How to Set Up Gmail For Your Own Domain(Picture Walkthrough)

Did you know that you can set up email accounts from your own domain using the power of the user-friendly Gmail browser-based email system? This means you can have any email address you want provided you own the domain name, and you'll be able to access it from anywhere a browser is handy. Setting it up is a little intimidating, but if you follow these steps, you should be in the clear. (And you only have to set it up once!)

As an example, let's assume you own the domain your-domain-name-here.net and your name is Greg. You could easily set up greg@your-domain-name-here.net as your email address.

Remember, you need to own your own domain! If you don't have one, you can always buy one from us, and we'll set it up for you. :)

First, you'll need to set up an account with Google Apps.

Setting up a Google Apps account

  1. Go to the Google Apps Gmail page and click the button that says Get Started.
  2. Enter your domain name in the input box and click Submit. The rest of the application form will appear below.

http://hostnit.com/images/support/gmail%20for%20your%20domain/1.png

 

3. In the Create your administrative account section, create your user name and password. These can be anything you want, because they're on your domain name!

 

http://hostnit.com/images/support/gmail%20for%20your%20domain/2.png

 

 

  1. In the About your organization section, enter your contact information.

    http://hostnit.com/images/support/gmail%20for%20your%20domain/3.png
  2. Agree to the terms of service below and click I accept! Create my account.

http://hostnit.com/images/support/gmail%20for%20your%20domain/4.png

Note: If you are already logged into a Google account, you'll be asked to switch to the new one at this point.

  1. Next, you'll see a window that says "How would you like to set up Google Apps?" Choose the option that works best for you. For this tutorial, we'll be doing a custom install. Click "Go custom" to move on.

http://hostnit.com/images/support/gmail%20for%20your%20domain/5.png

 

You'll need to work your way through a somewhat lengthy wizard now (as indicated by the line that says "Click Next to get set up now (takes less than an hour)").

  1. Click the Next button to get started, and get ready to click it a lot more. Just follow the on-screen instructions and you'll be just fine.

http://hostnit.com/images/support/gmail%20for%20your%20domain/6.png

  1. Shortly into this process, you'll need to verify that you are the owner of your domain. You'll accomplish this by downloading a file that Google provides, uploading it to your server, and then clicking the link in this step of their wizard.

http://hostnit.com/images/support/gmail%20for%20your%20domain/7.png

Let's pause for a second to explain how to do this—specifically, how to put this file on your domain to ensure that the link will work.

Verifying Your Domain Name

Click the link in the Google wizard that says "Download this HTML Verification file." This will start a download of a file that looks something like this: google2827f5df19545a84.html

Now you need to put this file in the root folder of your domain.

  • You'll need to upload with an FTP program, like Direct FTP. Just connect to the server that hosts your website, select the root folder of your website, and upload the file with the method your FTP client uses.

Okay, you're all ready to click the link in that Google wizard!

Now, back to the wizard

  1. Click the link in Step 3 on the open wizard page, then click the Verify button in the wizard. You should now see a message that declares your ownership confirmation a success! But we're not done yet.
  2. Work your way through the rest of the wizard until you get to a page that says "Set up your Apps". Ensure that Gmail is selected (and choose any other options you'd also like to set up) and click Next

http://hostnit.com/images/support/gmail%20for%20your%20domain/8.png

  1. Keep working through the steps of the wizard until you encounter a step that asks you to change your MX records. These are the mail server addresses that your domain uses to process email. Google will need you to use their mail servers for your Gmail account to function. Let's take another detour to set that up.

Changing your MX records

Google provides their own mail servers, which you can read about here. Switching your records to the ones provided on their page is very easy using cPanel, simply loginto your account, click on MX Records, and add what Google requires you to add.

Below is a Generic(not cPanel) based MX entry screen shot

 

http://hostnit.com/images/support/gmail%20for%20your%20domain/9.png

  • The processes above may seem complicated however, its very easy, you can Browse through our Guide on how to edit MX record on cPanel or you can contact tech support for assistance.

Back to the wizard again!

  1. Work your way through some more steps in the wizard, setting up your other applications (Docs, Calendar, etc.) as you go. Note that some steps you may encounter (billing, mobile apps, etc.) are optional, and you can click the "Do this later" button.
  2. Pretty soon, you'll finally reach the end of the set up! You'll see a screen that looks like this:

http://hostnit.com/images/support/gmail%20for%20your%20domain/10.png

Now you can click the Dashboard button at the top of the window to access your Google Apps, including your email account settings. Once your MX records are changed, you'll be able to use your Gmail account through your own domain! You can find the link to your account by clicking the Email icon on this page and clicking the link shown next to Web address.

http://hostnit.com/images/support/gmail%20for%20your%20domain/11.png
 

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Article Posted By: Tyler D.. of Host NIT., Inc
hostnit.com
cpanelhosting.com

 

Host NIT., INC is a registered corporation in the state of Florida, with its main HQ in Florida and Data-Center in Secaucus, NJ.

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