---
title: Setting Up Delegated or Shared Mailboxes in Google Workspace
description: "For a general company email address (e.g., `info@example.com`, `support@example.com`) that multiple people need to access and manage, Google Workspace offers two primary methods: Gmail Delegation and Google Groups (as a Collaborative Inbox). ### A. Gmail Delegation: With Gmail Delegation, one…"
url: "https://digital.attachex.com/docs/setting-up-delegated-or-shared-mailboxes-in-google-workspace/"
updated: "2025-05-17"
category: Setting up Google Workspace
---

# Setting Up Delegated or Shared Mailboxes in Google Workspace

For a general company email address (e.g., `info@example.com`, `support@example.com`) that multiple people need to access and manage, Google Workspace offers two primary methods: Gmail Delegation and Google Groups (as a Collaborative Inbox).

### A. Gmail Delegation:

With Gmail Delegation, one user account "owns" the mailbox (e.g., a dedicated user account for `info@example.com`, or an existing user like a manager), and this user can delegate access to other users within the organisation. Delegated users can read, send, and delete messages on behalf of the main account.

1. **Primary Account Holder Sets Up Delegation:**
   - The user whose mailbox will be delegated (e.g., the person logged in as `info@example.com`, or if `info@` is an alias for an existing user, that user logs in) opens their Gmail.
   - Go to **Settings** (Gear icon) > **See all settings**.
   - Navigate to the **Accounts and Import** (or sometimes just **Accounts**) tab.
   - In the "Grant access to your account" section, click **Add another account**.
   - Enter the email address of the colleague who needs access (e.g., `user.b@example.com`) and click **Next Step**.
   - A confirmation dialogue will appear. Click **Send email to grant access**.
2. **Delegate Accepts the Request:**
   - The colleague (`user.b@example.com`) will receive an email with a confirmation link. They must click this link to accept the delegation request.
   - It might take up to 30 minutes (sometimes longer) for the delegation to fully activate.
3. **Accessing the Delegated Mailbox:**
   - Once active, the delegate (`user.b@example.com`) can access the delegated mailbox by clicking their own profile picture in the top right corner of Gmail. They will see the delegated account listed (e.g., "Delegated (info@example.com)") and can click it to open that mailbox in a new tab or window.
   - When sending from the delegated mailbox, the "From" address will show the primary account's address (e.g., `info@example.com`), and it may also indicate "sent by [delegate's name/email]".

**Pros of Delegation:** Simple to set up for one or two additional users accessing an existing mailbox.

**Cons of Delegation:** Still tied to one primary user's account for ultimate ownership and settings. Less ideal for true team-based management of a shared address.

### B. Google Groups (as a Collaborative Inbox - Often Recommended):

This method involves creating a Google Group with the desired shared email address (e.g., `info@example.com`). Emails sent to this address arrive in a shared, web-based inbox that all group members can access and manage collaboratively.

1. **Administrator Creates the Google Group:**
   - As a Google Workspace administrator, go to the Google Admin console (`admin.google.com`).
   - Navigate to **Directory > Groups**.
   - Click **Create group**.
   - **Group name:** Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Company Information," "Support Team").
   - **Group email:** Enter the desired shared email address (e.g., `info@example.com`).
   - **Group description:** Optional, but can be helpful.
   - **Group owners:** Add appropriate users (e.g., yourself as admin, a team manager).
   - **Access type / Labels:** For the group type, ensure you select options that enable it as a **Collaborative Inbox**. This is a key setting.
   - **Access Settings (Crucial):**
     - **Who can post messages to the group:** For an `info@` address, this is typically set to `Anyone on the web` or `External` so that people outside your organisation can send emails to it.
     - **Who can join the group:** Usually `Only invited users` or `Anyone in the organisation can ask`.
     - **Who can view conversations:** Typically `Group members`.
     - **Who can view members:** Usually `Group members` or `Group owners/managers`.
   - **Add Members:** Add the users (e.g., Rosie, Ben) who need to manage emails sent to `info@example.com` as members of the group. Set their subscription preferences (e.g., "Each email" if they want notifications, or they can manage via the Groups interface).
   - Click **Create Group**.
2. **Using the Collaborative Inbox:**
   - Members can access the shared inbox by going to Google Groups (`groups.google.com`) and selecting the group.
   - Within the collaborative inbox, members can:
     - Read incoming messages.
     - Assign conversations to specific members for follow-up.
     - Mark conversations as complete or resolved.
     - Use labels or tags to organise conversations.
     - Reply to messages. When replying, they can typically choose to reply from the group's email address (`info@example.com`) or from their individual work email address.

**Pros of Google Groups as Collaborative Inbox:** True shared ownership of the email address and its contents. Better for team-based tracking, assignment, and resolution of communications. More scalable for larger teams. Not tied to an individual user's account leaving the company.

**Cons of Google Groups:** Users interact with it via the Google Groups interface, which is different from their standard Gmail inbox, requiring a slight adjustment.

For most scenarios requiring a shared company email address like `info@` or `support@`, using a **Google Group configured as a Collaborative Inbox** is the more robust and recommended solution in Google Workspace.