Google Workspace

Set Up a Shared Inbox with a Google Group

Use a Google Group as a shared inbox so several people can read, assign, and close mail to one address such as info@ or jobs@.

Last reviewed October 20, 2026 · 2 min read

On this page
  1. 1. Create the group
  2. 2. Turn on Collaborative Inbox
  3. 3. Decide who can manage the mail
  4. 4. When a group is the wrong tool
  5. Common mistakes
One info@ address that three people can see, with assign, take, and complete on the message. A group inbox, not an alias. Diagram: Sac Business Launch.

One info@ address that three people can see, with assign, take, and complete on the message. A group inbox, not an alias. Diagram: Sac Business Launch.

What you'll need

  • Groups for Business turned on

  • An address on your domain, such as info@yourbusiness.com

  • The people who should see the mail

1. Create the group

With conversation history on, the team can open older mail. With it off, older mail can be missing. Diagram: Sac Business Launch.

With conversation history on, the team can open older mail. With it off, older mail can be missing. Diagram: Sac Business Launch.

If Groups is missing, an admin turns on Groups for Business. Create the group and turn on conversation history. Keep the name and the address short enough for your team to recognize.

2. Turn on Collaborative Inbox

Open the group's settings. Choose Enable additional Google Groups features, then Collaborative Inbox, then Save.

If the option is missing, Google's fix page walks through the same path. The usual cause is that the extra Groups features are still off.

3. Decide who can manage the mail

Who can moderate metadata: those people can take a conversation, assign it, and mark it complete.

Who can moderate content: those people can mark a conversation as a duplicate or as no action needed.

In Google Groups, the team uses Assign, Take, and Drop on each conversation.

4. When a group is the wrong tool

An alias is better when one person should receive the address. Google also describes delegated Gmail for larger teams. We are not repeating those steps here, because they depend on your edition and your admin settings. Use Google's help for that path.

Common mistakes

  • Forgetting conversation history, then wondering why older mail is gone.

  • Putting customers in the group when you only wanted staff to see the queue.

  • Using one person's login for the whole team instead of a group.

Questions people ask

What has to be on before a shared inbox works?

Groups for Business has to be on. If you cannot create a group, ask an admin to turn Groups for Business on.

Who can assign a conversation?

People allowed to moderate metadata can take a conversation, assign it, and mark it complete. People allowed to moderate content can mark a conversation as a duplicate or as no action needed.

Is a group the same as an alias?

No. An alias delivers to one user's inbox. A collaborative inbox is a group several people can work in.

We can walk through the email and tools setup with you on a free call.

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Words to know

  • Google Group: A single address that reaches a list of people.

  • Collaborative inbox: A group setting that adds assign, take, and complete.

  • Conversation history: Saves the group's messages so the team can see them later.

Sources

  1. Set up a collaborative inbox - Google Workspace Admin Help · support.google.com
  2. Fix collaborative inbox problems - Google Workspace Admin Help · support.google.com
  3. Use a collaborative inbox - Google Workspace learning · support.google.com

This is general information for Sacramento and Northern California businesses. We are not attorneys or tax advisors, and this is not legal or tax advice. Check the official sources, and a local pro, before you act.

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