Google Workspace Mail Management: Account Delegation and "Send Mail As"

This document provides complete, step-by-step instructions for allowing team members (user1@teamwebmarketers.ca and user2@teamwebmarketers.ca) to manage and send emails on behalf of a departmental address (sales-group@teamwebmarketers.ca).

It covers both Native Mail Delegation (switching inboxes seamlessly) and SMTP "Send Mail As" Setup (sending directly from a personal inbox).

Phase 1: Google Admin Console Preparation

Before users can share access or configure SMTP aliases, an administrator must enable the necessary permissions globally.

Step 1: Enable Mail Delegation

1. Log in to the Google Admin Console using administrator credentials.
2. Navigate to Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail > User Settings.
3. Locate Mail delegation and check the box for "Let users delegate access to their mailbox to other users in the domain".
4. Click Save.

Step 2: Enable Per-User Outbound Gateways (Fixes SMTP Errors)

If users receive an error stating they "must send emails through teamwebmarketers.ca SMTP servers" when adding an alias, this setting is required.

1. Still in the Admin Console, navigate to Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail > End User Access.
2. Locate Allow per-user outbound gateways and click the edit (pencil) icon.
3. Check the box labeled "Allow users to send mail through an external SMTP server when configuring a 'From' address hosted outside your email domain".
4. Click Save.

⚠️ Important Propagation Note: Global admin setting changes can take between 15 minutes and 24 hours to take effect domain-wide. If steps in Phase 2 or 3 fail immediately, please wait and try again later.

Phase 2: Native Mail Delegation (Recommended)

Native delegation allows users to read, organize, and reply to emails by switching into the sales-group@ inbox without needing passwords or SMTP configurations.

Step 1: Grant Access from the Department Account

1. Log into Gmail using the credentials for sales-group@teamwebmarketers.ca.
2. Click the Settings (gear) icon in the top-right corner and select See all settings.
3. Click the Accounts (or Accounts and Import) tab.
4. Under the "Grant access to your account" section, click Add another account.
5. Enter user1@teamwebmarketers.ca, click Next Step, and then Send email to grant access.
6. Repeat this process to add user2@teamwebmarketers.ca.

Step 2: Accept the Invitation & Access the Inbox

1. Have user1@ and user2@ open their own respective inboxes.
2. Open the automated confirmation email from Google and click the verification link inside.
3. To access the delegated mailbox, the user clicks their Profile Avatar in the top-right corner of their Gmail.
4. Select sales-group@teamwebmarketers.ca (delegated) from the drop-down menu. The inbox will open in a new tab.