Upcoming changes to the Google Groups Settings API

If your organization uses Google Groups, there will be some upcoming changes to the management experience starting May 6, 2019. We’ll be combining settings with similar functions, and removing other settings that are rarely used to make it easier for users to manage and configure groups. You can consult this help center article for more information.

As a result, we will also be implementing changes to the Groups Setting APIs by phasing out obsolete methods and consolidating them into new methods you can use to better manage Google Groups. These changes will take effect starting May 6, 2019.

What does this mean for you?

If you are a developer who has built applications on top of Google Groups Settings APIs or use custom scripts to manage your Google Groups, you may be affected. For details on changes to these settings, see this help center article. The changes to the API are described below.

What’s going away

Take note. The following properties will be deprecated—any attempts to GET, UPDATE or PATCH them will be ignored.

• maxMessageBytes
• allowGoogleCommunication
• messageDisplayFont
• whoCanAddReferences
• whoCanMarkFavoriteReplyOnOwnTopic
• favoriteRepliesOnTop

We’ll also be changing behavior for some properties. The following table provides detail for you on what to expect.

Lastly, some properties will be merging as a part of these changes. Check out the following table for specifics.

If you are affected by these changes, we recommend you take action soon. We will also be providing you with a way to test against the new API in the coming weeks. To sign up to get notified about the alpha test, fill out this form. You will receive an email on March 11, 2019 when sign-ups become available, and when the alpha test begins on April 8, 2019.