How do I find unused or stale Google Workspace identities and SaaS accounts?

You can find unused or stale Google Workspace identities and SaaS accounts by reviewing account activity logs, checking last login timestamps across your SaaS tools, identifying dormant OAuth tokens, and matching activity data against your active employee roster. Stale identities often remain active for months because SaaS platforms don't automatically deactivate or expire accounts when users stop using the product.

Tools like FrontierZero help automate this by mapping user activity across SaaS platforms and flagging identities with no recent sign-ins or token activity.

Why Stale Accounts Build Up in Google Workspace and SaaS

Stale accounts aren’t the same as orphaned accounts.
They belong to real users, but those users simply stopped using the platform—yet the account stayed active.

This is extremely common because:

1. SaaS vendors rarely auto-expire inactive accounts

Most SaaS tools do not deactivate users even if they:

  • haven’t logged in for months
  • switched roles
  • stopped using the tool entirely
  • left a project

The account remains active until someone removes it manually.

2. Google Workspace cannot see activity inside SaaS apps

Google tracks:

  • Workspace activity
  • login patterns
  • OAuth grants

…but cannot track activity inside every SaaS tool.

Which means inactivity can go unnoticed unless someone reviews the SaaS logs directly.

3. OAuth tokens and integrations remain active indefinitely

Even if a user never logs into a SaaS app again, their OAuth token may allow:

  • file access
  • email access
  • calendar access
  • Drive sync
  • background data pulls

These tokens operate without sign-ins, so inactivity does not block access.

FrontierZero detects inactive tokens tied to users.

4. Role changes don’t clean up access

Users move between teams.
But their SaaS access often stays the same.

This leads to:

  • accounts that are active but unused
  • stale privileges
  • excessive access

How to Find Unused or Stale Accounts (Step-by-Step)

1. Review last login timestamps in Google Workspace

Navigate to:
Admin Console → Reporting → User Reports → Accounts

Look for:

  • users inactive for 30/60/90+ days
  • accounts with zero logins
  • accounts that stopped authenticating suddenly

These accounts may still have SaaS-level access through tokens.

2. Check “App Usage Activity” for Workspace services

Navigate to:
Admin Console → Reporting → Apps Usage Activity

This page shows:

  • Drive activity
  • Gmail activity
  • Calendar usage
  • Meet activity

Stale Workspace users often have:

  • no recent Drive activity
  • no email activity
  • no login history in months

FrontierZero correlates this with SaaS activity.

3. Review SaaS user lists for inactivity

Most SaaS apps show:

  • last login
  • last activity
  • last token usage
  • login frequency

Flag users who:

  • haven’t signed in recently
  • haven’t triggered OAuth activity
  • have accounts created but never used

Inactive users with permissions = high risk.

4. Identify stale OAuth tokens

Navigate to:
Admin Console → Users → (User) → Security → Connected Apps & Sites

Look for:

  • apps with no recent usage
  • tokens marked “offline access”
  • apps used once and forgotten
  • unused third-party integrations

FrontierZero highlights stale tokens across all users and apps.

5. Review seat assignments and license waste

Stale accounts often cost money.
Look for:

  • unused productivity tool seats
  • inactive premium seats
  • licenses assigned but unused
  • contractors who never logged in

Cleaning these up reduces attack surface and spend.

How long before an account is considered “stale”?

Typical benchmarks:

  • 30 days = early signal
  • 60 days = likely unused
  • 90+ days = stale

Highly regulated orgs use stricter timelines.

FrontierZero uses customizable inactivity thresholds.

Are stale accounts a security risk?

Yes, because they:

  • allow unnoticed access
  • hold unused privileges
  • keep OAuth tokens active
  • increase lateral movement paths

Attackers love dormant accounts.

Do stale accounts overlap with orphaned accounts?

Sometimes. But typically:

  • stale = inactive
  • orphaned = identity mismatch

Both should be cleaned up.

FAQ

Does Google deactivate inactive accounts automatically?

No. All deactivation is manual.

Does stale mean compromised?

No, but it means unknown, which is a risk by itself.

Can stale accounts still access data?

Yes, especially through OAuth tokens.