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How to create a Gmail account and use it for business emails on your own domain

Introduction

This guide explains how to create a Gmail account and use it for business emails on your own domain. This allows you to use all the features of Gmail for your existing business email address without having to pay for the G Suite.

This guide assumes that you want to use Gmail for sending and receiving all business emails, and that you’ll update any email applications on your devices (e.g. Mail on your Mac) to use Gmail. This is much easier to do before you start actively using the email address.

Requirements

  1. A mobile phone.
  2. Access to the existing email account on your domain.
  3. The SMTP and POP3 addresses and ports for the existing email account on your domain. If you don’t have an account (or don’t have the details), and the email for your domain is managed via cPanel, see How to create an email account in cPanel.

Skill Level

Intermediate knowledge of email accounts.

Instructions

Time needed: 5 minutes.

  1. Go to the Google Accounts page.

    Go to https://accounts.google.com/.
    If you’re already logged in with another Google Account, log out.

  2. Choose create an account.

    Click Create account and select either For myself or To manage my business.
    Click Next.Google Create account drop down and Next button - screenshot

  3. Complete the Create your Google Account step.

    Fill in the First name, Last name, Username, Password and Confirm fields.
    Click Next.First name, Last name, Username, Password and Confirm fields and Next button - screenshot

  4. Start the Verifying your phone number step.

    In the country drop down, select the country your phone is in.
    In the Phone number field enter your mobile number.
    Click Next.Country drop down, Phone number field and Next button - screenshot

  5. Complete the Verifying your phone number step.

    In the Enter verification code field enter the code which was texted to your phone.
    Click Verify.Enter verification code field and Verify button - screenshot

  6. Complete the Welcome to Google step.

    Fill in the country drop down and Phone number (optional), Recovery email address (optional), Your date of birth and Gender fields.
    Click Next.Welcome to Google fields - screenshot

  7. Complete the Get more from your number step.

    Click Skip or Yes, I’m in.Skip and Yes, I'm in buttons - screenshot

  8. Review the Options in the Google Terms of Service.

    Click More Options.
    Click the relevant options (e.g. for Web & App Activity).More Options button and Web & App Activity radio buttons - screenshot

  9. Complete the Google Terms of Service step.

    Read the document.
    Tick I agree to the Google Terms of Service and I agree to the processing of my information as described above and further explained in the Privacy Policy.
    Click Create Account.Google Terms of Service tick boxes and Create Account button - screenshot

  10. If prompted, click Confirm.

    Confirm button - screenshot

  11. Go to Gmail.

    Go to https://mail.google.com/.

  12. Complete the Welcome steps.

    In the Welcome popup, click Next then OK.Gmail Welcome popup - screenshot

  13. Go to Accounts and Import in Settings.

    Click the cog icon at the top right and select Settings then Accounts and Import. This is usually https://mail.google.com/mail/#settings/accountsCog icon and Accounts and Import tab - screenshot

  14. Add another email address.

    In the Send mail as section, click Add another email address.Add another email address link - screenshot

  15. Complete the Enter information about your other email address step

    In the popup, fill in the Name and Email address fields.
    Tick Treat as an alias.
    Click Next Step.Name and Email address fields, Treat as an alias tick box and Next Step button - screenshot

  16. Complete the Send emails through your SMTP server step.

    In the SMTP Server, Username and Password fields enter the relevant details for the existing email account on your domain.
    In the Port drop down, select the relevant option for the existing email account on your domain.
    Select Secured connection using TLS (recommended). If this doesn’t work, you’ll see an error message and be able to change it to Secured connection using SSL.
    Click Add Account.Send emails through your SMTP server fields - screenshot

  17. Complete the Confirm verification and add your email address step.

    Click the verification link in the email sent to the existing email account on your domain.
    If this isn’t possible, in the Enter and verify the confirmation code field, enter the code in the same email and click Verify.Enter and verify the confirmation code field and Verify button - screenshot

  18. Make the new email address the default.

    In the Send mail as section, next to the email address you’ve just added, click make default.Make default link - screenshot

  19. Click Always reply from default address.

    Always reply from default address radio button - screenshot

  20. Add an email account.

    In the Check email from other accounts section, click Add an email account.

  21. Complete the Enter the email address that you would like to add step.

    In the Email address field, enter the email address of the existing account on your domain.
    Click Next.Email address field and Next button - screenshot

  22. Complete the Gmailify step.

    Select the relevant option (if available) and click Next.Gmailify step - screenshot

  23. Complete the Enter the mail settings step.

    In the Username, Password and POP Server fields enter the relevant details for the existing email account on your domain.
    As required, tick or untick the Leave a copy of retrieved message on the server, Always use a secure connection (SSL), Label incoming messages and Archive incoming messages options.
    Click Add Account.
    At this point, Gmail will start transferring any emails from the inbox on your existing email account. If you have unticked Leave a copy of retrieved message on the server, the emails will be removed from that account.Enter the mail settings step - screenshot

More Info

  1. Send emails from a different address or alias guide: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/22370
  2. Check emails from other accounts guide: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/21289

Next Steps

Now that you’ve created a Gmail account for business emails on your own domain, you can access it via an email application on your device (e.g. Mail on you Mac). To do this, see https://support.google.com/mail/answer/7126229