Create a Place That Uses Google Docs

You can only use Google Docs in a Jive place that has been connected to Google Drive as the storage provider.

Before creating a Jive-connected place, make sure your Community Manager has already configured the Google Docs integration and that the email you use for Jive has a Google account associated with it. For a more general topic on creating places, see How Do I Create a Group? in the Core documentation.

When you create a Jive place with Google Drive as the storage provider, the Jive for Google Docs integration instantly creates a Jive-connected folder in Google Drive. The new folder looks something like: [Jive Group] MyNewGroup. Although you are unable to link a Jive place to an existing Google folder, you can access this content from Jive by moving your existing Google folder into your newly created Jive-connected Google folder. Once you move and edit the existing Google folder content, the Jive for Google Docs integration will sync it and make it accessible from the Jive place.

To create a place that uses Google Docs:

  1. Log into your Jive community with an email that has a Google for Work account associated with it.
  2. In your community, click Pencil icon > Group (or other place).
  3. Complete the Create page. For help completing the fields, see How Do I Create a Group? in the Core documentation.
  4. Click Create Group.
  5. Click Change next to External file storage to setup the storage provider.
  6. Select Google Drive as your external file storage option. This name may vary slightly. Ask your admin if you're not sure. If your admin sets Google Drive as the default storage, you don't need to change anything.
    Note: If you later change your external storage option to Jive, all Google Docs in this place will be replaced with links to the last known location in Google Drive.
  7. Click Apply. The Configure dialog opens.
  8. Select Sync Google Docs and Comments to enable all aspects of this feature. You can also customize what is shared between the Jive and Google folders using the following options:
    Option Description
    Don't Sync Google Docs This less common option enables syncing of binary files, but not Google Docs. You can still create Google Docs from Jive, but you will only see them in Google Drive.
    Sync Google Docs but Don't Sync Comments This default option ensures that all files and Google Docs are synced between Google Drive and Jive, but does not sync comments made in Jive or in Google Docs.
    Sync Google Docs and Comments This option provides Bi-directional sync of all activity. You can upload binary files or add Google Docs in Google Drive (or Jive) and sync them back to Jive (or Google Drive). You can also sync Jive comments on a Google Doc with document-level comments on the same doc in Google Drive & Docs.
  9. Select from one or more Google Permission groups. Members of those Google groups will be able to access the Google Drive folders created by this Jive place integration.
  10. Click Save.
  11. Click Save again. Once you create a new Google Drive folder from a Jive Place, actions taken in one place are reflected in both locations, such as creating and editing documents and comments, depending on how you set it up in the previous steps.
  12. After creating a Jive place, you can invite people to become members of that place and then they can start creating their own Google Docs. For more on this, see Create Google Docs from Jive.