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.