Full Integration with Google Workspace

SmartDraw integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace. You and your team can provision users, save files on Google Drive, plus create and collaborate on visuals entirely inside Google Drive:

  • Provision users with SSO and Google Workspace
  • Create new SmartDraw diagrams directly from Google Drive
  • Save diagrams to Google Drive and your existing shared folders
  • Make Google Drive the default or the only saving option for your entire team
  • Open, edit and revise diagrams directly from Google Drive
  • Easily add diagrams to your Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Sheets

You'll get all the power of SmartDraw's large selection of templates and powerful automation combined with the familiarity of making reports and documents in Google.

Provision Users with SSO using Google Workspace

You can provision all your users with SSO through Google Workspace. Just set up a new SAML app in your Google Workspace admin console and download the Identity Provider Metadata to make configuring SmartDraw SSO easier.

Learn how to set up Google Workspace SSO.

Provision Users with SSO Using Google Workspace

Connect SmartDraw and Your Google Account

There are two steps to connecting SmartDraw and your Google account.

  1. Connect Your Google Drive to SmartDraw
  2. Get the SmartDraw Add-On for Google Workspace
SmartDraw with Google Drive and Google Workspace

Connect Google Drive to SmartDraw

There are three ways to connect to Google Drive in SmartDraw:

  1. Under Documents on the Dashboard
  2. The Save As dialog
  3. Using the Storage options under Integrations on the dashboard

Instructions:

  1. From the Dashboard, click on Documents. Once in the Document view, bring up the drop down menu for Add Storage and choose Google Drive.
  2. In the Save As dialog, simply click on the appropriate logo under Add Service.
  3. On Dashboard, click on Integrations, select Storage, then choose Google Drive.
  4. No matter which method you chose above, a new browser window will open and prompt you to login to your Google account.
  5. When prompted, agree to let your SmartDraw connect to your Google Drive by clicking "Allow".
  6. You can now save any diagram to Google Drive using Save As in the File tab.
Add Google Drive

Save Diagrams to Google Drive and Team Folders

You can save any diagram you create in SmartDraw to your Google Drive in the Save As dialog. Under the Save To options select Google Drive if it's not already selected and navigate to the folder you want to save your diagram to. Choose your main drive or any shared folders for your team. You can also create a new folder if needed by clicking on the Create New Folder option.

Save Diagrams to Google Drive

Set Document Storage Preferences for Your Entire License

As an administrator of a multi-seat or site license, you can make Google Drive the default storage provider for your entire license or even restrict the storage provider available to your users.

This means you can easily set the default location every user saves to as Google Drive. You can even prohibit your users from saving anywhere else.

Choosing storage preferences

Make Google Drive the Default Storage Option

To do so, login to your account, and select Document Control.

SmartDraw is the default storage selection for all licenses. To switch it, bring up the drop down menu for Default and select Google Drive.

SmartDraw gives you peace of mind that your team will work in the secure environment of your choice.

Make Google Drive the Default Storage Option

Restrict Other Providers

You can also go one step further. Instead of just setting Google Drive as the default, you can restrict all other storage options by toggling them to the off position. Leave only Google Drive selected.

Once an option is disallowed, users will no longer be able to choose it for saving their documents. They can save only using your selected provider.

Restrict to Google Drive

Get the SmartDraw Add-On

You can add SmartDraw as an app, so your users can create diagrams and add them to documents from inside Google Drive or any Google Workspace app like Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Sheets.

  • Install the SmartDraw add-on from Google Workspace's marketplace.
  • When prompted, agree to let your Google Workspace connect with SmartDraw's external service by clicking Allow.
  • You can also install the add-on from any open Google document or sheet. Click on the Plus icon in the Add-On Sidebar and search for SmartDraw.
Get the SmartDraw Add-On for Google Workspace

Create New SmartDraw Diagrams Directly From Google Drive

Once SmartDraw has been added to your Google Workspace account, you can create new SmartDraw documents directly from Google Drive. Simply click on New, navigate to More and choose SmartDraw Diagrams.

Login with your normal SmartDraw credentials.

Draw your diagram or choose an existing diagram stored in your account and save it to Google Drive.

Create new SmartDraw diagrams from Google Drive

Open SmartDraw Diagrams on Google Drive

SmartDraw diagrams will appear with thumbnail previews in your Google Drive folders. To edit a file, navigate to it and double-click to bring up an app selection drop-down and choose SmartDraw Diagrams.

You can also right-click on the file, go to Open With and choose SmartDraw Diagrams.

Any changes you make to the diagram will be saved to Google Drive automatically.

Open a SmartDraw diagram from Google Drive

Add SmartDraw Diagrams to Google Docs and More

You can enhance any boring documentation or presentation with some eye-catching visuals. Create diagrams and easily insert them to any document, slide, or sheet in Google Workspace using the SmartDraw Add-On. Make your reports and documentation pop with professional visuals and easy-to-understand diagrams.

You can also install the app from any open Google document, slide, or sheet. Click on the Plus button in the Add-On Sidebar to the right of your main work area. Search for SmartDraw and install the add-on.

Once installed, you can launch SmartDraw from the sidebar any time you want to create a new visual or insert an existing diagram.

Launch SmartDraw from the sidebar

The SmartDraw app, lets you do four things:

  1. Insert a new diagram
  2. Update selected diagrams
  3. Update all diagrams
  4. Switch Lucidchart diagrams in your document to their equivalent SmartDraw diagrams

Learn more about everything you can do in Google Docs, Google Slides, and Google Sheets with the SmartDraw app.

Launch SmartDraw from the sidebar

You can create a new diagram from one of SmartDraw's hundreds of templates or choose an existing diagram to add to your document.

Once you're happy with the diagram, click the Insert Diagram button on the lower left corner of the SmartDraw modal to go back to Google Docs (or Google Slides or Sheets) with your diagram inserted.

Insert diagram
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