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

This document provides complete, step-by-step instructions for allowing team members ([email protected] and [email protected]) to manage and send emails on behalf of a departmental address ([email protected]).

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 [email protected].
  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 [email protected], click Next Step, and then Send email to grant access.
  6. Repeat this process to add [email protected].

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 [email protected] (delegated) from the drop-down menu. The inbox will open in a new tab.

Phase 3: "Send Mail As" via SMTP (Alternative)

If users prefer to send emails as sales-group@ directly from their own primary inbox (rather than switching tabs), you must configure SMTP settings.

Step 1: Generate an App Password for the Department Account

Google requires a secure App Password to authenticate the SMTP connection. This must be generated from the account granting access.

  1. Log into myaccount.google.com as [email protected].
  2. Navigate to the Security tab on the left menu.
  3. Ensure 2-Step Verification is turned ON.
  4. Search for App passwords within the Security settings.
  5. Create a new App Password (e.g., name it "User1 SMTP Access") and copy the generated 16-character code.

💡 Rule of Thumb: Always generate the App Password from the account whose email address is in the "Username" field of the SMTP setup.

Step 2: Configure the User Account

  1. Log into the personal Gmail account (e.g., [email protected]).
  2. Go to Settings (gear icon) > See all settings > Accounts.
  3. Under Send mail as, click Add another email address.
  4. Enter [email protected] (uncheck "Treat as an alias" if preferred) and click Next Step.
  5. Enter the following SMTP credentials when prompted:
SMTP Server: smtp.gmail.com
Port: 587 (TLS) or 465 (SSL)
Username: [email protected]
Password: [Paste the 16-character App Password generated in Step 1]
  1. Click Add Account.
  2. Finally, complete the verification process by clicking the link sent to the sales-group@ inbox.