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How to add a second or alias domain to your Google Workspace account — so you can create email addresses at multiple domain names.

You might need more than one domain on your Google Workspace account — for example, if you have a secondary business domain, a rebranded domain name, or a country-specific version of your domain.

Quick summary

In the Admin console, go to Account → Domains → Manage domains, then click Add a domain. You choose one of two types: a secondary domain (its own separate set of users, each one paid for) or a user alias domain (your existing users get a second email address at no extra cost). Either way, you prove you own the domain by adding a DNS record.

Types of additional domains

Type	What it does
Secondary domain	A separate set of users at the new domain. Each user gets their own account and mailbox, and you pay for each one
User alias domain	Every existing user gets an extra email address at the new domain (e.g. everyone at company.com also gets company.co.uk), at no extra cost per user

Most small businesses use a user alias domain when they add a second domain: nobody gets a second account to manage, they just gain a second address.

What you'll need

Admin access to the Admin console
Ownership of the domain you're adding
Access to the DNS settings for that domain (often through your domain registrar or Cloudflare)

If you need help with DNS, see DNS records explained or contact us.

Adding a domain

Go to admin.google.com and sign in.

Open the Menu and go to Account → Domains → Manage domains. You need the Domain settings administrator privilege to see these controls.

In Manage domains, click Add a domain.

Enter the name of the domain you're adding (e.g., yourcompany.co.uk). Google won't accept a domain with "gmail" in the name.

Select a domain type — Secondary domain or User alias domain.

Click Add domain & start verification, then follow the instructions to verify that you own the domain.

Add the verification record to your DNS. The usual method is a TXT record at your domain registrar. Add it exactly as Google specifies. See How to give us access to your DNS if you need help.

Finish verification in the Admin console. If it doesn't verify straight away, give your DNS host time to publish the record and try again.

Turn on Gmail for the new domain. Once the domain is verified, go back to Manage domains, find the new domain and click Activate Gmail, then follow the instructions to set up MX records so email is delivered.

How long verification takes

Google says adding the verification record takes about 10 minutes, and how quickly it becomes active depends on your domain host. Once the record is live, it can take up to an hour for Google to confirm it, though it is usually quicker. If verification fails, wait and try again.

After adding the domain

For a user alias domain

Every user automatically gets an email address at the new domain, and they can send and receive from either address. For example, if you add company.co.uk as a user alias domain, sarah@company.com also receives email sent to sarah@company.co.uk. Your mailing groups get an address at the new domain too, so info@company.com also gets info@company.co.uk.

Two things to know: everyone still signs in with their primary address, not the alias, and to send from the alias a user adds it in Gmail under Settings → Accounts → Send mail as → Add another email address.

For a secondary domain

You can now create users with email addresses at the new domain. Go to Directory → Users, add a new user, and when you enter their primary address click the Down arrow to the right of the @ sign to choose the domain.

Removing a domain

You can remove an additional domain you no longer use, but tidy it up first. If it's a secondary domain with its own users, Google's steps are: delete any groups on that domain, remove any email aliases that use it, then rename the users off it. Any Google Sites built on the domain are permanently deleted when you remove it, so copy anything you want to keep first.

Then go to Menu → Account → Domains → Manage domains, find the domain and click Remove, then Remove Domain to confirm. You can usually reuse the name in the same account within 30 minutes, though a domain with a lot of users can take up to 24 hours.

Common questions

Can I make the new domain the primary domain?

Yes. Google documents a process for swapping a secondary domain in as your primary domain, but you then have to rename every user and group yourself, so it isn't something to try casually. A user alias domain can't be swapped in directly — you have to remove it and add the same domain back as a secondary domain first. Read Google's "Change your primary domain" article before you start, and talk to us if you'd like a hand.

How many domains can I add?

Up to 20 user alias domains, and up to 599 secondary domains — 600 domains in total, counting your primary one.

Will adding a domain affect my existing email?

Adding a user alias domain doesn't change anything for existing users — it just gives them an additional email address. Adding a secondary domain has no effect on existing users unless you start creating accounts there.

Need a hand?

If you're stuck, email support@chykalophia.com and we'll help. Include your website address and a screenshot if you can.

Adding a domain to Workspace