Keep an independent, versioned backup and test a restore. Sync alone is not a backup.
By C2E Studio | A practical guide for small businesses
Editorial note: This guidance is based on official documentation checked October 9, 2026. Exact screens and available features vary by NAS model, DSM and package version. No hands-on NAS testing was performed for this guide.
Your quotations, customer records, project files and working spreadsheets may all live in Google Drive. That makes collaboration convenient. It also makes one question worth asking: if a file is damaged, deleted or suddenly inaccessible, what could you recover independently?
A Synology NAS can give your business a separate copy under your control. You can keep using Google Drive while adding a recovery plan that fits your budget.
The important details are which files are included, how older versions survive, and whether you have actually tested a restore.
Choose the route that matches your account
- Personal Google Drive or a straightforward local file copy: Cloud Sync can download selected cloud folders to your NAS. Add separate versioned protection for those downloaded files.
- Company-managed Google Workspace: Active Backup for Google Workspace is the better starting point for centrally protecting staff accounts and shared drives, with backup retention and recovery tools. It can also cover Gmail, Contacts and Calendar. Synology describes the package as license-free; hardware, disks, Workspace and any offsite storage still have costs. Cloud Sync overview, Workspace backup overview
A personal Gmail account does not provide the organization-wide administration used by the second route.
Before you begin
List the folders and accounts you cannot afford to lose. Include shared drives and files owned by other people, rather than assuming everything visible in Drive belongs to you.
Check that your NAS model and installed DSM version support the packages you plan to use. Allow storage for growth and older versions, not just today's files. Snapshot Replication needs a supported model and Btrfs storage. Workspace backup deduplication requires an x64 NAS and Btrfs; block-level deduplication excludes encrypted shared folders. Do not assume every Synology supports every feature. Synology NAS backup options, Workspace requirements, deduplication specifications
Route 1: Download a local copy with Cloud Sync
Start with a small test folder containing a PDF, a photograph and a Google document.
- Install Cloud Sync from DSM's Package Center, open it and add a Google Drive connection.
- Sign in to the correct Google account yourself and review the access request.
- Select a dedicated NAS folder as the local destination. Select the test folder in Google Drive as the remote source. Expand the scope after testing.
- Set the direction to Download remote changes only.
- Enable the option that converts Google online documents into Office or JPEG files.
- Tick Don't remove files in the destination folder when they are removed in the source folder. With download-only selected, the destination is your NAS.
- Review folder exclusions and file filters, apply the task, then check its progress and errors. Synology's Cloud Sync tutorial
Check the boundaries. Cloud Sync excludes Drive's “Shared with me,” Computers and shortcuts. For shared drives, choose the Google Shared Drive connection type, select one shared drive per connection and use an account with access to it. Downloaded Google documents are converted copies; local edits do not flow back into the original Google documents. Check important layouts and formulas yourself, and do not assume comments, permissions or revision history are faithfully preserved. Cloud-service limitations, Cloud Sync connection options
Add protection for earlier versions
Download-only describes the direction of transfer. An unwanted edit can still arrive on the NAS. Keeping deleted files does not give you a history of every change.
Protect the downloaded folder with scheduled snapshots where supported, or a multi-version Hyper Backup task to a separate destination. If using Hyper Backup, select the actual data folder; backing up Cloud Sync's application settings alone does not protect its downloaded files. Choose retention long enough to notice a mistake and recover from it. NAS backup guidance, Cloud Sync settings backup
Test recovery
Open the downloaded test files without relying on Google Drive. After a snapshot or versioned backup finishes, change and delete disposable originals in Drive. Confirm the retained local copy behaves as intended, then recover the earlier test version into a separate recovery folder using your snapshot or backup tool. Open it and compare its contents. Avoid overwriting your working files during the test.
Route 2: Back up your business with Active Backup for Google Workspace
This route needs your Workspace administrator. Installation and authentication are more involved than connecting one personal Drive.
- Check compatibility and activate the package. Install Active Backup for Google Workspace on a supported NAS. Initial activation requires a Synology Account and acceptance of the package terms.
- Prepare Google Workspace. Have your authorized administrator follow Synology's current preparation guide: enable the required Drive access, create the dedicated Google Cloud project and service account, and configure the required APIs and domain-wide delegation. The preparation guide covers two products: use the instructions and scopes for Active Backup for Google Workspace, rather than ActiveProtect. Keep the downloaded service-account key private. Workspace preparation guide
- Create a backup task. In the package's task list, start a new task, supply the domain and administrator details, and have the administrator securely import the service key. Choose the backup destination, users and shared drives. Enable the recovery portal as needed. Start with a pilot account and test drive.
- Set coverage and retention. Choose scheduled or continuous protection and a suitable version-retention policy. Consider automatic discovery so new users and shared drives are included. Synology quick-start guide
- Verify completion. Review logs and excluded items, then compare the expected accounts and shared drives with the protected list. Assign someone to check failures and storage warnings.
Domain-wide delegation is powerful: it lets the application access users' data within the authorized scopes without each user consenting. Review the permissions, use only those required by the current supported setup, restrict access to the key and review the grant periodically. If an organization security policy blocks service-account key creation, have your administrator assess the required exception before changing that policy. Do not email the key or paste it into chat. Google's delegation guidance
Understand conversion and restore limits
The package supports Drive sharing permissions and selected metadata, but that is not a promise of perfect fidelity. Docs, Sheets and Slides are stored as Office files and restored to their Google equivalents. Forms restore as ZIP files, Drawings as JPEGs, and Apps Script as JSON; Forms over 10 MB cannot be backed up. Cross-domain restoration is unsupported. Test the Google-native files your business actually uses. Technical specifications
In the recovery portal, locate a disposable backed-up file and an earlier available version, then export it and check its contents. Test restoring a deleted sample to the original domain and verify its sharing permissions. Retained versions depend on your configured policy: write down how long deleted or changed material must remain recoverable and prove that requirement with a test. Recovery portal, Retention and restoration support
Protect the backup too
Keep DSM and packages updated, enable multi-factor authentication, and limit who can change backup data. Keep NAS administration off the public internet; do not open router ports just for this project. Synology security guidance
Work toward three copies across two storage types, with one offsite. Consider an offline or suitably protected copy too. RAID and snapshots on the same NAS cannot cover theft or loss of the whole device. For the Workspace backup repository, use a supported secondary-copy method; Synology documents Snapshot Replication. NAS backup guidance, Workspace backup FAQ
Start small: protect one important folder, recover a test file, then expand. Knowing you can get your work back is the result that matters.
Have a question about this guide?
Your inquiry
Allow HubSpot inquiry forms to send your inquiry here. HubSpot receives your details and may use its own cookies and technical telemetry. Your message stays out of this site’s optional analytics. No marketing subscription is requested.
The embedded form is off until you allow HubSpot inquiry forms.
Open the hosted HubSpot form ↗
Opens HubSpot in a new tab; its own cookies and privacy terms apply.