Alias Extractor

The Alias Extractor feature allows you to export all email aliases from your Google Workspace domain to a CSV file with a single click.

Overview

Email aliases are alternative email addresses that deliver to a user's primary mailbox. Managing and tracking these aliases across a large organization can be challenging. The Alias Extractor automates this process, giving you complete visibility of all aliases in your domain.

How It Works

1. Authenticate: Ensure you're authenticated with admin credentials
2. Click Extract: Press the "Extract Aliases" button
3. Processing: The tool queries Google Workspace for all users and their aliases
4. Download: Receive a CSV file with all alias information

CSV Output Format

The generated CSV file contains the following columns:

Column	Description	Example
Primary Email	User's primary email address	emily.johnson@school.edu
Alias	The alias email address	e.johnson@school.edu

Sample CSV Output

Primary Email,Alias
emily.johnson@school.edu,e.johnson@school.edu
emily.johnson@school.edu,ejohnson@school.edu
michael.chen@school.edu,m.chen@school.edu
sarah.williams@school.edu,swilliams@school.edu

Use Cases for Schools

Student Information System Integration

Export aliases to match records between Google Workspace and your SIS (PowerSchool, Infinite Campus, etc.)

Email Migration Planning

Before migrating to a new email system, export all aliases to ensure student and staff aliases are preserved.

Yearbook and Directory Publishing

Generate accurate email listings for school directories and yearbooks.

Alumni Records

Document email aliases for graduating students before archiving their accounts.

Cleanup Operations

Identify unused or redundant aliases, especially after student transfers or staff changes.

Parent Communication Lists

Identify all email addresses where parents can reach teachers and staff.

Performance

• Small domains (< 100 users): ~10-30 seconds
• Medium domains (100-1,000 users): ~30-90 seconds
• Large domains (1,000+ users): Several minutes

The tool processes users in batches and shows progress in real-time.

Permissions Required

The Alias Extractor requires the following Google Workspace permissions:

• https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.user.readonly

This read-only permission allows the application to:

• List all users in the domain
• Read user email aliases
• No write or modification capabilities

Best Practices

Regular Exports

Schedule regular alias exports (monthly or quarterly) to maintain current documentation.

Version Control

Save exported CSV files with timestamps for historical tracking:

• aliases-2024-01-15.csv
• aliases-2024-02-15.csv

Review and Cleanup

Periodically review exported aliases to identify:

• Unused aliases for removal
• Inconsistent naming patterns
• Potential security concerns

Integration

Import the CSV data into your:

• CMDB (Configuration Management Database)
• Documentation systems
• Monitoring tools

Troubleshooting

No Aliases Found

If the CSV is empty or missing expected aliases:

• Verify you're authenticated as a domain administrator
• Check that users actually have aliases configured
• Ensure the Admin SDK API is enabled in Google Cloud Console

Timeout Errors

For very large domains:

• The operation may take several minutes
• Ensure stable internet connection
• Check Docker container has sufficient resources

Permission Denied

If you see permission errors:

• Re-authenticate with admin credentials
• Verify OAuth client has correct scopes
• Check user has domain admin privileges

API Rate Limits

Google Workspace Admin SDK has rate limits:

• 2,400 requests per minute per project
• The Alias Extractor automatically handles rate limiting
• Large domains may experience throttling (automatically retried)

Privacy Considerations

The exported CSV contains:

• All user primary email addresses
• All alias email addresses

Security recommendations:

• Store CSV files securely
• Limit access to exported files
• Delete exports when no longer needed
• Never commit CSV files to version control

Technical Details

Implementation

• Uses Google Admin SDK Directory API
• Pagination for large result sets
• Error handling with automatic retries
• Progress tracking for long operations

Output Encoding

• UTF-8 encoding
• RFC 4180 compliant CSV format
• Excel and Google Sheets compatible

Next Steps

• Learn about Attribute Injector
• Explore OU Group Sync
• Read the FAQ