I’m trying to find a way to manage Gmail content compliance settings through code instead of using the web interface. My company needs to automatically create, edit, and remove compliance rules in our Google Workspace environment.
Is there any REST API or SDK that allows me to:
- Retrieve existing content compliance configurations
- Add new compliance rules automatically
- Update current rule parameters
- Delete outdated compliance policies
I’ve been searching through Google’s documentation but haven’t found clear guidance on programmatic access to these admin console features. Any examples or reference materials would be really helpful for getting started with this integration.
Utilize the Admin SDK Directory API specifically for Gmail compliance functions, but be aware that the process can be complex. In my experience, navigating this took considerable time. It’s essential to avoid the regular Gmail API, as you should be accessing the gmail.compliance resources from the Admin SDK. Authentication plays a crucial role here; ensure you configure a service account with domain-wide delegation, incorporating the scope https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.gmail.settings. Neglecting this can lead to permission issues. Additionally, the endpoint structure deviates from the common admin/directory/v1/customer/{customerId}/resources/calendars format. Take into account that bulk operations on compliance rules are subject to poorly documented rate limits, so it’s prudent to implement exponential backoff when automating numerous rules. Be mindful that DLP rules require additional calls to the Cloud DLP API for proper functionality. While Google’s examples can be found, they tend to be buried within the enterprise section of the Workspace Admin SDK documentation.
Check out the Gmail API’s compliance endpoints, but heads up - content compliance rules aren’t as simple to manage as other admin stuff. I’ve built similar automation before, and while the Admin SDK handles most workspace policies, Gmail compliance specifically needs the Gmail API with service account auth and domain-wide delegation. You’ll need the compliance endpoints in the Gmail API, but make sure your service account has the right OAuth scopes like https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.settings.basic and probably some broader admin scopes too. Here’s what tripped me up: some compliance operations need super admin privileges that you can’t delegate to regular service accounts. Start with the Gmail API docs and test a simple GET request to pull existing rules before you try changing anything. Fair warning - the docs for this stuff are pretty thin, so you might have to reverse-engineer requests by watching network traffic in the admin console.
the admin console reports API is probably your best bet - most peeps miss it but it’s got gmal settings endpoints that work better than trying to piecemeal the gmail api. you’ll need admin/reports/v1 with a proper service acct setup, but don’t expect great docs.