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Google Workspace Service

Table of Contents

Google Workspace provides cloud-based email with Gmail, calendars, Drive, and other productivity tools. You can configure the required DNS records in DNSimple using the one-click service or by adding records manually.

Prerequisites

Before configuring Google Workspace DNS in DNSimple:

  1. You need an active Google Workspace account.
  2. Your domain must be in your DNSimple account with a primary (forward) zone.
  3. Complete initial Google Workspace setup and note the DNS records Google provides.

Warning

If you are currently using DNSimple email forwarding, you must disable it before setting up Google Workspace. Email forwarding and email hosting cannot be used simultaneously because both rely on MX records.

Setting up with the one-click service (recommended)

Add Google Workspace with the one-click service
  1. From the domain list, click on the domain name you want to update.
  2. Click the tab on the left side.
  3. Scroll down to the card, and click . Add One Click Service
  4. Select the tab, and scroll down to the Google Workspace service. Click . Add Service

The one-click service automatically configures MX records and other required DNS records. You can remove it any time by following the steps in how to remove a service.

Setting up with manual DNS configuration

If you prefer to configure DNS records manually, or if you need to customize the configuration:

  1. Get the required DNS records from the Google Workspace admin console under > > > .

  2. Google typically provides these MX records:

Priority Mail Server
1 aspmx.l.google.com
5 alt1.aspmx.l.google.com
5 alt2.aspmx.l.google.com
10 aspmx2.googlemail.com
10 aspmx3.googlemail.com
Add MX records manually
  1. Navigate to your domain’s tab and open the .
  2. Remove any existing MX records if you are switching from email forwarding or another provider.
  3. Click and select MX.
  4. Leave the field blank (or enter @) for the root domain.
  5. Enter the priority value from Google.
  6. Enter the mail server hostname from Google.
  7. Click .
  8. Repeat for each MX record.

If Google requires a TXT record for domain verification, add it as a TXT record at the root of your domain (@).

Verifying your domain with Google

Google requires domain verification to activate Google Workspace. After adding the DNS records:

  1. In the Google Workspace admin console, go to and click .
  2. Google will check for the verification TXT record. This typically completes within a few hours.

Verifying MX records

Google provides a free MX record checking tool that verifies your DNS configuration and suggests improvements with links to relevant support articles.

You can also verify MX records with dig:

dig +short yourdomain.com MX

Configuring email authentication

For better email deliverability, set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for your domain.

SPF: The one-click service configures an SPF record automatically. If you set up manually, your SPF record should include include:_spf.google.com. See What Is an SPF Record? for details.

DKIM: Generate a DKIM key in the Google Workspace admin console under > > > , then add the DKIM TXT record in DNSimple. See Set Up DKIM for instructions.

DMARC: Add a DMARC record to monitor and protect against spoofing. See Set Up DMARC for instructions.

Troubleshooting

Emails not being delivered: Verify MX records are correctly configured with dig +short yourdomain.com MX. Check whatsmydns.net for propagation status. Ensure no conflicting MX records or email forwarding is still active.

Domain verification failing: Confirm the TXT verification record matches exactly what Google provided. DNS changes can take up to a few hours to propagate.

Email authentication failures: Verify your SPF record includes include:_spf.google.com. Check DKIM records are at the correct subdomain. For setup details, see SPF records, Set Up DKIM, and Set Up DMARC.

Have more questions?

If you have additional questions or need any assistance setting up Google Workspace with DNSimple, just contact support, and we’ll be happy to help.