A Better Approach to Managing Linked Files in Google Vault with Lighthouse

Summary: Lighthouse’s Google Vault solution helps legal teams manage linked files by preserving Gmail–Drive relationships with flexibility and defensibility built in.

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Cloud-based linked files expose the limitations of legacy eDiscovery workflows in modern collaboration environments.

As Microsoft Purview and Google Vault have emerged as the dominant enterprise collection backends, legal teams are increasingly required to make early decisions about how linked files should be handled. To address this challenge, Lighthouse has developed purpose-built solutions that reflect the realities of cloud-based collaboration.

In Google Workspace, Gmail messages commonly reference Google Drive files by link rather than attachment. Lighthouse’s automated Google Vault solution preserves these Gmail–Drive relationships relationally, providing a defensible, cloud‑native approach designed for cloud environments.
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What the solution does

Lighthouse’s Google Vault automated solution identifies and preserves the relationship between Gmail messages and their hyperlinked Drive files without forcing those items into a rigid parent-child family structure.

Instead of converting linked Drive files into static attachments, Lighthouse uses relational linking to dynamically associate emails and referenced Drive content. These relationships are surfaced through the Lighthouse Links solution, allowing reviewers to view related items side by side and maintain full context during review.

This relational model supports flexible handling of linked files throughout the lifecycle of a matter. Depending on the needs of the case, clients can:

• Review linked Drive files in context with the Gmail messages that reference them using relational metadata
• Treat Gmail messages and Drive files as standalone records when appropriate for review or production
• Adjust strategy as a matter evolves without reprocessing data or re‑engineering workflows

By preserving associations relationally, Lighthouse enables case teams to adapt their approach midstream as regulatory expectations, litigation posture, or production requirements change.
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What problems it solves

In Google Workspace, files are shared by link and updated centrally, not copied and sent as attachments. Treating those linked files like traditional attachments forces legal teams to lock in assumptions early, often before they understand which versions matter, how files should be produced, or whether linked content is even in scope.

Because expectations can shift across regulators, jurisdictions, and phases of litigation, Lighthouse’s relational approach aligns linked‑file handling with Google Workspace data while preserving flexibility as requirements change.
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Why we built it

Lighthouse developed its Google Vault solution in direct response to the market‑wide challenges created by cloud‑based collaboration. As regulatory scrutiny and litigation expectations around modern attachments have increased, so has the demand for workflows that are transparent, auditable, and adaptable.

There is no single correct way to handle linked files. Legal teams need solutions that are purpose-built for how platforms like Google Workspace operate, and that allow matter‑specific decisions without disrupting review, production, or downstream timelines.

By automating Google Vault processing, validating exports up front, and preserving Gmail–Drive relationships through relational metadata, Lighthouse helps clients reduce risk, gain earlier insight into their data, and maintain control throughout the eDiscovery lifecycle.
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How it’s different

What sets Lighthouse’s Google Vault solution apart is intent. It was designed to reflect the realities of modern cloud data rather than force it into legacy constructs.

Relational linking, automated metadata capture, and flexible review options work together to give clients clarity without constraint. As Google Workspace continues to evolve, Lighthouse remains committed to building solutions that adapt alongside it.

To learn more about how Lighthouse helps legal teams manage modern data sources across eDiscovery, investigations, and compliance, visit our modern data page.