Looking to connect Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) with Microsoft Entra ID Free Tier for secure Single Sign-On (SSO)? This guide explains how to integrate Gmail and other Google apps with Entra ID using SAML, without needing Microsoft 365 licensing.
With this setup, users can log in to Google using Entra credentials — giving you unified access control and MFA enforcement, all from Entra ID.
Why Connect Google Workspace to Entra ID?
- Centralise identity and login security using Entra ID
- Apply Entra ID policies (e.g., MFA, password rotation) to Google apps
- Streamline user provisioning and simplify offboarding
What You Need
- An Entra ID tenant (Free Tier is fine)
- A verified custom domain (e.g.
yourcompany.co.uk) - Google Workspace Admin access
Step-by-Step Setup
1. Add Google Cloud Connector in Entra ID
- Go to Entra ID > Enterprise Applications > + New Application
- Search for “Google Cloud (G Suite) Connector”
- Add the app to your tenant
2. Configure SAML Settings
- Open the Google Connector app > Single Sign-On > Choose “SAML”
- Download the Federation Metadata XML file
- Make a note of the Sign-in and Sign-out URLs
3. Configure Google Admin Console
- Login to admin.google.com as a super admin
- Navigate to Security > Authentication > Set up SSO with a third-party IdP
- Upload the XML or manually enter the URLs from Entra
4. Match User IDs
- Ensure that each user’s primary Google email matches their Entra ID UPN exactly
- Example:
jdoe@yourcompany.co.uk
5. Assign the App to Users
- Back in Entra ID, assign the Google app to individual users or a group
- This enables login using Entra credentials
6. Test the Integration
- Go to accounts.google.com and try logging in as a user assigned the app
- You'll be redirected to Microsoft for authentication and then back into Google Workspace
Free Tier Limitations
- You can connect up to 10 SAML apps in Entra ID Free
- User assignment must be done manually (no group-based assignment)
Security Tip
Enable Security Defaults in Entra ID to apply Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for free across all user logins — including Google Workspace once SSO is in place.
SSO Connections in This Series
- Integrate Dropbox and Zoho with Microsoft Entra ID
- Control Hosted Exchange and Amazon WorkMail with Entra ID
- Use Microsoft Entra ID to secure QNAP and Synology NAS logins
Download the Full Guide
You can find the full Microsoft Entra ID Setup & SSO Guide <---here, as a downloadable PDF.
