If you are like me, you may have dozens of online products and platforms you use any given week, each with a unique login from email, banking, and airlines, to social media. Remembering the various usernames and passwords presents a challenge. And as these sites and services get more secure we are being asked to change and update our passwords even more frequently.

Recently Finalsite employees moved to G Suite, Google's suite of productivity and collaboration tools that includes Gmail. Since this move, I have been using my Google credentials to log into more and more services. I love the ease of use.

Because we know that many schools and districts also use the G Suite for communications, we are excited to announce that Finalsite now also offers Google Authentication. This new authentication will allow students, faculty and site administrators to log into the Finalsite Platform using their Google account credentials, as long as the username in Finalsite matches the Google account email address.

Google Authentication + Finalsite FAQs

Where will everyone manage their passwords? 

Users will continue to manage their password via Google, and only Google.

Will my users notice? 

Yes, they will be redirected to Google's login screen from Finalsite when logging in using this authentication.

Can constituents within a group authenticate in different ways? 

No. When a role or user group is set to authenticate through Google, all users in that group need to have a corresponding Google account. But the good news is that users now manage their passwords in Google, not Finalsite - how convenient, you have one less password to remember! 

Will this create and update users in Finalsite? 

No, this is an authentication option only. To update or create users in Finalsite, data will need to be populated via other means. 

Can I use this with existing integrations and SSOs?

Typically, but there are some exceptions, including:

• If there are SSOs that require a username that is NOT the Google account email, that could require re-configuration. 
• SSOs that function on Authentication (e.g., Blackbaud On, Senior Systems, and Veracross) will NOT work if the users are signing in with Google Authentication.  
• Complex situations should be uniquely considered to ensure that Google Authentication is a good choice for the school.

Set up is fast, easy, and affordable. Contact your client success manager today to get started.

ABOUT TIM MCDONOUGH

As a member of the Finalsite team since 2011, Tim has helped hundreds of schools build websites tailored to their specific needs. Previously working in both higher ed and secondary ed admissions, Tim's work in education began in 1996, making him a valued expert on our team. If he's not on the road speaking at a conference or workshop, you can find him spending time with his family, rooting for the Celtics, going for a run, or enjoying a good cup of coffee.