Google Workspace — the complete client guide
Everything you need to know about using Google Workspace for your business, from signing in to security, Gmail, Drive, Calendar, and more.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Google Workspace is Google's suite of business tools — Gmail, Drive, Docs, Calendar, Meet, and more — all tied to your own domain name (like you@yourcompany.com). This section covers everything from initial setup to day-to-day use.
If you're brand new, start with What is Google Workspace? and Signing in. If you manage your organization's account, the Admin console guide is your starting point.
Quick summary
Google Workspace is a paid subscription that gives your business email on your own domain, plus Drive, Docs, Calendar and Meet. You manage it from the Admin console. If you have not chosen a platform yet, start at Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 instead — this section assumes you have already decided on Google.
If you only read three things
- What is Google Workspace? — the lay of the land.
- The Admin console, explained — where you manage everything.
- Turning on 2-step verification — the highest-leverage thing you can do today.
Basics & admin
What is Google Workspace?
A plain-English overview of what you get and why businesses use it.
Google Workspace plans explained
Starter, Standard, Plus — what each plan includes and who it's for.
Signing in to Google Workspace
How to sign in on any device, and what to do if you can't.
The Google Admin console, explained
A tour of the dashboard where you manage users, settings, and billing.
Adding a user in Google Workspace
Step-by-step: add a new team member to your Workspace.
Removing a user safely
What to do when someone leaves — before you delete the account.
Resetting a user's password
Quickly reset any user's password from the Admin console.
Groups & email aliases
Set up team@, info@, and other shared addresses without extra seats.
Gmail
Gmail basics for business
Composing, replying, searching, and staying on top of your inbox.
Organizing Gmail with labels & filters
Automatically sort and organize incoming email.
Setting up your Gmail signature
Set up a professional signature for every email you send.
Setting a vacation responder
Set an out-of-office reply when you're away.
Delegating an inbox (e.g. shared support@)
Let someone else read and reply on your behalf — great for support@ addresses.
Email routing & catch-all
Route email to the right people and catch mail sent to unknown addresses.
Drive & Docs
Google Drive basics
Uploading, organizing, and finding your files in Drive.
Sharing files & folders in Drive
Control who can view, comment, or edit your documents.
Shared drives explained
Team-owned storage that doesn't disappear when someone leaves.
Docs, Sheets & Slides explained
Google's answer to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Calendar & Meet
Google Calendar basics
Creating events, inviting people, and managing your schedule.
Sharing a calendar
Share your calendar with colleagues or make it visible to your team.
Google Meet basics
Starting and joining video calls with Meet.
Google Workspace on your phone
Set up Gmail, Drive, Calendar and Meet on iOS or Android.
Security
Turning on 2-step verification
The single most important thing you can do to protect your account.
Key security settings
Admin-level settings to keep your organization safe.
Recovering a deleted user or files
What to do if you deleted a user or files by mistake.
Transferring files when someone leaves
Make sure no files are lost when a team member leaves.
Domain & billing
Google Workspace billing explained
How billing works, how to add or remove seats, and where to find invoices.
Adding a domain to Workspace
Add a second domain or alias domain to your Workspace account.
Storage & quotas in Google Workspace
How much storage you have, where it's used, and what to do when it's full.
Exporting your Workspace data
Download your own data with Google Takeout, or the whole organization's with the Admin console's data export tool.
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting Google Workspace
Common problems and how to fix them — sign-in issues, missing email, and more.
Google Workspace terms, explained
Plain-English definitions for every Workspace term you'll encounter.
Managing company devices (overview)
How to keep company phones and laptops secure with Google's endpoint management tools.
If you need us to help
Give us Google Workspace admin access
So we can add users, fix email routing, and check your settings.
Give us access to manage your DNS
Needed to verify your domain and set your email records correctly.
Related guides
- Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365: how to choose — if you have not decided yet
- Microsoft 365 — the complete client guide — the other option
- Business email, explained — the platform-independent basics
- Email DNS records (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
- Why email & your website are separate
- Migrating your business email
Need a hand?
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Migrating your business email
What happens when we move your business email from one provider to another — what transfers, what doesn't, how to avoid losing messages, and what to expect during the switch.
What is Google Workspace?
A plain-English explanation of Google Workspace — what it is, what it includes, and why businesses use it instead of free Gmail.