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Google OU settings

5 steps 4 min Updated 4 November 2026

In Google Workspace, every account lives in an organisation unit (OU) — a folder-like path that decides which policies and apps apply to that user. This page controls where Realsmart places each of your users in that structure. It has three parts: the OU roots, the optional path templates, and the year mappings — plus a live placement preview that shows who will land where.

These settings moved here from the old Sync tab; they weren't removed. The sync still uses the OU roots as the base of its standard layout when custom templates are off.

Before you start

  • You must be a school admin with sync settings permission, with the school selected in the switcher.
  • Your members' year groups drive the year mappings, so make sure your MIS import is current first.

The two building blocks

  • OU roots — the base OU for learners and one for mentors (e.g. Learners, Mentors). With custom templates off, the standard layout is built under these.
  • Path templates — optional finer placement, using placeholders the sync fills in per user:
    • {YEAR} — the user's (mapped) year group
    • {INTAKE_YEAR} — the user's (mapped) intake year
    • {TEACHING_LABEL} — mentors only — resolves to your teaching or non-teaching label

Templates are only used when Use custom OU templates is ticked. Each template is the whole path from the top of your Google organisation, so include your root in it (for example /Learners/{YEAR}) — Realsmart doesn't add the OU root in front for you.

With Use custom OU templates off, Realsmart uses its standard layout under your roots instead: learners in <learners root>/Learners/<year group>, staff in <mentors root>/Mentors, with governors and observers in their own sub-OUs and suspended accounts in a Suspended sub-OU. The Placement preview shows exactly where each person lands, so use it rather than guessing.

Steps

Step 1: Open Google OU settings

In the sidebar, open Google Workspace → OU settings.

Step 2: Set the OU roots

In OU roots, enter the base organisation units in Learners OU root and Mentors OU root (for example Learners and Mentors). With templates off, the standard layout is built on these.

Step 3: Set the path templates (optional)

Tick Use custom OU templates to place users more precisely, then fill in the templates. Every path starts with a /:

  • Learners — e.g. /Learners/{YEAR} places each learner in a sub-OU for their year group.
  • Mentors — e.g. /Mentors/{TEACHING_LABEL} splits staff into teaching and non-teaching sub-OUs.
  • Suspended (learners) and Suspended (staff) — where suspended accounts go. A suspended account stays managed while it sits there: if the person comes back and is made active again, the sync moves them back out to their normal OU rather than leaving them behind with the leavers.
  • Admin, Governor, Observer — paths for those account types. Leave one blank and those accounts follow the Mentors template.
  • Teaching label and Non-teaching label — the words {TEACHING_LABEL} resolves to (defaults: Teaching and Non-Teaching).

Only {YEAR}, {INTAKE_YEAR} and (for the mentors template) {TEACHING_LABEL} are valid placeholders, and the page won't save otherwise. You'll see "Path templates should start with a "/".", "Path contains invalid characters." (letters, numbers, spaces, -, _, / and the placeholders only) or "Unknown placeholder {…}" under the box to fix.

Step 4: Set year mappings

The Year mappings table controls how each MIS year value fills {YEAR} and {INTAKE_YEAR}. It's pre-populated with a suggested row per year group found on your members. For each row, set the mb_year key (the raw value from your MIS), the {YEAR} value it should produce, and the {INTAKE_YEAR} value. Add row creates a new mapping (it only saves once you've typed its mb_year key); the cross removes one. Any year left unmapped uses its raw value. The suggested rows only become real mappings when you save.

Step 5: Check the placement preview, then save

The Placement preview panel on the right shows your school's real members grouped by the OU each would land in, resolved with the same rules the sync applies and reflecting the form as it currently stands (before you've even saved). Expand a group to see counts and a sample of names. Active/protected and suspended members are shown separately because they resolve through different rules.

Use it to confirm everyone lands where you expect — then select Save OU settings to make it live (you'll see "Google OU settings saved."). Because the preview mirrors the real sync engine (and is kept in step by matching tests on both sides), what you see is what saving produces. People whose placement changed are moved to their new OU by the next nightly Google sync (the sync runs every day except Saturday). Back to settings (top right) returns to the Google settings.

Google OU settings showing path templates with placeholders and the live placement preview

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