How to Create and Test a Collaborative Email in Google Groups

This article explains how to create a Google Group, enable the Collaborative Inbox feature, add members, configure “Send As” to send email from the group address, and test the shared inbox using your University of Maine System (UMS) Google account. A Collaborative Inbox allows group members to assign, track, and resolve email conversations from a single shared group address.

Instructions

Part 1: Create a Google Group

1. Sign in to Google Groups.
2. At the top, click Create group.
3. Enter the following information for the group:
   • Group name – Choose a name that clearly identifies the group’s purpose (up to 73 characters).
   • Group email – Enter the email address for the group. This will be the shared address that receives messages (e.g., department-group@maine.edu).
   • Group description – (Optional) Describe the group’s purpose so members understand its use.
4. Configure your Privacy settings:
   • Who can search for group – Choose who can find the group (e.g., Organization members).
   • Who can join group – Select the appropriate option (e.g., Only invited users).
   • Who can view conversations – Choose who can see messages posted to the group.
   • Who can post – Choose who can send messages to the group email address.
   • Who can view members – Choose who can see the group’s member list.
5. Add initial members by entering names or email addresses, and assign roles (Member, Manager, or Owner) as needed.
6. Click Create group.

Source: Create a group & choose group settings — Google Groups Help

Part 2: Enable the Collaborative Inbox Feature

After creating your group, you must enable the Collaborative Inbox feature in the group settings. Conversation history must also be enabled for the Collaborative Inbox to function.

1. Sign in to Google Groups.
2. Click the name of the group you created.
3. On the left, click Group settings.
4. Under Enable additional Google Groups features, select Collaborative Inbox.
5. Click Save changes.

Source: Make a group a Collaborative Inbox — Google Workspace Learning Center

Part 3: Add Members to the Group

If you did not add all intended members when creating the group, you can add them afterward.

1. Sign in to Google Groups.
2. Click the name of the group.
3. On the left, click Members.
4. At the top, click Add members.
5. Enter the email addresses of the people to invite.
6. (Optional) Add a welcome message to the email notification for new members.
7. Click Add members.

Source: Add people to your group — Google Groups Help

Part 4: Set Permissions for Collaborative Inbox Members

For members to use Collaborative Inbox features (assigning conversations, marking them as resolved, etc.), group owners or managers must grant the correct permissions.

• Assign conversations and mark as complete – Requires the Who can moderate metadata permission.
• Mark as “no action needed” or “duplicate” – Requires the Who can moderate content permission.

To set these permissions:

1. Sign in to Google Groups.
2. Click the name of the group.
3. On the left, click Group settings.
4. Adjust the Who can moderate metadata and Who can moderate content permissions to include the appropriate roles (e.g., Managers or all Members).
5. Click Save changes.

Source: Use a group as a Collaborative Inbox — Google Workspace Learning Center

Part 5: Set Up “Send As” to Send Email from the Group Address in Gmail

By default, when a group member replies to a conversation, the reply is sent from their personal @maine.edu address. If you want members to be able to send email from the group address (e.g., department-group@maine.edu), each member must add the group as a “Send As” address in their Gmail settings. This requires a one-time configuration change in the group and a verification step in Gmail.

Step A: Temporarily Allow “Anyone on the Web” to Post

Gmail sends an automated confirmation code to the group address during setup. For this confirmation email to be delivered and visible in the group, the group’s posting permission must temporarily be set to allow anyone to post.

1. Sign in to Google Groups.
2. Click the name of the group.
3. On the left, click Group settings > General.
4. Under Who can post, select Anyone on the web.
5. Click Save changes.

Step B: Add the Group Address in Gmail

1. Open Gmail using your UMS @maine.edu account.
2. In the top right, click the gear icon, then click See all settings.
3. Click the Accounts and Import tab (or Accounts tab).
4. In the Send mail as section, click Add another email address.
5. Enter your name and the group email address (e.g., department-group@maine.edu).
6. Click Next Step and then Send verification.
7. Gmail will send a confirmation code to the group. Go to Google Groups, open the group, and find the confirmation message in Conversations (or under Pending if moderation is enabled).
8. Copy the confirmation code or click the confirmation link in the message.
9. Return to Gmail and enter the code if prompted.

Step C: Clean Up and Restore Settings

1. In Google Groups, delete the confirmation email from the group’s conversations:
   • If using message moderation: On the left, under Conversations, click Pending. Locate the confirmation message and click Reject message.
   • If not using moderation: Click Conversations, check the box next to the confirmation message, and click the Delete icon at the top right.
2. Decide whether to restore or keep the Who can post setting (see guidance below).
3. If you enabled message moderation in Step A and no longer need it, restore it to its previous setting as well.

Step D: Send Email as the Group (Optional Default Setting)

Once verified, you can send an email from the group address when composing a message in Gmail:

1. In Gmail, click Compose.
2. In the From field, click the drop-down and select the group email address.
3. Compose and send your message. The recipient will see the email as coming from the group address.

To make the group address your default “From” address:

1. Go to Gmail Settings > Accounts and Import (or Accounts).
2. In the Send mail as section, click Make default next to the group email address.

Source: Add a group as an email address in Gmail — Google Groups Help

Source: Send emails from a different address or alias — Gmail Help

Part 6: Test the Collaborative Inbox

Once the group is created and Collaborative Inbox is enabled, test it to confirm everything is working properly.

Step A: Send a Test Email

1. Open Gmail using your UMS Google account (or have a colleague send the test email).
2. Compose a new email and address it to the group email address you created (e.g., department-group@maine.edu).
3. Add a subject line such as “Test — Collaborative Inbox” and include a brief message body.
4. Click Send.

Step B: Verify the Message Appears in the Group

1. Sign in to Google Groups.
2. Click the name of your group.
3. Confirm the test email appears as a new conversation in the group.

Step C: Assign the Conversation

1. Click on the test conversation to open it.
2. At the top, click the Assign topic icon (person icon).
3. Select a group member to assign the conversation to (or assign it to yourself).
4. Verify the assignment appears next to the conversation in the conversation list.

Step D: Mark the Conversation as Complete

1. Open the assigned test conversation.
2. At the top, click the Mark as complete icon (checkmark icon).
3. Verify that the conversation now displays a Complete status in the conversation list.

Step E: Search by Status or Assignee (Optional)

1. In the group, click the down arrow in the search bar at the top.
2. Use the Assigned to or Resolved status filters to search for conversations.
3. Click Search to confirm the filters return the expected results.

Source: Use a group as a Collaborative Inbox — Google Workspace Learning Center

Part 7: Using Shared Labels (Optional)

You can organize Collaborative Inbox conversations with shared labels visible to all group members.

1. Sign in to Google Groups and click your group's name.
2. On the left, click Group settings.
3. Under Shared labels, check the box for Enable shared labels for this group.
4. In the left menu, point to Labels and click the three vertical dots, then click Add label.
5. Enter a label name (label names cannot include spaces) and click Add.
6. To apply a label to a conversation, select the conversation, click the Labels icon in the upper-right menu, and check the box next to the desired label.

Environment

• Google Workspace for Education (UMS)
• Google Groups (groups.google.com)
• All major web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari)
• Applies to: Students, Faculty, and Staff with a UMS Google account