Gmail Custom Domain: Free Route vs Google Workspace

Lots of people want the same thing: keep using Gmail, but write from [email protected]. Until recently there were three common ways to do it. In 2026 there are two that work reliably, because Google retired one of them. This guide covers both routes for a Gmail custom domain setup and tells you which one fits.

What changed in 2026

For years, Gmail on the web had a feature called “Check mail from other accounts”. It logged into your domain’s mailbox via POP (a protocol that downloads mail from a server) every so often and pulled new messages into Gmail. Gmailify added Gmail’s spam filter and tabs to outside accounts.

Google announced that, starting January 2026, both are discontinued. Mail that was already imported stays in Gmail. What still works:

• Forwarding from your mail host or forwarding service to Gmail
• Send mail as with an external SMTP server
• Adding an IMAP account in the Gmail mobile app for Android and iOS
• A one-time import of old mail

If you set up the old POP method years ago, check whether new mail still arrives. If not, switch to forwarding as described below.

Route 1: free Gmail with your own domain

You keep your free Gmail account. Mail for your domain is forwarded into it, and Gmail sends replies through another provider’s SMTP server (the outgoing mail server) so they show your domain address.

What you need:

If you only have forwarding without SMTP, you can receive but not send properly. Our guide to email forwarding with a custom domain explains which services include sending.

Gmail “Send mail as” step by step

The click path on the Gmail website (not the app):

Gear icon (top right)
 └─ See all settings
     └─ Accounts and Import
         └─ Send mail as
             └─ Add another email address

Then:

1. Name and address. Enter the name recipients should see and [email protected]. Leave “Treat as an alias” ticked if you’re the only person using the address.
2. SMTP server. Gmail asks for the outgoing server. Typical values:

3. Verification. Gmail sends a code to [email protected]. Thanks to forwarding, it lands in your Gmail. Enter the code or click the link.

Afterwards, two small settings make life easier, both on the same Accounts and Import tab:

• Make default next to your domain address, so new mails go out from it.
• Under “When replying to a message”, choose Reply from the same address the message was sent to.

Why not just use Gmail’s SMTP?

You can enter smtp.gmail.com with an app password as the server. It works technically. But the message is then signed with Gmail’s DKIM key, not your domain’s, and SPF for your domain doesn’t list Google’s servers unless you add them. Receivers that check DMARC strictly may file such mail as spam. Using your mail host’s SMTP avoids that.

Route 2: Google Workspace with your domain

Google Workspace is Google’s paid business product. Your domain address becomes a full Gmail account with its own calendar, Drive and admin console. Prices are per user per month and vary by plan, region and billing period. Check Google’s current pricing page.

Setup in short:

1. Sign up for Workspace and enter your domain.
2. Verify ownership with a TXT record that Google shows you (it starts with google-site-verification=).
3. Point mail to Google:

janecooks.com.  3600  IN  MX   1 smtp.google.com.
janecooks.com.  3600  IN  TXT  "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all"

4. In the Admin console, generate a DKIM key and add the TXT record at google._domainkey.
5. Add a DMARC record, starting with p=none to collect reports.

Since 2023 Google uses a single MX record, smtp.google.com, for new setups. Older guides list five records like aspmx.l.google.com; those still work, but you don’t need them.

Which route fits you?

For a freelancer or hobbyist, route 1 is usually enough. Once two or more people work together, Workspace (or Microsoft 365, see Outlook with a custom domain) saves time. The broader comparison is in email with your own domain.

Troubleshooting

Verification code never arrives. Forwarding isn’t working yet. Check the MX records with dig MX yourdomain.com +short.

“Authentication failed” when adding SMTP. Wrong username or password, or the port and security setting don’t match. Try 587 with TLS.

Replies go out from Gmail address. Set the domain address as default and change the reply setting described above.

No domain yet? Try janecooks.com with your own name. Short personal domains often work well as .me (€24.99 a year) or .com (€14.99), and the full price overview has every other ending.

Step by step

1. Set up forwarding to GmailAt your forwarding service or mail host, forward [email protected] to your Gmail address.
2. Get SMTP detailsNote the SMTP server, port, username and password from the service that hosts or forwards your domain mail.
3. Open Gmail settingsOn the Gmail website, click the gear icon, then See all settings, then the Accounts and Import tab.
4. Add the address under Send mail asClick Add another email address, enter your name and domain address and continue.
5. Enter the SMTP serverFill in server, port 587 with TLS or 465 with SSL, username and password, then click Add account.
6. Confirm the codeGmail sends a verification email to the domain address; it arrives in Gmail through forwarding. Click the link or enter the code.