How to pass Google’s OAuth verification process for your Workspace add-on—branding requirements, privacy policy, terms of service, scopes justification, and the demo video.
Over the years on Pulse, we have featured a number of guides and resources aimed at helping developers navigate the complexities of Google’s authorisation requirements. However, given it has been a while since we last touched on this topic, and considering how frequently the process can be a stumbling block for the community, I thought it was a subject worth revisiting.
If you have ever attempted to publish a Google Workspace add-on, you likely know the specific mix of excitement and trepidation that comes with the submission process. While building the functionality is one hurdle, ensuring your application meets Google’s rigorous security and branding standards is quite another. One area that frequently trips up even seasoned developers is OAuth verification.
In a recent post on the ShipAddons blog, Manuel Napoli shares a step-by-step guide to getting through Google’s OAuth verification. Having navigated this process multiple times to launch his own tools, Manuel provides a comprehensive look at what Google reviewers actually expect, offering a practical checklist to help you get verified on your first attempt.
The guide breaks down the requirements into four primary areas: branding, privacy policy, terms of service, and scope justification. Rather than rehashing the technical minutiae here, Manuel’s post serves as a comprehensive “pre-flight” checklist for anyone ready to hit the submit button.
It is also interesting to see this content coming from ShipAddons. For those unfamiliar, ShipAddons is a production-ready service designed for building premium Google Workspace add-ons with React and Supabase user management integrations. It aims to solve many of the recurring “pain points” we often discuss in the community, specifically handling the “plumbing” of a commercial application.
For developers looking to transition from a single-purpose script to a monetised solution, having these systems pre-configured can significantly reduce the time spent on infrastructure.
