Adding an Unlicensed Admin Account in Google Workspace

These instructions will review how to add an unlicensed admin account in Google Workspace (Super Admin role) to allow IT admins to see and manage the systems without having to pay for an extra user.

This guide requires access to a Google Workspace administrator account.

1. Access Google Admin Console - Log in to your Google Workspace admin account at admin.google.com using your administrator credentials.

2. Disable License Auto-Assign:

   • Before adding the new user, it's recommended to disable auto-assign for licenses to prevent the automatic assignment (and purchase) of licenses to newly created users. This step ensures that the new user will remain unlicensed until you manually assign a license to them.

   • Navigate to the Admin console and go to Billing > Subscriptions > License Settings > Manage licensing settings.

   • Here, you'll find the option to disable auto-assign. Uncheck the box or toggle the setting to turn off auto-assign for licenses. Save your changes before proceeding to add the new user.

3. Add a New User:

   • On the left sidebar, navigate to Directory < Users. This will take you to the section where you can manage user accounts.

   • At the top, click "Add new user". Fill in the required information for the new user. This includes their first name, last name, and the email address you want to assign to them.

   • Make sure to record the username and password so you can give that to the new admin.

4. Make the new user a 'Super Admin'

   • In the left sidebar to Account < Admin Roles, Super Admin. Click the Admins pane, and then "Assign users". Search for and find the user you created and click "ASSIGN ROLE."

Be sure to provide the login information to the new admin, and recommend that they configure multifactor authentication as soon as possible. For more on that topic, see this article:

pageEnabling Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) Enforcement in Google Workspace