This article provides information on various deployment options and includes links to step-by-step guides for each deployment option.

Primary Installation Methods

There are two primary methods for installing the Substly Extension:

  1. Deploying the extension centrally by pushing it out via Google Workspace, Microsoft Entra ID, or another MDM system. This option is recommended if you can deploy extensions centrally.
  2. Using Substly's built-in invite flow - an easy way to distribute the extension to employees if you lack the technical expertise or infrastructure to deploy extensions centrally.

Deploying the extension centrally (pushing it out)

If you're using Google Workspace, Microsoft Intune, or another MDM system, you can push the Substly Extension to all employee browsers without user involvement.

Benefits include:

  • Automatically install and activate the extension for all employees -- no login required
  • Prevent users from logging out of or uninstalling the extension
  • Monitor usage without user or device identity, by enabling anonymous tracking in the extension settings
  • Notify users when they access services that violate your internal policies (coming later)

Technical step-by-step guides:

Anonymous monitoring

Some organizations prefer not to link browsing data to specific individuals or devices. When anonymous mode is active, the extension will still track usage even if no email or unique key is provided, and this data will not be associated with any identifiable entity.

This allows you to:

  • Monitor SaaS usage without collecting personal or device-level identifiers
  • Stay compliant with stricter privacy requirements
  • Still maintain visibility into unapproved or risky services across your organization

The built-in installation process through Substly (invite flow)

The built-in installation process makes it easy for companies that do not manage their employees' computers via an MDM system to install the browser extension across their users.

Activating the browser extension in your Substly account

  1. On the main menu, navigate to Substly Extension
  2. Click Activate
  3. Select Invite Users
  4. Mark the checkboxes to choose which employees to send an invitation to, then click Next
  5. Review your options and click Send Invites

The invitation email

  1. In the email you received, click on Install Substly Extension
  2. Select the browser you use
  3. Install the extension from the web store to which you have been directed
  4. A new tab opens where your email address needs to be verified (use the email address to which you received the invitation)
    • Using SSO: If you verify your email address via SSO, no other steps are necessary
    • Otherwise: Fill in your work email address and click Send
    • An email is sent to you. Verify your email address by opening the email and clicking Verify Email
    • You are now taken to a page that confirms that the extension is installed and working

See which employees have installed the extension

  1. On the main menu, navigate to Substly Extension
  2. Select Users & Invites
  3. In the Status column, you can see which employees have or haven't installed the extension

Statuses for Substly Extension Accounts

  • Not invited: The employee has not yet been invited to install the Substly Extension
  • Invite Pending: The employee has been invited to install the extension but hasn't yet activated it
  • Tracking: The extension is installed, and usage on the employee's device is actively monitored
  • Tracking Inactive: The user has either logged out of the extension or the extension is still active, but no usage data has been received for at least four weeks

Sending reminders or inviting more employees

  1. On the main menu, navigate to Substly Extension
  2. Click Users & Invites
  3. To send a reminder individually, select Actions, then Send Reminder or Send Invite
  4. Alternatively, select the Send Invites button and mark the checkboxes to choose which employees to send a reminder or invitation to
  5. You can use the filtering options to filter out the employees with the status Invite pending
  6. Once you are done with your selection, click Next
  7. Look over your options and click Send Invites to send them out

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