Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
AccessOwl provides a 7-day free trial. Follow this guideline to get the most out of it. Expect to spend 15-30 minutes for the initial setup (steps 1 and 2).
We recommend to immediately schedule a Trial Review a week out.During the review you’ll be able to either receive an extension to your trial or define through the next steps to retain access to your AccessOwl account.
1
Google Workspace Integration & Initial Shadow IT Scan
Install Slack app
Integrate with Google Workspace
After initial Shadow IT scan, select 5-10 applications (you can always add more)
Optional: Add email discovery
FAQ
Do I need to allow all permissions?
Yes. We request the permissions to be able to create new Google Workspace accounts, update user roles (admins, group memberships), and read SSO logs. This level of access allows AccessOwl to automate provisioning and deprovisioning of users.
What is the extra 'User Discovery' step for Google Workspace?
Google’s OAuth/SSO logs only uncover shadow IT if the user has used their Google account to login. Optionally AccessOwl can scan for invite emails in Gmail to discover additional shadow IT accounts.
Click ’+‘-icon to add integration and follow setup instructions
Integrations can have different capabilities such as provisioning, user sync, structure sync etc.
FAQ
Do I need a dedicated service account/admin user for Google Workspace, or can I use my personal admin account?
We require a dedicated service account for all integrations. For compliance reasons it’s important to have a clear traceability to understand whether the AccessOwl service account performed an action or a human being.
How does AccessOwl actually create or remove a user in an application?
We set up an “integration account” in your organization. For each app (e.g., Slack, Notion, Figma), you give that integration account admin privileges. AccessOwl then uses either RPA (robotic process automation), screen scraping or private APIs to provision or deprovision people on your behalf.
Do I need the integration account to have a mailbox?
Yes, it requires an inbox. Many apps (like Notion or Slack) send an invite or confirmation email. The integration account needs to receive and process that email to finish provisioning.
Can I reuse a single integration account for multiple applications?
Yes. You create the AccessOwl integration account once in your Google Workspace, and then grant it admin privileges to any SaaS apps you want us to automate. AccessOwl will reuse that same email address to handle provisioning for each app.
3
Testing Specific Features
Shadow IT
Requests
Approval
Onboarding/Offboarding
Access Reviews
Navigate to Applications and select the Discovered tab
Approve apps which are officially used within your organization
Ignore apps that you don’t want to further track for the purpose of offboardings
FAQ
Why might I see apps like Zillow, SoundCloud, or other personal services in the discovery list?
Because employees have used “Sign in with Google” for those sites. AccessOwl has no way to know if it’s work‑related or personal. Anything irrelevant can be moved to “Ignore” to exclude it from offboarding reminders or future workflows.
What happens after AccessOwl scans our SSO logs? Does it show all applications used, even if they’re personal?
Yes. AccessOwl will list every application where an employee used “Sign in with Google”. You might also find personal or test apps. You can choose to move those to the “Ignore” list if you don’t need to manage them.
Open ‘AccessOwl’ in your Slack workspace and use ‘Request Access’ button
Since you have installed AccessOwl you don’t have a approver assigned to you, all requests will be auto approved. This will change after you added your HRIS integration which optionally syncs manager information to AccessOwl.
Open policy settings to edit the default or add your custom policy
Since you have installed AccessOwl you don’t have a approver assigned to you, all requests will be auto approved. This will change after you added your HRIS integration which optionally syncs manager information to AccessOwl.
FAQ
How do managers or admins approve requests?
Requests come through Slack. The manager or admin gets a Slack message with details of who is requesting which app. They can approve or deny directly in Slack. AccessOwl then handles the provisioning automatically (if integrated).
Can we set more advanced approval workflows, like multi-step or auto‑approve?
Yes. In “Policies,” you can define multi-step approvals (e.g., Manager → Security → Admin). For less critical apps, you can configure an auto‑approve policy so that no manual approval is required. Every approved or auto‑approved request is still logged.
Do I get a log of all approved or auto-approved requests?
Absolutely. The AccessOwl web interface shows a full history. You can see who requested access, when, how it was approved (or if it was auto‑approved), and whether provisioning succeeded.
Optional: Integrate your HRIS (contact us for a custom integration link)
Open ‘AccessOwl’ in your Slack workspace and use ‘Onboard’ button
Can AccessOwl automate onboarding from our HR system?
Yes. If you connect an HRIS (like BambooHR), AccessOwl picks up new hires and prompts you to select the apps they need. With provisioning enabled, accounts are created automatically. For employees with an end date in the HR system, AccessOwl can also trigger offboarding in advance.
How does offboarding work if we haven’t set up the integration for an app?
You’ll still see a reminder that “User X has access to this app,” but AccessOwl can’t automatically remove them if no integration is in place. You’d manually remove them.
During your trial select the ‘Example Application’, you are the only reviewer and therefore nobody else will receive a request to review employee’s access. If you wish to try a review with a production app, ensure that you either have setup the integration to synchronize user lists or import the user list manually before starting the revivew
What’s the best way to test AccessOwl in the trial period?
Set up at least one or two key integrations (e.g., Slack, Notion, Zoom).
Request Access to those apps via Slack so you can experience how approvals flow.
Test an Onboarding by creating a new user (or using a mock user) and assigning them to some apps.
Test an Offboarding by removing that mock user. If the app integrations were setup before, the user is deprovisioned automatically.
Try an Access Review on the “Example Application”.
If we have questions during setup, do we contact you directly?
Yes, we have a dedicated Slack Connect channel or you can email our support. We generally respond quickly and can walk you through any configuration question during your trial.
What’s your security posture? Are you SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certified?
We maintain SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, we provide our report and pen-test results upon request if you need them for vendor security reviews.
Why does AccessOwl count more users than I expect?
The number of billable users can be found under billing. We count all full members and multi-channel guests in Slack as billable users. It’s the closest approximation to real users, especially when compared to the total number of Google Workspace members which often include service accounts.
How can we demonstrate ROI internally?
We can help estimate time saved on manual provisioning/deprovisioning and potential license cost savings by removing unused seats. We have frameworks and can share an ROI spreadsheet if you need a formal cost-benefit analysis for leadership.
What does your purchasing and onboarding process look like after the trial?
If you decide to move forward, we schedule an onboarding call to cover best practices and finalize configurations. We can also provide any security documentation, NDAs, or DPAs as needed. Then you move into the paid plan and can roll it out fully.