Google Workspace · Email setup
Google Workspace email on your own domain.
Professional email like you@yourcompany.com takes about half an hour to set up. Here are the records to add, where to add them, and how to check it works.
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Quick answer
Sign up, verify your domain with a TXT record, then point email to Google with one MX record: smtp.google.com, priority 1. Finish with SPF, DKIM and DMARC so your messages are trusted. Most changes work within an hour.
Before you start
- Access to your domain's DNS, usually where you bought it, or a DNS service like Cloudflare.
- A plan for current email. If people already email you at this domain, switch at a quiet time and move old mail afterwards.
- A list of mailboxes. Each person is a paid user. Shared addresses like info@ can be free aliases or groups.
Seven steps
Sign up and choose a plan
Pick Business Starter, Standard or Plus and enter the domain you own. The first 14 days are free.
Verify the domain
Add the TXT record Google gives you (it starts with google-site-verification=) with host @, then click Verify.
Create users
Add people in Admin console, Directory, Users. Add aliases or a Google Group for shared addresses.
Point email to Google
Delete old MX records, then add one MX record: host @, value smtp.google.com, priority 1.
Add SPF
Add a TXT record at @: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all. If you already have an SPF record, merge them into one.
Turn on DKIM
In Admin console, Gmail, Authenticate email, generate a record, add it as TXT at google._domainkey, then start authentication.
Add DMARC
Add a TXT record at _dmarc: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:you@yourcompany.com. Tighten it once reports look clean.
All records in one table
| Purpose | Type | Host | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verify domain | TXT | @ | google-site-verification=… (from Google) |
| Receive email | MX | @ | smtp.google.com (priority 1) |
| SPF | TXT | @ | v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all |
| DKIM | TXT | google._domainkey | v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=… (from Admin console) |
| DMARC | TXT | _dmarc | v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:you@yourcompany.com |
Older setups use five MX records (ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM and ALT1 to ALT4). They still work; new setups only need smtp.google.com.
Check it works
Send a test email to and from an outside address, then run our free domain health check to confirm MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC are in place.
Questions
FAQ
- How long does setup take?
- About 30 minutes of work. DNS changes usually take effect within an hour.
- Do I need new MX records if I already use the five old ones?
- No. The older five-record setup still works.
- Can I keep my old email during the switch?
- Yes. Plan the MX change for a quiet time, then copy old mail across with Google's data migration tool.
- Is shared email like info@ a paid user?
- It doesn't have to be. Make it an alias of one person, or a Google Group that delivers to several people.
Want it set up for you?
We set up Google Workspace for businesses across EMEA and the Gulf: domain, users, email migration, security and training.