Managing Members, Permissions, and Settings in Google Groups

This article covers the ongoing management of a Google Group used for email communication at the University of Maine System (UMS). It includes instructions for adding and removing members, assigning roles, configuring posting permissions, customizing email options, testing group email delivery, and viewing message archives. These steps apply to groups that have already been created.

Instructions

Getting Started

1. Go to https://groups.google.com
2. Sign in with your @maine.edu account.
3. Click on My Groups, then click the group you want to manage.

Adding Members to the Group

1. From the left menu, click Members.
2. Click Add members.
3. Enter the email addresses of the people you want to add (comma-separated if adding multiple).
4. (Optional) Add a welcome message to the notification email.
5. Choose a subscription type. We recommend "Each email" so members receive all messages.
6. Click Add members.

Removing Members from the Group

1. From the left menu, click Members.
2. Check the box next to the person you want to remove.
3. Click the Remove member icon at the top of the member list.

Setting Member Roles

Google Groups offers three roles with different levels of access:

• Owner – Full administrative access. Only owners can delete the group or change another owner’s role.
• Manager – Can moderate content and manage members and settings. Managers cannot delete the group or assign the Owner role.
• Member – Can participate in email discussions and view conversations (based on group permissions).

To change a member’s role:

1. From the left menu, click Members.
2. Click the role dropdown next to the user’s name.
3. Select Owner, Manager, or Member.

Configuring Who Can Send Emails to the Group

You can control who is allowed to post messages to the group email address:

1. From the left menu, click Group settings.
2. Under Posting policies, find the Who can post setting.
3. Select the appropriate option:
   • All group members – Recommended for normal team communication.
   • Anyone on the web – Use only if external users need to contact the group.
   • Managers and owners only – Use for announcement-only groups.
4. Click Save changes.

Adding a Subject Prefix or Footer (Optional)

Adding a subject prefix helps members quickly identify group emails in their inbox. A footer can include helpful information such as group instructions or a disclaimer.

1. From the left menu, click Group settings.
2. Scroll to or click Email options.
3. To add a subject prefix (e.g., [Advising Team]), enter it in the Subject prefix field.
4. To add a footer, check Include the standard Groups footer.
5. Click Save changes.

Testing Group Email Delivery

After making changes to your group, it is a good practice to verify that email delivery is working as expected.

1. Open Gmail and compose a new message.
2. In the To field, enter the group email address (e.g., department@maine.edu).
3. Add a subject line such as “Test — Group Email” and include a brief message body.
4. Click Send.
5. Confirm that all group members receive the email in their inbox.
6. Ask a group member to Reply to the test message and verify the reply is delivered to the group as expected.

Viewing Group Messages in the Web Interface

Members can view a complete archive of group emails through the Google Groups web interface:

1. Go to https://groups.google.com
2. Click the name of the group.
3. Click Conversations in the left menu to view the message history.

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 @maine.edu account