard policies)

Most common: Apply standard settings to a department or other team by placing user accounts in an organizational unit.

Example: You want to let only your sales department publish Google Drive files on the web. To do this, place everyone in the sales department in their own organizational unit. Then, turn on publishing permissions just for that organizational unit.

Get started with organizational units

Use configuration groups (for exceptions)

Advanced: After you apply settings to organizational units, you might want to use configuration groups to make exceptions for some users. This approach lets you customize settings for specific users without changing your organizational structure.

Example: You're currently restricting YouTube content for all organizational units. But a few people within or across departments need to view and approve videos. You can override those people's organizational unit settings for just this one policy by placing them in a configuration group and giving that group access to YouTube.

Get started with configuration groups

How to apply settings

After you create an organizational unit or configuration group, here's how to select it when changing a setting in the Admin console: 

At the side of your settings in the Admin console...