Installation of Playbooks Extension in Managed Environments
Desktop administrators want to know installation options when they’ve already restricted Chrome extensions to users.
Enterprise Access Control
In many enterprise sales organizations, users are prevented from installing Chrome extensions. This is usually a blanket ban. There are various levels of control provided by Chrome for Enterprise that will allow users to use Playbooks and other approved extensions.
- No Restrictions: With this configuration, any Chrome user can add an extension, Playbooks or otherwise.
- Limited Availability (Whitelisting): Chrome for Enterprise allows whitelisting approved extensions and allows users to install or uninstall approved extensions at any time. *This is the recommended method of restricting extension access.
- Automatic Installation: Chrome for Enterprise allows administrators to force users to have an extension installed and remove the ability to remove it. *This configuration is NOT recommended. (See FAQ for greater detail.)
How to Whitelist a Chrome Extension
- Sign in to your Google Admin Console. (Sign in using an administrator account.)
- From the Admin Console home page, go to Device Management > Chrome Management. (If you don’t see Device Management on the home page, click More Controls at the bottom.)
- Click User Settings.
- On the left, select the organization where you want to configure the app or extension policy. To apply to everyone in your organization select the top-level organization. Otherwise, select a child organization.
- Go to the Apps and Extensions section.
- Next to Allow or Block All Apps and Extensions choose an option. One option starts with all apps and extensions in a whitelist situation, the other starts with everything in a blacklist situation.
- Next to Allowed Apps and Extensions, click Manage.
- Select the source location and search for Playbooks.
- Click Add, then Save. If you need more help, see How to select apps and extensions.
- Click Save again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why should I NOT automatically install Playbooks?
A: While this is helpful during initial installation, it can complicate troubleshooting efforts longterm. When troubleshooting errors on a single user’s computer, you will not be able to remove, repair, or reinstall the Playbooks extension. While this is rare, on the occasion that one user was affected, it would necessitate removing the extension from all users to resolve a single users problem.
Q: Wouldn’t it save a lot of time if the extension was automatically installed ahead of time?
A: When a user is invited to Playbooks, the welcome email they receive contains a link to install the extension in two mouse clicks. The entire process rarely takes more than a couple minutes.
Q: If I have no restrictions on Chrome extensions, do I need to worry?
A: No. Your users will be able to install and uninstall the Playbooks extension with no problems.
Q: Will users need to complete any action to install or update Playbooks?
A: To install: The user will receive an email when they are invited to Playbooks, which contains a link to add the extension. Installation requires two mouse clicks.
To update the extension: Chrome extensions will periodically update. This is automated and often happens when the browser is restarted. Occasionally, the user may be prompted to re-enable the extension when Playbooks requires new permissions. This also requires two mouse clicks.
