Add Email Aliases in Google Workspace and Send From Them in Gmail
Set up email aliases in Google Workspace so multiple addresses land in one inbox. Step-by-step guide to adding aliases, sending from them in Gmail, and choosing a default.
One inbox, several addresses. If you run a small business or wear multiple hats, you have probably wished you could give out hello@, info@ or sales@ without paying for extra Google Workspace seats. Good news: you do not have to. Aliases let you receive and send from as many addresses as you need, all from the same Gmail login.
This guide walks through the whole thing: adding the alias in Admin, confirming it receives, wiring it up in Gmail so you can send from it, and choosing it as the default if you want. It is written for Google Workspace accounts (formerly G Suite). Personal Gmail has a different setup.
What you will build
One real inbox, for example jamie@yourdomain.com
Multiple alias addresses, for example hello@yourdomain.com, info@yourdomain.com, support@yourdomain.com
All emails arriving in the same inbox
The ability to choose which alias appears in the From field when sending
Who this helps
Small business owners, freelancers, or anyone running a lean team who wants professional role-based addresses without the cost of extra user licences. One person handling sales, support and general enquiries can present each role cleanly.
Part 1: Add the alias in Google Workspace Admin
You need Google Workspace admin access for this part. If someone else manages your domain, send them this section.
Step 1: Open the Admin Console
Go to admin.google.com and sign in with an account that has admin permissions.
Step 2: Find the user
In the Admin Console:
Open the Menu
Go to Directory, then Users
Click the user who should receive the alias emails
For example, the real inbox might be jamie@yourdomain.com. You want to add hello@yourdomain.com so that messages to hello@ land in the same place.
Step 3: Add the alternate email address
On the user's page:
Click Add Alternate Emails
Click Alternate email
Type the part before the @ symbol, for example
helloChoose the correct domain if prompted
Step 4: Save
Click Save. Changes can take up to 24 hours to propagate, though they usually happen much faster.
Part 2: Check that receiving works
Once the alias is active:
Send a test email to the alias, for example hello@yourdomain.com
Open the main Gmail inbox, for example jamie@yourdomain.com
The message should arrive there
This is the key thing to understand: the alias does not create a new mailbox. It is just another address pointing to the same inbox.
Part 3: Add the alias to Gmail so you can send from it
Adding the alias in Admin lets you receive emails. To send from the alias, the user also needs to add it inside Gmail.
Do this while logged into the real Gmail account, not the alias (because the alias is not a separate login).
Step 1: Open Gmail settings
Click the cog icon in the top right of Gmail
Click See all settings
Open the Accounts and import tab (sometimes shown as Accounts)
Step 2: Add the alias under Send mail as
Find the section called Send mail as and click Add another email address.
Step 3: Enter the sending details
Name: the name you want recipients to see, for example Jamie Bykov-Brett
Email address: the alias, for example hello@yourdomain.com
Leave Treat as an alias switched on. This is not a separate person's inbox, it is another address for the same mailbox.
Click Next Step, then Send verification.
Step 4: Confirm the verification email
Gmail sends a confirmation email to the alias. Because the alias points to the same inbox, the confirmation arrives in the main inbox. Open it and click the verification link.
The address cannot be used for sending until this step is complete.
Part 4: Send an email from the alias
When composing a new email in Gmail:
Click Compose
Look for the From line
Click the dropdown next to the From address
Choose the alias, for example hello@yourdomain.com
Write and send the email as normal
The email is still being sent from the same Gmail account, but the recipient sees the alias in the From field.
Optional: Make the alias the default sending address
If you want Gmail to send from the alias by default instead of the main address:
Go to Settings, then See all settings
Open the Accounts and import tab
Find Send mail as
Next to the alias, click Make default
If you want replies to go to a specific address, also check the reply-to setting in Edit info next to the alias.
What this does and does not do
It does
Let one inbox receive email from multiple addresses
Let the user choose which address appears in the From field
Avoid paying for extra Workspace user licences for simple role-based addresses
Work well for small teams or one person handling several roles
It does not
Create a separate inbox
Create a separate Google login
Create separate Google Drive, Calendar, Docs or other account data
Let several people share the same alias as their own inbox
Limits to know
Google Workspace allows up to 30 email aliases per user at no extra cost
Gmail can send from up to 99 different email addresses
An alias can only belong to one user
If several people need to manage the same address, use Google Groups, delegated email or a shared inbox instead
A plain-English example
Say your real email account is jamie@yourdomain.com. You add three aliases: hello@, sales@ and support@.
A customer emails sales@yourdomain.com. The email arrives in jamie@yourdomain.com. You reply from the same Gmail inbox, choosing sales@yourdomain.com in the From dropdown before sending. The customer sees the email as coming from sales@yourdomain.com.
It is still the same inbox underneath. The aliases are just extra addresses attached to it.
Note on SMTP prompts
Some Google Workspace configurations may show an SMTP server prompt when adding a Send mail as address. For aliases on the same domain, Gmail usually detects this automatically and skips the step. If you do see an SMTP prompt, it likely means the address is on a different domain or your Workspace settings need the connection verified manually.