The Ultimate Guide to Setting Up a Gmail Shared Inbox in 2025

If you’ve stumbled upon this article after searching for how to set up a Gmail shared inbox for customer support, you’ve likely already come to the realization that Gmail doesn’t offer this functionality natively.

Even with 1.8 billion users and nearly 30% of the worldwide email client market share, Google has never built true shared inbox functionality into Gmail. 

But luckily there are workarounds.

As the founder of Keeping, I’ve worked closely alongside hundreds of growing businesses to help them solve their shared inbox challenges. My team and I have gained clear insight into what it takes to turn Gmail into a collaborative experience for your team.

In this detailed guide, I’ll walk you through the three best ways to set up a Gmail shared inbox step-by-step.

We’ll also cover:

• Best practices for a shared mailbox in Gmail
• How to overcome the common limitations
• When you should consider dedicated solutions

Let’s dive in.

(And if you want to skip ahead to the implementation, click here).

Quick start guide for setting up a Gmail shared mailbox

Setup time: 10-20 minutes
Best for: Customer service and support teams
Key benefit: Collaborative email management

METHODS:

1. Shared Logins → For temporary workarounds only
2. Delegated Gmail Account → For executive-assistant scenarios with 1-2 users max
3. Google Groups Collaborative Inbox → For small teams with low volume and simple needs
4. Keeping (Gmail-Native Solution) → Teams wanting true collaboration within Gmail

KEY FEATURES OF KEEPING:

• ✨ Collision detection – Automatic duplicate response prevention
• ✨ Internal notes – Seamless team communication without forwarding
• ✨ Assignment – Clear ownership and accountability for messages
• ✨ Shared templates – Shared messages for consistent communication
• ✨ Analytics – Visibility into response times, volume of requests, and more

Jump to: Delegated Accounts Setup | Google Groups Setup | Keeping Setup

What is a Gmail shared inbox?

A Gmail shared inbox is an email mailbox that multiple users can access simultaneously to read, send and receive emails.

A Gmail shared mailbox is most commonly used by sales, IT and support teams to manage both outgoing and incoming emails.

Though this functionality isn’t native to Gmail, there are several methods Google users can use to implement shared inbox functionality.

Why do teams need shared inboxes?

Growing teams may require shared inbox functionality to improve their client communication.

Teams use shared mailboxes in order to:

• Professionally respond to incoming messages from a unified email address
• Ensure all inquiries are responded to
• Track ownership of messages
• Avoid team members replying to the same email
• Gain visibility into email volume and response times
• Collaborate

As businesses scale, they quickly outgrow the one-person-per-inbox functionality that Gmail provides.

How a properly configured shared inbox should work

A properly configured shared inbox gives team members the ability to collaborate on emails without resorting to forwarding, cc’ing, or sharing passwords.

Let me illustrate with an example…

Let’s say you set up a shared inbox for your customer service team with the email address ‘support@company.com.’ Your team members can access this shared mailbox through their individual accounts without needing separate login credentials for the shared address.

When a customer emails ‘support@company.com,’ the message becomes available to your entire team. Any member can read and respond to the email, with the response appearing to come from the shared email address rather than their personal account.

If the customer replies, their response is again accessible to everyone on the team. This ensures no communication is missed and allows your team to work together seamlessly.

In the best shared inbox setups, you’ll also have features that prevent multiple people from responding to the same email simultaneously, tools for internal team discussions about specific messages, and performance metrics to track response times and workload.

The challenge is that Gmail doesn’t offer all these features natively – but as we’ll explore in this guide, there are several ways to create functional shared inboxes using Gmail as your foundation.

Main methods for creating a Gmail shared inbox

There are several approaches to creating a shared mailbox in Google, each with its own pros and cons.

Let’s break down each in more detail.

1. Shared login credentials

What it is and how it works

This simplest approach to setting up shared inbox functionality in Gmail is the DIY method.

Team members share a single email address and password, and everyone logs in with the same credentials.

Each team member gains access to the same email inbox.

When to use

Due to the inherent security risks, this method is a poor choice for most teams. Limit usage to very temporary situations where there is high trust and low email volume.

2. Delegated Gmail accounts

What it is and how it works

Delegated accounts is Google’s more secure solution to shared email communications.

This method for setting up a Gmail shared inbox method allows any Gmail account owner to associate delegates. These delegates access the inbox using their own Gmail login credentials.

When to use

Delegated accounts are most effective for situations where one person needs to manage email on behalf of another, such as in the case of executive assistants.

This method can work well for 1-2 additional users and low email volume, but not for fully fledged team collaboration.

3. Google Groups Collaborative Inbox

What it is and how it works

Google Groups allows teams to collaborate using community forums, threads, email distribution lists or collaborative inboxes.

By configuring your Google Group to a Collaborative Inbox, you unlock a shared mailbox that all group members can access. This feature allows collaboration through conversation assignment, basic labeling, and the ability to mark issues as “closed.”

When to use

Google Groups Collaborative Inbox is a viable solution for small teams with low email volume that don’t require complex collaboration. For many teams, it’s a starting point before evolving into a dedicated solution.

Next, we’ll cover how to set up each of these options for your business.

How to set up a delegated Gmail account step-by-step

A delegated Gmail account is one of the most straightforward ways to grant access for team members and create a simple Gmail group inbox.

Let’s walk through the complete setup process:

1. Log into the primary Gmail account

First, you’ll need to access the Gmail account that will be shared with others. 

• Go to Gmail in your web browser

• Sign in to the Gmail account you wish to delegate access to (e.g., support@yourcompany.com)

Note that you’ll need to have administrator privileges or ownership of the account in order to add delegates.

2. Navigate to account access settings

Once you’re logged into the primary account:

• Click on the gear icon (⚙️) in the top-right corner

• Select See all settings from the dropdown menu

• Click the Accounts and Import tab

• Scroll down until you find the Grant access to your account section

3. Add delegates and send invitations

Next, we’re ready to add team members by granting them access to the inbox:

• Click the Add another account link

• Enter the Gmail address of the person you want to grant access to, then click “Next Step”

• Click “Send email to grant access” to send the invitation

The team members you grant access to will receive an email invitation that they must click and accept. Invitations expire after 7 days if not accepted.

4. Access as a delegate and manage emails

After accepting the delegation invitation, follow these steps to begin using the shared account as a delegate:

• Log into your Gmail account

• Click on your Google account’s profile icon in the top-right corner

• Find for the delegated account in the dropdown menu

• Click on the delegated account to switch to it

You can now send and receive emails as the delegated account.

Permissions for delegated Gmail accounts

Delegates all receive the same level of access. There are no granular permissions controls.

Any user you grant access to will be able to read, send, and delete messages on behalf of your account.

Delegates cannot change the account password or account settings, nor can they chat as the delegated account.

Maximum delegation limits

A Gmail account can have up to 1,000 delegates.

A user can be a delegate for up to 25 different accounts. 

How to remove delegate access

The account owner can remove delegates at any time.

To do so, simply:

• Navigate back to Settings > Accounts and Import

• Find the delegate you want to remove and click “Delete” next to their name

Next, let’s explore how to set up a Google Groups Collaborative Inbox.

How to set up a Google Groups Collaborative Inbox step-by-step

A Google Groups Collaborative Inbox is a shared mailbox that allows multiple team members to manage emails sent to a given address.

Here’s how to set it up:

1. Create a new Google Group

In order to create a Collaborative Inbox, you’ll need a Google Group. To set one up:

• Navigate to Google Groups in your browser (and log in if prompted

• Click the “Create group” button in the top-left corner

2. Configure basic group settings

Enter the details of your group:

• Group name: Enter a descriptive name (e.g., “Customer Support Team”)
• Group email address: Create the email address that customers will send messages to (e.g., support@yourcompany.com)
• Group description: Add a brief description of the group (if desired)

3. Choose privacy settings

Next, adjust the privacy settings for your group:

• Who can see group
• Who can join group
• Who can view conversations
• Who can post
• Who can view members

4. Add team members

Enter the email address of any group members you wish to add, along with an optional invitation message.

You can toggle the Directly add members switch to select roles:

• Owners have full administrative control
• Managers can add/remove members and moderate content
• Members can access the inbox and respond to messages

• Click Create group

5. Enable Collaborative Inbox features

By default, your Google Group won’t be set up as a shared inbox. 

To enable the Collaborative Inbox features:

• Click the Group Settings icon (⚙️) from within your Google Group

• Scroll down to the Enable additional Google Groups features section

• Click Collaborative Inbox, then save changes

This adds additional features to your Google Group like basic assignment and status tracking.

Permissions for Collaborative Inboxes

Ensure you configure several key permission settings before getting started:

• Navigate back to Group Settings in your Google Group’s sidebar and scroll down to Posting Policies

Here you can adjust your preferred settings.

Be sure to save your settings after making any adjustments.

Note that if “Anyone on the web” is not allowed to post, customers won’t be able to email your group.

For more advanced configuration options, read our article on the Google Groups Collaborative Inbox.

Google Groups Collaborative Inbox offers more team features compared with delegated accounts, but still has significant limitations for growing teams. As email volume increases, you may wish to consider switching to a more dedicated solution.

Best practices for Gmail shared inboxes

After working with hundreds of teams to solve customer support issues, I’ve learned a thing or two about streamlined workflows.

No matter which method you choose for your Gmail shared inbox, implementing these best practices will help improve your processes.

1. Create clear assignment and escalation protocols

Establish rules in advance for who answers incoming emails, how conversations are assigned, and when an email should be marked as “resolved”. It’s also important to set expectations in terms of response times for your team, and clear processes for escalating cases.

2. Organize your inbox with labels and filters

Create a clear system for labeling incoming emails, and ensure all team members are trained and briefed. The best systems use consistent naming conventions, color-coded labels for different categories, and nested labels as required. Then use filters to automatically apply labels, forward emails and categorize messages.

3. Set consistent communication standards

Ensure professional customer communication with shared templates for common responses, consistent responses, and standard email signatures for all team members. Having clearly. defined protocols and standards ensure professional and consistent responses to customers, no matter which team member responds.

Warning signs your team has outgrown Gmail-native solutions

How many of these 12 warning signs is your team experiencing?

1. You receive more than 30 emails daily
2. Your response times are frustrating to customers
3. Your support team members feel overwhelmed
4. Your team is missing emails regularly
5. Multiple team members have responded to the same email
6. There’s confusion around who’s responsible for follow-ups
7. Customers are receiving mixed messages
8. You have no way to manage individual response times or volume trends
9. It’s difficult to identify bottlenecks in your support workflows
10. You have a need for audit trails of customer communications or retention
11. You require more granular permission controls
12. Your team lacks features like templates and internal notes

If you counted more than 3, it may be time to consider switching to a dedicated solution.

Keeping is a dedicated Google Groups alternative that works directly within Gmail.

Keeping – The best way to manage Gmail shared inboxes

Google Groups and other shared inbox solutions require you to abandon Gmail.

Keeping is the alternative that transforms your existing Gmail inbox into a collaborative help desk. It’s the same interface your team is already familiar with, but with all the necessary collaboration features added in.

How Keeping solves Gmail’s shared inbox limitations

Keeping gives your team access to the following features, all within your Gmail inbox:

1. Collision detection

Duplicate responses are common with other shared inbox solutions. With Keeping’s collision detection feature, you see in real-time when another team member is viewing or replying to an email so you can avoid embarrassing situations.

2. Private notes and @mentions

Communicate internally about tickets and customer cases without the need for forwarding, separate email threads or risking accidental inclusion of customers in your internal communications. Simply add a private note or @mention a colleague to get their input.

3. Email assignment and round robin

Assign emails to specific team members manually or automatically in round robin fashion. Ensure clear accountability and view outstanding tickets at a glance.

4. Shared templates

Give your entire team access to approved response templates with options for personalization. Increase efficiency and ensure consistent, professional messaging for all customer communications.

5. Analytics and reporting

Google’s native shared inbox options lack reporting and tracking features. Keeping gives you actionable insights into your team’s performance with detailed analytics on metrics like response times, email volume, and individual workloads.

6. Automations

Set up rules within Keeping to automatically assign, tag, or prioritize incoming emails based on content, sender, or other criteria. Save time manually sorting tasks and ensure all tickets are handled in a consistent manner.

How to set up Keeping step-by-step

Keeping setup is incredibly straightforward compared to the alternative methods for setting up a Google shared inbox.

Simply follow these steps:

1. Sign up for a Keeping account
2. Install the Keeping browser extension for Chrome or Safari
3. Connect your team’s shared email address
4. Invite team members

The entire setup process takes less than 10 minutes, and there’s no additional training or tab switching needed.

What sets Keeping apart from other help desk tools

Other tools force you to abandon Gmail and switch to another platform. Keeping allows you to maintain your existing Gmail workflows while adding new features that enhance them.

Using Keeping means:

• There’s no learning curve: If your team knows how to use Gmail, they already know how to use Keeping.
• Technical integration is seamless: All existing filters, labels, and settings continue to work right within Gmail.
• There’s no disruption to flows: Your team can continue collaborating in the same way, just with added features.
• You save money: Most help desk solutions are overly complex and require you to pay for features your team will never use
• Customers don’t see help desk jargon: Keeping is invisible to customers, who never see case IDs or “reply above this line” in your replies — just a friendly team member ready to help.
• You’re never locked in: All emails will always remain in your email inboxes, even if you decide to stop using Keeping.

Frequently asked questions about Gmail shared inboxes

Level up your shared inbox experience with Keeping

Google offers several options for shared inboxes, each with its own set of limitations:

• Shared logins is a quick and easy solution but comes with security risks
• Delegated accounts work well for certain scenarios, but is not scalable
• Google Groups Collaborative Inbox offers basic team features but requires switching inboxes and lacks advanced collaboration tools

The best solution for your team comes down to your team’s size, security needs, email volume, and growth trajectory.

I’ve consistently seen growing businesses reach a tipping point when using Collaborative Inbox or other Gmail-native options. Workarounds can get you so far, but eventually the limitations catch up and the productivity trade-off is no longer worth it.

If you start to notice duplicate responses, missed emails, or frustration with your current setup, consider switching to Keeping. It was purpose-built for growing businesses, and works seamlessly right within Gmail to add all the collaboration features your team needs.

Ready to take your email collaboration to the next level? Start your 14-day trial of Keeping and see how much easier shared mailbox management can be with the right tools.