Use custom domain with gmail

The joys of using a custom domain with Gmail!

To use a custom domain with Gmail, you'll need to set up a few things. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

Prerequisites:

  1. You have a custom domain (e.g., example.com) registered with a registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap).
  2. You have a Gmail account (e.g., [yourname]@gmail.com).

Step 1: Verify your domain

  1. Log in to your Google Admin console (https://admin.google.com/).
  2. Click on "Domains" and then "Add a domain".
  3. Enter your custom domain (e.g., example.com) and click "Add".
  4. Follow the instructions to verify your domain ownership. You can do this by:
    • Creating a TXT record in your domain's DNS settings.
    • Uploading an HTML file to your website.
    • Using a third-party verification service (e.g., Google's Domain Verification Tool).

Step 2: Set up MX records

  1. Log in to your domain registrar's control panel (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap).
  2. Find the DNS settings for your domain (e.g., example.com).
  3. Update the MX records to point to Google's mail servers:
    • MX record 1: priority 5, mail server: aspmx.l.google.com
    • MX record 2: priority 10, mail server: alt1.aspmx.l.google.com
    • MX record 3: priority 20, mail server: alt2.aspmx.l.google.com
    • MX record 4: priority 30, mail server: alt3.aspmx.l.google.com
    • MX record 5: priority 40, mail server: alt4.aspmx.l.google.com

Step 3: Set up SPF and DKIM records

  1. Log in to your domain registrar's control panel.
  2. Find the DNS settings for your domain.
  3. Update the SPF record to prevent spam:
    • TXT record: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
  4. Update the DKIM record to authenticate your domain:
    • TXT record: k=rsa; p=

Step 4: Configure Gmail

  1. Log in to your Google Admin console.
  2. Click on "Users" and then "Add a user".
  3. Enter the email address you want to use with your custom domain (e.g., [yourname]@example.com).
  4. Set the "Primary email address" to the custom domain email address.
  5. Click "Save" to save the changes.

Step 5: Test your setup

  1. Send an email from your custom domain email address (e.g., [yourname]@example.com) to a test email address (e.g., [test]@gmail.com).
  2. Check if the email is delivered successfully.

That's it! You should now be able to use your custom domain with Gmail. If you encounter any issues, feel free to ask, and I'll do my best to help you troubleshoot.