Google Workspace terms, explained

A plain-English A–Z glossary of Google Workspace terms — from Admin console to Vault, every term you're likely to encounter defined clearly.

New to Google Workspace, or keep encountering terms you don't fully understand? This glossary explains every common Workspace term in plain language — no jargon.

Quick summary

This is a reference page. Use Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F on Mac) to search for any term you want to look up. Each entry links to the relevant guide where you can learn more.

Admin (Super Admin)

The person (or people) who manages the Google Workspace organization. They can add and remove users, reset passwords, change settings, and handle billing. Every Workspace has at least one Super Admin. → The Admin console, explained

Admin console

The control panel for your Google Workspace organization. Accessible at admin.google.com. Only admins can sign in. → The Admin console, explained

Alias

An extra email address for an existing user. Email sent to the alias lands in their main inbox. For example, john.smith@ and j.smith@ can both point to the same account. → Groups & email aliases

App password

A 16-digit passcode that lets an older app or device sign in to your Google Account. It only works on accounts that have 2-step verification turned on, and you normally enter it once per app rather than every time. Google discourages app passwords, and the option is usually unavailable on a work or school account — use "Sign in with Google" instead where the app supports it.

Archive (Gmail)

Removing an email from your inbox without deleting it. The email moves to "All mail" and can be found by searching. Press E to archive a selected email, if you've turned Gmail's keyboard shortcuts on in Settings.

A field in email composition. Recipients listed in BCC receive the email, but nobody else on the message knows they were included. A BCC'd person can still see who was in To and CC.

Bounce

When an email can't be delivered, it's returned to the sender as a "bounce" or "non-delivery report." Common causes: wrong email address, full inbox, or spam filters.

Calendar

Google's scheduling app, included with Workspace. Used for meetings, reminders, and viewing teammates' availability. → Google Calendar basics

Catch-all

An email address that collects email sent to your domain that doesn't match a real user, so messages to a misspelled or retired address still reach someone. It can be a person's mailbox or a group address. → Email routing & catch-all

CC (Carbon Copy)

A field in email composition for recipients who should receive a copy of the message but aren't the primary addressee.

Chrome

Google's web browser. Google says Chrome supports every Workspace feature; Firefox, Safari and Microsoft Edge are supported too, with a few gaps — offline access to Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Sheets and Slides needs Chrome or Edge.

Cloud

Files and data stored on internet servers, not on your local computer. Google Drive is cloud storage — your files are accessible from any device.

Contacts (Google)

Google's address book. The contacts you save here are available to you across Gmail and Calendar.

Data export

Downloading a copy of your Workspace data for backup or migration purposes. Done through Google Takeout or the Admin console's data export tool. → Exporting your Workspace data

Delegate (Gmail)

A person given access to read and manage another person's Gmail inbox without knowing their password. → Delegating an inbox

Domain

The part of an email address after the @, and the base of your website address. For example, yourcompany.com. → What is a domain name?

Drive

Google Drive — the cloud storage included with Workspace. Stores files, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and more. → Google Drive basics

Drive for desktop

Google Drive for desktop — an app you install on your computer that adds your Drive files to your file manager. You can stream them, which uses almost no space on the computer, or mirror a full copy onto it.

Edition / Plan

The pricing tier of your Workspace subscription (Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, or Enterprise). Each offers different features and storage. → Google Workspace plans explained

Endpoint management

Google's tools for managing and securing the devices that access your Workspace account. The part that covers phones and tablets is what people usually mean by mobile device management (MDM). → Managing company devices (overview)

Filter (Gmail)

An automatic rule in Gmail. For example: "If an email is from invoices@, apply the 'Finance' label." → Labels & filters

Text appended to the bottom of outgoing emails — often a legal disclaimer or contact information. Can be enforced organization-wide by an admin.

Forwarding (email)

Automatically redirecting incoming email to another address. Can be set by individual users in Gmail settings, or by admins in the Admin console.

Gmail

Google's email app, included with Workspace. Provides professional email at your own domain. → Gmail basics for business

Google Admin app

A mobile app for Android and iOS that lets an admin reset passwords, edit user profiles, manage groups, and review activity logs from their phone. Google currently limits the iOS version to super admins.

Google Chat

Google's team messaging app, included with Workspace. Like Slack — supports direct messages and group spaces.

Google Docs

Google's word-processing app, equivalent to Microsoft Word. Included with Workspace. → Docs, Sheets & Slides explained

Google Meet

Google's video calling app. Included with Workspace. Used for video meetings, screen sharing, and recordings. → Google Meet basics

Google Sheets

Google's spreadsheet app, equivalent to Microsoft Excel. → Docs, Sheets & Slides explained

Google Slides

Google's presentation app, equivalent to Microsoft PowerPoint. → Docs, Sheets & Slides explained

Google Takeout

A Google tool that lets you download a copy of your own data from Google services. Available at takeout.google.com. Downloading your data doesn't delete it from Google. → Exporting your Workspace data

Group (Google Groups)

A shared email address that delivers to multiple people. For example, support@yourcompany.com that goes to 3 team members. → Groups & email aliases

Inbox

The main folder in Gmail where received email arrives.

Inbox zero

A productivity approach where you aim to keep your inbox empty by archiving, replying to, or deleting every email.

Label (Gmail)

A tag you apply to emails in Gmail. Works like a folder, but you can apply multiple labels to the same email. → Labels & filters

MDM (Mobile Device Management)

Tools for managing and securing phones and computers that access your organization's data. Google Workspace's version is called endpoint management. → Managing company devices (overview)

Meet

Short for Google Meet — the video calling app included with Workspace. → Google Meet basics

My Drive

The personal storage area in Google Drive for each user. Files here are owned by that person's account rather than by the organization, though an admin can transfer them to someone else when the person leaves. Contrast with shared drives.

OAuth

A secure way for apps and services to connect to your Google account without knowing your password. When you click "Sign in with Google," that's OAuth.

Organizational unit (OU)

A sub-group within your Workspace organization. Different OUs can have different settings and app access. Most small businesses don't need to use OUs.

Plan

See Edition.

Pooled storage

In Google Workspace, storage is shared across the organization rather than handed out per person: every user licence adds its allowance to one pool that everyone draws on. See Storage & quotas.

Primary domain

The main domain name on your Workspace account — the one used when you first set it up. Additional domains can be added later.

Recovery email / Recovery phone

Contact information stored on your account that Google uses to help you recover access if you're locked out.

Routing (email)

Rules that control where email is delivered before it reaches a user's inbox — for example, forwarding all sales@ email to a CRM. → Email routing & catch-all

Seat

A paid user slot on your Workspace subscription. Each user account uses one seat, including suspended accounts.

Shared drive

A Drive storage area owned by the organization (not an individual). Files stay safe even if a user leaves. Included with every Business edition, Business Starter included — what Starter misses is the advanced sharing, data protection and retention controls for shared drives. → Shared drives explained

Signature (email)

Text that automatically appears at the bottom of your emails — typically your name, title, and contact details. → Setting up your Gmail signature

Star (Gmail)

A star you can add to an email to mark it as important and find it again quickly. Gmail can show extra star colours and icons if you turn them on in Settings.

Super Admin

The most powerful admin role in Workspace. Can do everything — manage users, billing, security, and settings. Every Workspace has at least one Super Admin.

Suspend

Blocking a user's access to Workspace without deleting their account or data. Use this when someone leaves your organization — before you delete them. It doesn't reduce your bill: Google charges the same rate for a suspended account as for an active one. → Removing a user safely

Takeout

See Google Takeout.

Trash (Drive)

A holding area for deleted Drive files. Files stay in Trash for 30 days before permanent deletion. Once a user empties their trash, an admin can still restore those files for another 25 days. → Recovering a deleted user or files

Trash (Gmail)

A holding area for deleted emails. Emails stay in Gmail Trash for 30 days.

Two-step verification (2SV / 2FA)

An extra security check when you sign in. In addition to your password, you confirm your identity via your phone or an app. → Turning on 2-step verification

User

A person with a Google Workspace account in your organization. Each user has their own email address, Drive, and access to Google apps.

Vacation responder

An automatic reply that Gmail sends to anyone who emails you while you're away. Also called an out-of-office reply. → Setting a vacation responder

Vault

Google Workspace Vault — a tool for retaining, holding, searching and exporting your organization's Workspace data, used for legal holds and eDiscovery. Included with Business Plus, Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus among other editions — not with Business Starter or Business Standard. Google is explicit that Vault is not a data archive.

Workspace

Short for Google Workspace — Google's suite of business productivity tools (Gmail, Drive, Docs, Meet, Calendar, etc.) bundled with admin controls and your own domain.

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Google Workspace terms, explained

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