How to Setup a Shared Inbox in Gmail (All Methods)

Ever tried to wrangle a shared email account (like support@ or sales@yourcompany.com) from a standard Gmail inbox? If so, you know the chaos it can bring. 

Messages get missed. Two people reply at once. Important follow-ups fall through the cracks. And that’s before you add PTO, turnover, and the group chat full of "Did anyone reply to this?"

That’s why Google offers a few ways to create a shared inbox in Gmail, even if they don’t call it that. With the right setup, you can coordinate replies, reduce response times, and preserve accountability. You just need to pick the right method for your team.

For the first method, you use Google Groups to create a Collaborative Inbox that allows multiple team members to assign, track, and respond to emails. For the second, you use Gmail Delegation to grant individuals access to an existing Gmail account. 

Google Groups is better for larger teams needing structured collaboration, while Delegation is a good fit for small teams or assistants. 

Both methods require setup through Google Workspace and should be configured with the right permissions and visibility settings if you want to make sure everyone can collaborate smoothly.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to set up a shared Gmail inbox step by step. Along the way, we’ll talk about the important decisions to make before you start, the limitations of Gmail’s built-in tools, and how tools like Pylon can take your shared inbox to the next level.

Before You Begin: Key Decisions for Setting Up a Gmail Shared Inbox

Taking a few minutes to define your needs will save you hours of frustration later on. Before you dive into settings and groups, get clear on the basics.

Who needs access? 

Start by listing everyone who needs to send and receive messages from the shared inbox. This is probably the single most important step, and it helps make sure that you include everyone who should have access (and exclude anyone who shouldn’t). 

Are they all on the same team? Do they need the same level of access? Keep this list handy during setup. Also, think about how access might change over time (new hires, role changes, or team restructures, for instance). It helps to plan for flexibility.

What email address will you use? 

You can either use an existing address (like support@yourcompany.com) or create a new one. Regardless, make sure it follows a clear naming convention and fits with your other team inboxes. 

It’s important to create a unified, logical naming theme that makes sense to anyone trying to reach you. A thoughtful address not only helps internally but can shape how customers perceive your support structure.

For example, support@yourcompany.com, salessupport@yourcompany.com, cs@yourcompany.com, and info@yourcompany.com all have a different feel (and are honestly pretty generic). You might want to get more specific: complaints@yourcompany.com, customersupport@yourcompany.com, and even support-productname@yourcompany.com can all be better options.

Will you use Google Groups or Gmail Delegation? 

Google offers two main ways to set up shared access, depending on what you and your team members need in the way of features.

Google Groups, aka Collaborative Inbox, is better for larger teams that need visibility, assignments, and a shared archive that everyone can easily access. It’s like a lightweight help desk that lives inside Gmail.

Gmail Delegation works for small teams or assistants managing a single account without the need for a large group. It’s more direct but lacks the collaborative features larger groups often need.

Decide on group visibility and external access

If you’re using Google Groups, you’ll choose whether your inbox is public, private to your domain, or invitation-only. You can also decide whether outside email addresses can send to the group. That decision matters a lot, especially if customers or clients will be reaching out to the shared inbox directly.

Do you need administrator setup? 

Some steps require Google Workspace admin privileges, especially if you’re setting up a group email alias or enabling Collaborative Inbox features. Make sure you have access or know who does. It’s a good time to check with IT before hitting a wall halfway through the process.

How to Set Up a Shared Inbox in Gmail: Step-by-Step Guide

You could just share a password and let the team log in directly. But that creates a whole mess of security problems. No 2FA, no audit trail, and no easy way to know who’s doing what. Plus, it’s against Google’s terms of service.

Instead, use one of the two official Gmail shared inbox methods: Google Groups or Gmail Delegation. Neither is technically called a “shared inbox,” but both let multiple people manage a single email account without sharing credentials. Here’s how to do each one.

Method 1: Create a shared inbox using Google Groups, also called Collaborative Inbox

Google Groups lets you create a shared email alias (like support@yourcompany.com) that forwards to multiple teammates. With Collaborative Inbox features turned on, you can assign conversations, mark them as resolved, and manage replies in a more structured way. It’s not perfect, but it’s more powerful than it seems at first.

Step 1) Create the Google group for your shared address

• Go to Google Groups.

• Click "Create Group."

• Name your group, choose an email address (for instance, support@), and add a description.

• Set the Group Email address and Group Type to "Collaborative Inbox."

Step 2) Add team members to the group

• Under "Members," add the email addresses of everyone who should access the inbox. Double-check that everyone you’re adding actually needs access (hint: don’t do an email address dump; be specific and strategic).

• Assign roles: Choose from Manager, Member, or Owner. Only managers can change settings.

• Make sure everyone understands what each role allows and assign them responsibly. Hint: Don’t give someone who only needs Member access a Manager role.

Step 3) Enable the collaborative inbox features

• After creating the group, click "Group Settings."

• Navigate to "Permissions" > "Posting Permissions."

• Enable settings like "Assign topics," "Mark as duplicate," and "Mark as resolved."

• These settings are what make the inbox collaborative, not just a shared feed.

Step 4) Configure permissions for collaboration

• Under "Permissions," review who can post, assign, and moderate. Again, this is about making sure that the people with these capabilities actually need them.

• Adjust so that your team can manage messages as needed. The goal is speed and efficiency.

• If you want external people to email the group, enable "Post by email."

Step 5) Access the shared inbox and start collaborating

• Team members can now go to groups.google.com to view and respond to emails.

• Use the interface to assign conversations, reply, and track progress.

• You can also enable email notifications to stay in the loop without visiting Groups.

There you have it, Google Groups/Collaborative Inbox explained. But what if you don’t need those collaborative features? That’s where the second method comes in.

Method 2: Set up a shared Gmail inbox via Delegated Access

Delegation is a lightweight alternative to Google Groups for small teams. Instead of forwarding emails, you grant access to an existing Gmail inbox. People you allow (called delegates) can read, send, and delete messages, but they can’t change account settings.

Step 1) Use an existing account or create a new shared account

• You’ll need a Gmail account to delegate from. You can use an existing address or create one like shared@yourcompany.com. There are pros and cons to both options, so weigh them carefully.

• If you’re starting from scratch, consider which team members need access and how you’ll manage that access long-term.

• If you’re using an existing email address, make sure there’s no one with access who shouldn’t have it.

Step 2) Grant delegate access in Gmail settings

• Log in as the account owner.

• Go to Settings > See all settings > Accounts and Import.

• Under "Grant access to your account," click "Add another account."

• Enter the delegate’s email address. They must be part of the same domain in Google Workspace.

Step 3) Have delegates accept the invitation

• The delegate will receive an email invitation.

• Once they accept, they can access the shared inbox from their Gmail account.

• Remind them to check their profile icon menu if they don’t see the new mailbox right away.

Step 4) Work from the shared (delegated) mailbox

• Delegates click their profile icon in Gmail and switch to the shared account.

• They can send and reply to emails from that address.

• Gmail shows when you’re replying as a delegate, so everyone stays on the same page.

Limitations of Gmail’s Native Shared Inbox Solutions

Shared inboxes in Gmail are relatively easy to put in place, but they come with a lot of limitations.

As your team grows or your support volume increases, you may run into a few roadblocks. That’s when most teams start to look for more advanced solutions. Below, you’ll find some of the most common limitations and what they might mean for you:

Lack of advanced collaboration

Neither Groups nor Delegation lets you comment internally, @mention teammates, or track discussions alongside email threads. You’re stuck with basic email replies and little visibility into who’s doing what. That can get confusing very quickly, and in a fast-moving support environment, it can slow you down.

Limited assignment and accountability

While Collaborative Inboxes support basic assignments, there’s no way to enforce ownership or track whether someone followed up. Delegation offers no assignment features at all. 

You’ll often find yourself asking, "Did anyone take this yet?" and getting silence in return. So, if accountability is a major priority for you, be aware that it’s not a strong point here.

Notification and visibility challenges

Gmail doesn’t offer granular control over who sees what. That means you’re often left wondering if anyone has replied to a message, or worse, you double-respond. And without built-in notifications or alerts, someone always gets left out of the loop.

No analytics or tracking

There’s no built-in reporting on response times, resolution rates, or tag usage. You can’t see trends, identify bottlenecks, or measure team performance. That might be fine when you’re getting five emails a day, but at scale, it’s a major blind spot.

Scaling and maintenance

As your team grows, maintaining Google Groups becomes cumbersome. You’ll need to manually add and remove users, monitor permissions, and deal with the occasional delivery error. 

Delegation doesn’t scale well at all. Once more than two or three people are involved, things start to break down pretty fast.

Pylon is More Than Just a Shared Email Inbox

For modern B2B teams that handle a high volume of customer messages across multiple channels, Gmail alone won’t cut it. You need something more capable and more scalable. That’s where Pylon comes in.

Pylon offers a fully integrated shared inbox designed for teams that want to work together in real time, stay accountable, and move faster.

Unified inbox and integrations 

See messages from Gmail, Slack, Microsoft Teams, live chat, and more, all in one place. That means no more switching tabs or losing track of customer conversations. It’s like having one big space where everyone can see what’s going on.

Automate with AI 

Use AI to triage incoming messages, suggest replies, and auto-tag conversations. You’ll reduce manual work and respond faster without sacrificing quality. It’s like a sous-chef prepping your ingredients before you even walk into the kitchen.

Advanced collaboration and workflow tools 

Assign tickets, @mention teammates, and add internal notes without leaving the thread. Create custom views based on tags, priority, or status. It turns shared email into a truly collaborative workspace.

Accountability and analytics 

Track metrics like response time, resolution rates, and team performance. Spot trends and identify gaps before they become problems. You can even pull reports to show stakeholders exactly how your team is doing.