Let users automatically forward their own Gmail emails

As a Google Workspace admin, you can choose to let people in your organization set up forwarding in their own Gmail account. They might want to forward their mail to their personal email account, or to another colleague while they go on vacation. To allow this, turn on automatic forwarding in your Google Admin console.

To use this option, senders and recipients must have a Google Workspace license because the forwarded messages pass through their Gmail account.

Step 1: Turn on automatic forwarding for your organization 

You can turn this option on or off in your Google Admin console. It’s on by default. When this setting is off, the forwarding option isn't available in Gmail settings.

Before you begin: To apply the setting for certain users, put their accounts in an organizational unit.

1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

   Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

2. In the Admin console, go to Menu  AppsGoogle WorkspaceGmailEnd User Access.
3. To apply the setting to everyone, leave the top organizational unit selected. Otherwise, select a child organizational unit.
4. Click Automatic forwardinguncheck the Allow users to automatically forward email to another address box.
5. Click Save. If you configured a child organizational unit, you might be able to Inherit or Override a parent organizational unit's settings.

Step 2: Users can set up automatic forwarding

When automatic forwarding is on, people in your organization can set up forwarding for their Gmail account in their own Gmail settings. This method lets users control and change where their messages are forwarded. They can set up only one forwarding address.

When new messages are forwarded, messages from spam won't be included. To forward only certain types of messages, your users can create filters in their Gmail account. 

Steps for users

1. On your computer, open Gmail using the account you want to forward messages from. You can only forward messages for a single Gmail address, and not an email group or alias.
2. In the top right, click Settings   See all settings. 
3. Click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
4. In the "Forwarding" section, click Add a forwarding address.
5. Enter the email address you want to forward messages to.
6. Click Next Proceed OK.
7. A verification message will be sent to that address. Click the verification link in that message.
8. Go back to the settings page for the Gmail account you want to forward messages from, and refresh your browser.
9. Click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
10. In the "Forwarding" section, select Forward a copy of incoming mail to.
11. Choose what you want to happen with the Gmail copy of your emails. We recommend Keep Gmail's copy in the Inbox.
12. At the bottom of the page, click Save Changes.

Turn off automatic forwarding

1. On your computer, open Gmail using the account you want to stop forwarding messages from.
2. In the top right, click Settings   See all settings. 
3. Click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
4. In the "Forwarding" section, click Disable forwarding.
5. At the bottom, click Save Changes.

Next steps

To check messages forwarded by people in your organization, use Email Log Search.

Related topics 

• Redirect or forward one user's Gmails to another user
• Let users delegate access to a Gmail account
• Add or delete an alternate email address (email alias)