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      How to Set Up Your Domain Email with Google Apps
      by Crystal Collins on February 22, 2013

      Have you been wanting to set up your own domain email addresses, but weren’t sure how to get started?  With Google Apps you can do this for as little as $5 a month, and it’s really easy to set it up.  Having your own @yourdomain.com email address looks very professional when dealing with pr, media and brands, so it’s a good idea to get this set up.  Here’s how to get it done in just a few steps:

      Step One: Start out at Google Apps HERE.

      google apps

      Step Two: Click on the “Start Free Trial” button.

      Step Three: Go through the registration process (easy so far right?).

      Google Apps Email Step Three

      Step Four: Once you have completed the registration process, you need to verify that you own the domain.  You can do this through the following options:

      1. Add a DNS record to your domain configuration.
      2. Link to your Google Analytics account if you are already set up there.
      3. Upload an HTML file to your server.
      4. Add a meta tag to your site’s home page.

      Google Apps Email Step Four-3

      I chose number four, because it was the easiest thing to do with Thesis open hook.  Just grab the meta tag, and insert it into the WP Head section of Thesis Open Hook.  If you don’t have Thesis open hook, insert this into the <head> section before the first <body> section, under Editor in the WordPress Dashboard.  Once you verify with Google, you can remove the meta tag.

      Step Five: Now it is time to activate your email.  Scroll down and under Email click on “Activate Email.”

      Google Apps Email Step Five

      Step Six: Select your host site from the drop down menu to get instructions for changing your MX records.  Log into your host, and follow the steps through completely.   Then click on “I have completed these steps” at the bottom.

      Google Apps Email Step Five-2

      Once you have completed changing the MX records, bookmark your Google Apps homepage and it’s time to sit back, relax and wait on google to check the MX records (takes about 48 hours).

      Google Apps Email Step Five-3

      Step Seven: Now we come to the best part.  Once your MX records are official and correct, go to your Google Apps home page and sign in.  Click on “Organization and Users” on the top navigation menu, and then “Create New User.”  Add the name and email that you want, and continue to do this for as many emails as you wish to set up (up to 50 with this free version of google apps). Click on “Email Instructions” after creating a user to email the login information to whoever you created the email address for.

      Google Apps Email Step Six

      You will be able to log into your email at http://mail.google.com/a/YOURDOMAINHERE/.

      See how easy that was?  Now go get set up, and come back to tell us how savvy you are with your gmail!

      Crystal blogs at TheThriftyMama.com and WomanFuze.com.  Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

: Leave a Comment

  • Marci Loehner on February 21, 2011 at 3:55 pm
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    Oh Crystal Thank You for saving me soooo much time! I recently switched servers and was using my old host just so I would have email!!!! Thank you for this!

  • Crystal Collins on February 21, 2011 at 4:05 pm
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    You’re very welcome! Glad you’re gonna save some money now!

  • Brandy Astwoos on February 21, 2011 at 6:24 pm
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    Thank you! You rock!!!
    This was a great resource. I just recently expanded my business to offer frugal business development and I was thrilled to add this post to my list of resources!

  • Stacy @ Delighting in the Days on February 21, 2011 at 7:34 pm
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    This has been on my list of things to to for so long. I kept putting it off because I didn’t know how. Now I do. Thanks so much!

  • Melissa on February 21, 2011 at 10:11 pm
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    When I put my domain name in. It says, “This domain has already been registered with Google Apps. Please contact your domain administrator for instructions on using Google Apps with this domain. ” Anyw ay around this?

  • Crystal Collins on February 22, 2011 at 10:57 am
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    Melissa – It may already be registered with google apps if you started out on blogger, and bought your domain through blogger. If you did that, then you are already halfway there. just log into google apps with the information you used when registering your domain.

    • frugalapolis on February 27, 2011 at 8:17 pm
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      I get the same error message and saw your response that we are already halfway there. “This domain has already been registered with Google Apps. Please contact your domain administrator for instructions on using Google Apps with this domain. ”

      So if I registered with Godaddy.com do I have to go log in there and figure out what to do?

  • Steve on February 24, 2011 at 3:04 pm
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    That is awesome!

  • Melissa on March 04, 2011 at 12:01 am
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    Thanks for this just set up my blog! :)

  • Tammerly @ Pink Diva's Beauty Spot on April 03, 2011 at 3:19 am
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    Hi there,
    I don’t know if you can help me but I am lost… I cannot do this on crazydomains.com.au as I don’t know how.
    Does anyone know? Thanks so much

  • Dina Kyle on April 11, 2011 at 2:16 pm
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    I can not find the FREE ONE, can someone help me. It keeps coming up to pay 10.00 a yr :(

    Thanks
    D

  • Vanessa on April 15, 2011 at 12:50 pm
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    Hi – I am trying to set this up but its asking me for credit card info. am I supose to put that in ? and when do I cancel s0 I dont get charged ?

    • Crystal Collins on April 15, 2011 at 9:12 pm
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      No you are not. You should be using the free version, and it doesn’t require you to put a CC in.

      • chukky on April 07, 2012 at 4:48 am
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        Pls how can i use the free version

        • Crystal Collins on April 07, 2012 at 5:54 pm
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          Hello! You should be able to use the free version through the link provided in the post.

  • Jessica Alexandra on August 01, 2011 at 9:00 pm
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    I get the same error message. “This domain has already been registered with Google Apps. Please contact your domain administrator for instructions on using Google Apps with this domain. ” I saw your response but I don’t understand how to get pass this issue. Can you please help?
    Jessica

  • Lindsey on August 19, 2011 at 9:12 pm
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    I just followed your instructions and am all set up! Thank you so much! I used the DNS option to verify my ownership as nothing else would work. I can’t wait to see what else I can do to savvily manage my blog :)

  • Beverly on December 29, 2011 at 11:21 am
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    I have not been able to get my Website working as I would like, my domain administrator has been difficult to connect with. My page is still blank, I am using my own Template for opening page but no success. What am I not doing?

  • Arun on March 28, 2012 at 2:04 pm
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    I purchased my domain from bigrock India. First I made it to work with blogger (by adding 4 A records and 1 Cname record). It was working fine.

    Then I signed up for google apps. Added 5 MX entries and 4 Cname records in DNS of the same domain.

    But immediately my blogger website was not loading. But Google apps was working fine. I was able to receive or send email etc,. Then I deleted those MX entries and Cname records added for Google apps and deleted my account on Google apps.

    Then again my site came alive. Is there any mismatch between these two.

  • Kevin Craft on April 09, 2012 at 9:43 am
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    If anyone is interested, I’ve recorded a step-by-step video that shows you exactly how to do this here: http://wordpressadvisors.com/2012/02/how-to-configure-e-mail-hosting-e-g-my-namemy-domain-com/

  • Laura on May 07, 2012 at 10:57 pm
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    Thanks so much for the useful post! I used this to setup my domain email account about a year ago.
    Has this changed over the past year though (besides changing from 50 users to 10)? I’m trying to help another business set this up and when I click the link I’m brought to a page that reads “Try Google Apps for Business for Free. Wondering how online communication and collaboration tools might help your business? You don’t even need a credit card to try Google Apps for Business. It’s free for 30 days for up to 10 users – just fill out this quick form to create your account.”
    Does this mean you can only “try” the free version for 30 days before needing to purchase Google Apps for Business? Or have they changed the web page for the free, non-trial version that I signed up for last year for my site? Thanks Crystal & Savvy Blogging Team!

    • Camille on May 09, 2012 at 1:47 am
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      I had the same issue. They have BURIED the free site. If you go ahead and push to start the free trial, put in the domain name and scroll down to the terms — you will see “pricing options”. Click on that and you can find the free option.

  • margaret on June 20, 2012 at 10:58 am
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    I’ve set the meta data on my host site and I can log into my ‘gmail’ email – art@margaretwithers.com yet I’m not receiving email. I can send email to this address with no errors. But they don’t appear anywhere in my mail (checked all places/folders, filters, etc). I did get the welcome to gmail emails from google but that’s it.

    Any idea on why I can’t see/receive email?

    • Crystal Collins on June 22, 2012 at 10:05 am
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      I would recommend you double check all the steps one more time to make sure everything is correct. If it is and you’re still not getting mail, it may be time to contact Google or have a tech person help you out. klongdesigns.com could probably help you out.

  • Cory on August 10, 2012 at 8:09 pm
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    Stupid question (going to set up a domain for…”fun/experimental” purposes so trying to make it as cheap as possible):
    Can I do this for any domain that I register from anywhere? Do I have to register my domain through a specific company for this to work?

  • Cory on August 10, 2012 at 8:12 pm
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    Sorry for double post but since I haven’t got my domain yet, any recommendations for who I should go through? If I want email should I just registerthrough google apps (or whoever I go through from there) to make it easier or just find the cheapest I can find?

  • Mike Shepherd on August 28, 2012 at 2:53 pm
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    Hi, I was just searching for answers about this and appreciate your info here.

    I currently have multiple email addresses associated with my domain and would like to get have them all running off of gmail’s servers rather than the web-host, just for safety in the event my host’s server ever goes down.

    A question… I access my email from multiple locations using POP – i.e. my email clients on various computers log-in to the host-webmail inbox and retrieves that mail. I have all email clients set to “not leave mail on Server” – With the set up you describe, can i configure my various email clients (such as Thunderbird) to receive/send after setting this up on Gmail’s servers – the same way i currently can with my webhost-server email access? Thanks!

    Mike in Michigan

    • Crystal Collins on September 06, 2012 at 11:46 am
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      Yes you can do that Mike. You will just have to change your Thunderbird settings onces you’ve got everything set up.

  • Shirley Hollis on October 21, 2012 at 5:36 am
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    Thank you SOOOO much for this info. I was not forward to setting up e-mail accoutns using my domain name but the help from this post & Laura’s link made it so easy

  • slmka on October 21, 2012 at 11:49 pm
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    Thanks for the great info. Been owning my blog for almost 2 yrs and never realize there is a free email account behind it.

    Thanks for the great tip !!

  • Ralph on November 16, 2012 at 12:08 am
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    The link for a free gmail domain is outdated :(

  • Amanda on November 29, 2012 at 11:36 am
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    Thank you so much for this! My boss is grateful as well!

  • Mayank on December 03, 2012 at 7:53 am
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    Is google apps completely free now or we need to pay for it.

  • Damir on December 07, 2012 at 11:43 am
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    Hi there,

    Could someone help me with the following issue, I’ve looked everywhere.

    If I move to Google apps business can I cancel my current email hosting (I own the web domain and it’s hosted by a different company) and move to Google apps or do you need to maintain a separate email hosting to make Google apps work?

    Don’t want to jump into anything and find out I’ve got problems.

    Thanks

    • Crystal Collins on December 10, 2012 at 11:20 am
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      You do not need a separate email hosting in order to use google apps. You do however need your site to be self-hosted.

  • Elias Hedberg on January 09, 2013 at 8:15 am
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    It’s worth noting that since December 6 last year (2012), Google Apps is paid-only: http://support.google.com/a/bin/answer.py?hl=en&topic=29190&ctx=topic&answer=2855120

  • Elias Hedberg on January 09, 2013 at 8:16 am
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    Since Dec 6 you need to pay for it, but there is a free 30-day trial.