Google stores department information in a nested part of the user record that directory sync can't yet read directly as a mapping source.

There are two supported ways to bring teams into Kadence instead, and neither involves editing users one at a time.

Prerequisites

You must be a Global Admin in Kadence
You must have Google Workspace directory sync already connected to Kadence. If you haven't set this up yet, start with our Directory Sync Setup Guide
If you choose the custom attribute route below, you'll also need to be a Super Admin in Google Workspace to create the attribute. Admins with the User Management privilege can populate it once it exists

Option 1: Sync Directly from Google Groups (Recommended)

If your existing Google Groups reasonably reflect your departments or teams, Kadence can sync them directly as teams. This needs no custom attribute at all.

If you're on an Enterprise-tier Google Workspace edition: group membership can be driven automatically from each user's department field on Google's side. That means your existing department data can still end up reflected in Kadence — just through Groups rather than a direct field mapping. This is configured in the Google Admin console under Directory → Groups.

Option 2: Custom Attribute Mapping

If your Groups don't line up cleanly with the teams you want in Kadence, create a custom attribute instead.

Step 1: Create the custom attribute

In the Google Admin console, go to Directory → Users
At the top of the Users list, click More options → Manage custom attributes
Click Add Custom Attribute
Under Category, enter a name with no spaces (for example, KadenceSync) — this name needs to match what's used when mapping the attribute in Kadence
Under Custom fields, add an attribute:
- Name — enter kadence_teams
- Info type — select Text
- Visibility — select Visible to user and admin
- Number of values — select Single value
Click Save

Step 2: Set the values for your users

Once the custom attribute exists, populate it in one of two ways:

In bulk — from the Users list in Google Admin console, use Bulk update users to upload a CSV containing the new custom attribute column.
Individually — open a user's profile under Directory → Users if you only need to update a handful of people

If someone belongs to more than one team, list them in a single field separated by semicolons, for example Marketing;San Antonio;Ops.

Step 3: Map the attribute in Kadence

In Kadence, navigate to Settings → Integrations
Click the kebab menu next to your directory sync integration
Select View Directory Sync
Add the kadence_teams mapping, choosing the attribute from the schema list shown for your Google Workspace directory

Changes may take up to 24 hours to reflect in Kadence.

Tips for Using Teams

Multiple teams per user

You can assign users to multiple teams in one of two ways:

Create multiple attributes (kadence_teams_1, kadence_teams_2, kadence_teams_3, etc.)
Use a semicolon-separated list in a single field. Example: Marketing;San Antonio;Ops

Each value is parsed and created as a separate team in Kadence.

Deleting unused custom teams

Custom teams do not auto-delete
Global Admins can manually delete teams that have 0 members

FAQs

Can we use our existing Google Groups instead of a custom attribute?

Yes — if your Groups reasonably reflect your teams, this is the simplest option and needs no custom attribute.

What happens when a user leaves the company?

Once deactivated in Google Workspace, they're automatically removed from any directory-synced teams.

Can custom teams be created manually in Kadence?

Yes. Manual team creation and directory-synced teams can coexist.

Directory Sync Setup Guide
Syncing Profile Photos from Google Workspace
Custom Attribute Mapping for Teams (Entra ID)

Need Help?

For support, reach out to:
📩 [email protected]

For more helpful articles see:
📚 Kadence Help Center

Custom Attribute Mapping for Teams in Google Workspace