Add a user alias domain or secondary domain

Add domains to your Google Workspace account

If you own another domain, you can add it to your Google Workspace or Cloud Identity account. For example, you might manage multiple businesses or brands, each with their own domain. Depending on your needs, you add a domain as a user alias domain or a secondary domain.

If you try to add a domain that includes "gmail" in its name,  it won’t be accepted. For example, if you try to add a domain such as xxgmailxx.com, you’ll get an error.

Give users an email address at another domain	OR	Manage separate teams of users or businesses at different domains

Users get email addresses at both domains.			You have different users for each domain.
Users can send and receive email from either address			A user gets a Google Workspace account, email address, and mailbox for their domain
No extra cost per user			Pay for each user account that you add to your secondary domain*

* Except for organizations with Education Fundamentals edition

Help me choose

More about user alias domains & secondary domains

About user alias domains

Give users an email alias at another domain

For example, you signed up for Google Workspace with your-company.com (your primary domain). You own the domain other-company.com and add it as a user alias domain.

• Each user gets an email address at both your primary domain and the user alias domain.

• Everyone can send and receive email from either address.

  	Ann's address	[e-mail]
  	Ann's email alias	[e-mail]

• Each mailing group also gets an email address at the user alias domain. For example, if you have [e-mail], you automatically get [e-mail].
• No extra cost per user or group. Add up to 20 user alias domains to your Google Workspace account.

Note: A user's alias address might be visible to other users. For example, if a recipient searches Gmail for messages from Ann, search results might include messages from [e-mail] and [e-mail].

Learn more in the FAQand Limitations with multiple domains.

If you manage a large organization: Your users might have a personal Google Account that already uses the domain. When you add the user alias domain, those users' accounts are automatically renamed. All data in the accounts remains outside of your organization’s management. To find users with accounts, first add the domain as a secondary domain. The list of accounts is generated within 24 hours. Learn more about conflicting accounts.

About secondary domains

For separate teams at different domains

For example, you signed up for Google Workspace with your-company.com (your primary domain). You manage a team that has their own domain, other-company.com. You add other-company.com as a secondary domain to your Google Workspace account.

• Each of your domains has a different set of users
• Users get a Google Workspace account, email address, and mailbox for their domain
• Pay for each user account (except for organizations with Education Fundamentals edition)
• Manage all domains and users in the Admin console for your primary domain
• Add up to 599 secondary domains
• You can add a user alias domain to a secondary domain (requires the Directory API). Or switch the secondary domain to be the primary domain for your Google Workspace account. Learn more

Important: Some information and features are linked only to your primary domain. For example, you can't set up a separate billing address or company logo for a secondary domain.

Learn more in the FAQand Limitations with multiple domains.

Add a domain to your account

1. Sign in with an administrator account to the Google Admin console.

   If you aren’t using an administrator account, you can’t access the Admin console.

2. Go to Menu  Account > Domains > Manage domains.

   Requires having the Domain settings administrator privilege.

3. In Manage domains, click Add a domain.

   

   Note: If you have the legacy free edition of G Suite, the "Add a domain" option isn't available.

4. Enter the name of the domain you're adding.

   If you recently removed this domain from your Google Workspace account, you need to wait up to 24 hours before adding the domain. Check troubleshooting tips.

5. Select a domain type:
   • Secondary domain
     • if you plan to replace your primary domain with this new domain. 
     • if you want to add a new domain for a separate team or business unit.
   • User alias domain:
     • if you want to add email aliases (alternate email addresses) for your existing users. Google Workspace will automatically create aliases after you've added the domain.

6. Click Add and start verification.

   Follow the instructions to verify that you own the domain.

7. If you want to use Gmail with this domain, return to Manage Domains after your domain is verified. Find the new domain and click Activate Gmail.

   

   Follow the instructions to set up Gmail for your new domain.

Start using your new domain

Send and receive messages with your alternate email address

Once your user alias domain is active, users can use their new alternate email addresses to send and receive messages.

Tip: Share instructions with your users.

How your email address and alias work together

• People can share files with either your email address or alias address.
• You sign in your Google Workspace account with your email address.
• You can create documents and files only with your email address
• Google Calendar invites and sharing invites are sent only from your email address.

Send messages from your alias address

To send message, add your alias address to your Gmail account.

1. On your computer, open Gmail.
2. In the top right, click Settings Settings.
3. Click the Accounts and Import or Accounts tab.
4. In the "Send mail as" section, click Add another email address.
5. Enter your name and your alias address.
6. Check the Treat as an alias box.
7. Click Next Step and follow the confirmation steps.

When you send a message in Gmail, click From to select your alias address.

Receive messages at your alias address

Messages sent to your alias address automatically arrive in your inbox. To test, send a message from another account (not your Google Workspace account) to your new alias.

If you don't receive the test message within 48-72 hours, contact your domain host. They can check whether your domain verification and MX records (for email) are set up correctly.

Add users and email addresses to your secondary domain

Once your secondary domain is active:

1. Follow the steps to add user accounts in the secondary domain.
2. After you enter the user's Primary address, you choose the domain. At the right of the @ sign, click the Down arrow and select the user's domain.
   
   

For tips on managing users accounts, go to Limitations with multiple domains.

Related topics

• Give a user an additional "email alias" address (sales@)
• Change your primary domain
• Adding a domain vs. signing up for another account