Using Automatic Activation for the Gmail Add-on PAB

The automatic activation feature for the Gmail add-on Phish Alert Button (PAB) allows admins to create a default PAB instance for all Google Workspace users in their organization. With this feature, users will no longer have to manually activate their PAB with a license key, and magic mail will not be required for new users.

See the sections below to learn how to use automatic activation. For more information about the Gmail add-on PAB, see our How to Use the Gmail Add-on Phish Alert Button (PAB) article.

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How to Enable Automatic Activation
Configure Automatic Activation

• New Users
  Existing Users

Change Default Instance
Disable Automatic Activation

How to Enable Automatic Activation

To enable automatic activation for the Gmail add-on PAB, follow the steps below:

1. Log in to your KnowBe4 account.
2. Click your email address in the top-right corner of the page and select Account Settings.
3. Navigate to Account Integrations > Phish Alert.
4. From the Phish Alert menu, click the name of the PAB instance that you would like to use as your default instance.
5. In the Gmail Add-on Settings section, select the Enable Automatic PAB Activation check box.

Once you have enabled automatic activation in your KnowBe4 account, you’ll need to make sure all your users have connected their PAB with your account’s default instance. To make sure that your users have connected their PAB to your default instance, follow the steps in the Configure Automatic Activation section below.

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Configure Automatic Activation

After you enable automatic activation, you will need to configure the feature for your users. The configuration process will vary depending on whether your users have used the Gmail add-on PAB previously.

To configure automatic activation for users who have not used the Gmail add-on PAB before, see the New Users subsection below. To configure automatic activation for users who have used the Gmail add-on PAB previously, see the Existing Users subsection below.

New Users

For new admins who have just enabled the Gmail add-on PAB for the first time, automatic activation will be the default for all your users. In this scenario, you and your users will not need to take any further action to configure automatic activation.

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Existing Users

The Gmail add-on PAB will continue to work for existing users who were manually activated. However, existing users who want to switch from manual activation to automatic activation will need to reset their PAB license. To reset your PAB license, follow the steps below:

1. Log in to your Gmail account.
2. In your Gmail account, click the phish hook icon.
3. Click the three dots icon in the Phish Alert modal.
4. Click Reset License.
5. Once your license is reset, refresh your web browser.

After refreshing the browser, your users’ Gmail add-on PAB should switch from manual activation to automatic activation.

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Change Default Instance

If you need to change the default instance of your Gmail add-on PAB, follow the steps below:

1. Log in to your KnowBe4 account.
2. Click your email address in the top-right corner of the page and select Account Settings.
3. Navigate to Account Integrations > Phish Alert.
4. Click the name of your current default Phish Alert Button instance.
5. In the Gmail Add-on Settings section, deselect the Enable Automatic PAB Activation check box.
6. Click the name of the Phish Alert Button instance you would like to set as your new default instance.
7. In the Gmail Add-on Settings section, select the Enable Automatic PAB Activation check box.

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Disable Automatic Activation

To disable automatic activation for your Gmail add-on PAB, follow the steps below:

1. Log in to your KnowBe4 account.
2. Click your email address in the top-right corner of the page and select Account Settings.
3. Navigate to Account Integrations > Phish Alert.
4. Click the name of your default Phish Alert Button instance.
5. In the Gmail Add-on Settings section, deselect the Enable Automatic PAB Activation check box.

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