How to Add a Domain to Google Workspace

There are several reasons why you might need to add a new domain to your Google Workspace account. While adding at least one domain is required when first setting up your account, you may need to add more later in situations such as:

• Rebranding or changing your company name
• Acquiring a secondary domain for specific teams or departments
• Managing multiple brands under a single Google Workspace account
• Merging with another company that uses a different domain
• Expanding into new regions with localized domain names

This guide will walk you through the process of adding a new domain to Google Workspace, verifying ownership, configuring settings, and even changing your primary domain if necessary.

‍

Adding a Domain

‍

To add a new domain to the existing account, follow these steps:

‍

1. Log in to the Google Admin Console using the account with the Super Admin role assigned.

‍

2. Navigate to Account > Domains > Manage Domains. Here, you’ll see a list of all the domains currently associated with your Google Workspace account.

The Google Admin Console is open, showing the navigation path Account > Domains > Manage Domains, highlighting where to manage and add domains.

‍

3.  On the Manage Domains page, select the Add a Domain button.

4. The Add a Domain wizard will open. On this page, you need to enter the domain name and choose the domain type. Google Workspace provides two options:

• Secondary domain - This is the best choice if you plan to replace your primary domain with this one in the future. It is also suitable when adding a domain for a separate team or business unit.
• User alias domain - Select this option if you want to create alternate email addresses for existing users. When enabled, Google Workspace automatically generates email aliases for all users without requiring manual setup.

Once you've made your selection, click Add Domain and Start Verification to proceed.

The Add a Domain wizard displays fields to enter the domain name and choose its type, guiding users through the setup process in Google Workspace.

‍

5. The Next step is to verify the domain ownership. On the Domain Setup wizard, press the Get Started button.

‍

The Domain Setup wizard's first page in Google Workspace is displayed, with the "Get Started" button highlighted for beginning the domain verification process.

‍

You will be provided with a verification TXT record. To complete the verification, you will need to go to the domain DNS zone, which is usually managed from the domain registrar (such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Cloudflare) website. There, you need to create a new TXT record with the value provided by Google, then wait for some time (it may vary from 15 minutes to 24 hours). After that, you should click Verify and wait for Google to confirm ownership. Detailed instructions can be found in the article Verify your domain for Google Workspace.

‍

6. After verification, you need to update your domain’s DNS settings to activate email services and other Google Workspace features. Start by configuring the MX record and ensuring that the new domain’s mail exchange records point to smtp.google.com, as described in Set up MX records for Google Workspace.

‍

To improve email authentication and prevent spoofing, update the SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. These settings help verify email senders and protect against unauthorized use of your domain (and ensure deliverability of outgoing messages). Once these DNS changes are applied, Google Workspace will begin handling emails for the new domain.

‍

After adding the domain, it's a good idea to perform a few checks to confirm everything is set up correctly. First, go to the Manage Domains page (as mentioned in Step 2 above) and verify that the new domain has a Verified status.

The Manage Domains page displays a list of domains, highlighting a secondary domain with the status Verified, confirming successful ownership verification.

‍

Second, test the sending and receiving of email messages using the newly added domain name.

‍

Changing the Primary Domain

‍

If you’re rebranding or want a different domain to be the default for all users, you may need to change your primary domain. Google allows this, and the process involves the following steps:

1. Follow the previous guide to add the new domain as a secondary domain (a user alias domain will not work).
2. In the Google Admin Console, go to Account > Domains > Manage Domains.
3. On the Manage Domains page, click the Change Primary Domain button.

The Manage Domains page in Google Admin Console is displayed, with the Change Primary Domain option highlighted for updating the default domain.

‍

4. The Change Primary Domain wizard will open; press Continue on the first page.

The Change Primary Domain wizard's first page is displayed, with the Continue button highlighted to proceed with selecting a new primary domain.

‍

5. On the next page, use the Select your new primary domain drop-down list to select the domain you have added. Then press the Change Primary Domain button.

The page shows the 'Select your new primary domain' drop-down list in the Change Primary Domain wizard, allowing you to choose your new default domain.

‍

6. On the final page, press Done.

The final step is changing your primary domain in Google Workspace, with the "Done" button highlighted to complete the process.

‍

Note, it can take up to 48 hours (usually much less) for changes to apply. After changing the primary domain, users will receive messages to both old and new email addresses, but will need to use the new one to sign in to Google Workspace services. The address with the new domain name will be considered as the default one (for both initial messages and replies), while the old address will remain as an alias.

‍

Insight by
Dr. Tal Shapira
Cofounder & CTO at Reco

Tal is the Cofounder & CTO of Reco. Tal has a Ph.D. from Tel Aviv University with a focus on deep learning, computer networks, and cybersecurity and he is the former head of the cybersecurity R&D group within the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. Tal is a member of the AI Controls Security Working Group with CSA.

Expert Insight:

• No Verification Needed for Subdomains: If you're adding a subdomain of an existing domain, verification isn't required. For example, if your primary domain, yourcompany.com is already set up in Google Workspace, you can add sub1.yourcompany.com and sub2.yourcompany.com without needing to verify them separately.
• Merging Google Workspace Accounts After Acquisition: If you acquire another company that also uses Google Workspace, you can merge both accounts into a single Admin Console, allowing you to manage both infrastructures, including domain names, from one place. Google provides detailed guidance on this process in the Merge domains from separate accounts.
• Sending Emails from Aliases Across Domains: When a user has an email alias from another domain linked to their mailbox, they can send messages from both addresses. To enable this, the user must add the alias in their Gmail settings. Detailed instructions can be found in Send emails from a different address or alias.
• 24-Hour Wait When Transferring Domains Between Accounts: If you're transferring a domain from one Google Workspace account to another, keep in mind that after removing the domain from the original account, you'll need to wait 24 hours before adding it to the new account.

‍

Conclusion

‍

Whether you’re expanding, rebranding, or integrating multiple geographical regions, adding domains to Google Workspace helps keep your email infrastructure organized and consistent. By following the steps described in this guide, you can ensure a transition with minimal disruption to daily operations.

‍

However, as your infrastructure grows, it becomes more heterogeneous and complex, increasing security risks. In such cases, businesses should go beyond built-in security tools and incorporate third-party solutions to eliminate blind spots and detect advanced cybersecurity threats