There are two ways to install the Substly Extension:
Using Substly’s built-in invite flow
Deploying via an MDM system such as Google Workspace, Microsoft Intune, or a similar platform (articles covering this are linked at the bottom).
The built-in installation process through Substly
The built-in installation process through Substly
The built-in installation process in Substly makes it easy for companies that do not manage their employees' computers via an MDM system or through Group Policies in Google Workspace or Microsoft Entra ID to install the browser extension across their users.
By following the steps below, you can send invites and reminders to employees and see the status of those who have activated the extension in their browsers, all within Substly.
Pro Tip: For the highest success rate, inform the employees about Substly and the invite before sending it. Here's a template you can use.
Activating the browser extension in your Substly account
On the main menu, navigate to Substly Extension.
Click Activate.
Select Invite Users
Mark the checkboxes to the left to choose which employees to send an invitation to. Once you are done with your selection, click Next.
Review your options and click 'Send Invites' to send them out.
Pro Tip: Use the filtering and status options above the list to create a view of the users you want and bulk-send invitations.
The invitation email
In the email you received, click on Install Substly Extension.
Select the browser you use
Install the extension from the web store to which you have been directed.
A new tab opens where your email address needs to be verified (Note: It is essential to use the email address to which you received the above email).
Using SSO: If you verify your email address via SSO, no other steps are necessary.
Fill in your work email address (the same address to which you got the email sent) 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. Done!
See which employees have installed the extension
On the main menu, navigate to Substly Extension.
Select Users & Invites
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.Possible reasons: vacation, parental leave, or not using the device.
Here's a more in-depth article about the Substly Extension statuses
Sending reminders or inviting more employees
Sending reminder emails works the same way as sending invites. Filtering options quicken the process and let you bulk-send invitations and reminders.
On the main menu, navigate to Substly Extension.
Click Users & Invites
To send a reminder individually, select Actions
, then Send Reminder or Send InviteAlternatively, select the Send Invites button and Mark the checkboxes to choose which employees to send a reminder or invitation to.
You can use the filtering options to filter out the employees with the status Invite pending.
Once you are done with your selection, click Next.
Look over your options and click Send Invites to send them out.
The reminder email below will be sent out. It is similar to, but not the same, as the first invitation email sent to the employee.
Pro Tip: You can send reminders at the same time as you invite new employees. Just mark the checkboxes to the employees you want to inform about the extension. They would get a reminder email if they received an email invite earlier. If not, they get an invitation email instead.
Deploying the extension centrally (pushing it out)
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.
There are several benefits to deploying the Substly Extension centrally, and if you can do so, we strongly recommend it.
📅 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).
Authentication can be handled silently in the background based on the user's corporate browser profile, e.g., Google account in Chrome, Azure AD in Edge, or a policy value provided by the MDM system.
Here are technical step-by-step guides:
Anonymous monitoring
Due to internal privacy policies or regulations, some organizations prefer not to link browsing data to specific individuals or devices. Substly supports anonymous monitoring, which can be enabled in the extension settings (Addons > Extension > Settings).
When anonymous mode is active, the extension will still track usage even if no email or unique key (such as a user or device ID) 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
Anonymous mode can be toggled centrally without pushing identity data during rollout. Contact us if you'd like guidance on setting up this configuration.