Setting Up G Suite - Manual Setup
Step 1
Visit gsuite.google.com and click the blue "Get Started" button from the upper right hand corner.
Step 2
Fill in your details. You will not be able to change your business name in the future.
Step 3
If you own a domain already you do not need to buy a new one. If you do not own a domain, you CAN purchase one through Google but it is recommended to buy your domain elsewhere as Google’s domain hosting tools are poor.
Step 4
Your Google apps account you create here will be your account and will have admin privileges. No need to create a dummy, admin@yourdomain.com account… just create the email account YOU want to use.
Step 5
Click the “Start” button to proceed to setting up your domain settings.
Step 6
You can add additional users if you’d like (at $5 per month) but if you do not need any additional, you already created your account, you can check the box and click “Next” button.
Step 7
There are multiple methods for verifying your domain. We will use the HTML Verification File method.
Select the HTML VF method and download the file.
Step 8
Log into your web hosting company (this is Bluehost) and navigate to your File Manager option.
Alternatively, you can use FTP if you’ve set that up already.
Step 9
Click the Upload option and and select the file you downloaded from Google.
Step 10
Check off the “I downloaded the HTML verification file” selection and check off the “I uploaded the HTML verification file.”
Step 11
Go back into your web hosting account and check off the “I have opened the control panel for my domain.”
Step 12
In your web hosting tools, select the “MX Entry” option. We’re looking at Bluehost so it will look different if you’re using a different host. You may not see MX and only DNS Zone Editor. If that’s the case, you can most likely accomplish what you need there.
Step 13
If you have multiple domains, make sure we are working on the proper domain.
In the “Add DNS Record” section you want to select MX as the records you want to change.
Step 14
Add the MX records that Google provides. There are five records that you will have to add using the EXACT values that Google specifies on YOUR screen.
Step 15
Paste the Google values as depicted here.
Step 16
Find the section for MX records and delete any non-Google MX records.
As a precaution if you change your mind or something prevents you from using Google Apps take a screenshot of records you are deleting in the event you have to revert back
Step 17
Check off the “I have deleted existing MX records.” box after you’ve deleted all the non-Google MX records.
Step 18
Click the “Verify Domain and Setup Email” button to proceed.
Step 19
The next page (what you’re looking at now) will have a green status bar. When the bar reaches the end (full green) that will indicate everything was successful!
Click the “Next” button when complete.
Step 20
Select the Google Apps plan that you would like to use. You most likely do not need the unlimited option and it is recommended that you choose the Google Apps $5 month per person choice.
Step 21
Verify your users and values and click “Continue” button.
Step 22
One final review of your selections and check the terms box and click the “Continue” button.
Step 23
Select whether or not you want to pay as an individual or as a business. Add your billing details just like you would for any other online purchase.
Scroll down select your payment terms and continue.
Step 24
You’ve completed your setup. You can configure your individual services (calendar, email, drive, etc.) to be accessed by custom domains, i.e., mail.yourdomain.com.
Click the “Apps” icon.
Step 25
Select the “Google Apps” selection.
Step 26
Select the “Gmail” option from the services list.
Step 27
Scroll down and select the “Advanced settings” option at the bottom.
Step 28
You can see your current login url (although you can login at gmail.com as well). Click the “Change URL” option.
Step 29
In the Custom URLs section select the custom option from the Gmail URL options.
Type in the name you’d like to use. For this example and what is recommended is the “mail” name. Click “Save”.
Alternative options would include email or inbox.
Step 30
To complete this section you’ll need to update the CNAME records using the same interface as we used for updating the MX records.
Step 31
Revisit your web hosting cpanel and select the DNS Zone Editor.
This is Bluehost, your panel will look different.
Step 32
As a precaution, take a screenshot of current records and then proceed to delete any CNAMES utilizing the mail.xxxxxxx.com name. You’ll see there are three below. Also check your AAA records for any items using mail.xxxxxxx.com name - delete those as well.
Step 33
As a precaution, take a screenshot of current records and then proceed to delete any CNAMES utilizing the mail.xxxxxxx.com name. You’ll see there are three below. Also check your AAA records for any items using mail.xxxxxxx.com name - delete those as well.
Step 34
Make sure you are configuring the proper domain and add the following values as a CNAME record.
The ghs.googlehosted.com is provided by Google.
Step 35
Verify that the CNAME is added correctly.
Proceed to your new mail address, mail.xxxxxxx.com and verify that it brings you to a Google login screen.
You are good to go!