Adding a user in Google Workspace
Step-by-step instructions for adding a new team member to your Google Workspace organization from the Admin console.
When someone new joins your team, you add them as a user in Google Workspace. This gives them a professional email address at your domain, access to Drive and Docs, and a seat in your organization.
Quick summary
Go to admin.google.com, open Users, and click Add new user. Enter their name and choose their email address. Google generates a temporary password that you send to them. The new user signs in and sets their own password. Each new user uses one paid seat on your subscription.
What you'll need
Admin access required 5 minutes- Admin access to the Google Admin console
- The new person's first name, last name, and preferred email address
Adding a new user
Go to admin.google.com and sign in with your admin account.
Click Users in the left sidebar, or click the Users tile on the home screen.
Click Add new user (the button may also say the plus icon or "Create user" depending on your view).
Enter the user's details. Fill in their first name, last name, and the email address you want to create (e.g. sarah@yourcompany.com). You can also set an organizational unit if you've set those up — leave that as-is if you're not sure.
Set a password. Google will suggest an auto-generated temporary password, or you can type one. Make sure to check the box that requires the user to change their password when they first sign in — this is good security practice.
Click Add new user. The account is created immediately.
Share the login details. Google shows you the new user's email address and temporary password. Copy these and send them to the person securely — by text message or a phone call rather than email, since they don't have email access yet.
Account is live immediately
The new account is active as soon as you click Add. The person can sign in right away with the temporary password you give them.
After the account is created
The new user should:
- Sign in at mail.google.com with the temporary password.
- Set a new password when prompted.
- Turn on 2-step verification — especially important for anyone with sensitive access.
You may also want to:
- Add them to any groups or email aliases they need (like team@ or support@).
- Share relevant shared drives with them.
- Share any calendars they need access to.
Adding multiple users at once
If you're onboarding several people at once, Google Workspace lets you upload a CSV (spreadsheet) file with all their details instead of adding them one by one.
In the Users section, click the three-dot menu (or "More options") and look for Bulk upload users.
Download the CSV template. Fill it in with each person's name and email.
Upload the completed file. Google creates all the accounts in one go.
Billing note
Each user you add uses one paid seat on your Google Workspace subscription. You're billed monthly based on the total number of active users. If you're on an annual plan, you'll be charged a prorated amount for any mid-cycle additions.
Common questions
Related guides
- Removing a user safely
- Resetting a user's password
- Groups & email aliases
- Turning on 2-step verification
- Google Workspace billing explained
Need a hand?
Learn more
The Google Admin console, explained
A tour of the Google Admin console — the control panel where you manage users, security, billing, and settings for your whole organization.
Removing a user safely
How to remove a Google Workspace user when someone leaves your organization — what to do before you delete, how to transfer their files, and how to recover if you make a mistake.