Your Ultimate Guide to Google Groups Email in 2025

Individual email threads with a group can go sideways fast. Replies get buried, email notifications multiply, and suddenly, you’re stuck scrolling through 37 emails just to find that one key message.

Google Groups simplifies the chaos. It’s like upgrading your email to handle group conversations without the chaos—centralizing discussions, assigning tasks, and keeping everything organized in one spot.

The best part? Google Groups works seamlessly within Google’s ecosystem, so you don’t have to jump between platforms. While it doesn’t live inside Gmail, it plays nicely with it. You can still send and reply to messages from Gmail if that’s your preference.

You can use Google Groups in three primary ways: as an email list, a discussion board, or a collaborative inbox. Each one has its strengths, whether you’re sending announcements, running group discussions, or managing customer inquiries. In this post, we’ll break down how to use Google Groups for each of these use cases—and why it might just save your sanity.

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What are Google Groups email groups?

Also known as an email distribution list, a Google Groups email group is a group of people who are contacted using a shared email address. For example, you might want to send updates to everyone in a team. For this purpose, Google Groups is ideal because you can simply create a group and send an email to everyone in the group. 

Google Groups can be used for multiple purposes, but one of the most popular is as an email distribution list. Because of the way Google Groups was designed, it’s useful for sending mass messages but less suitable as a way of collaborating on email. Google Groups’s collaborative inbox feature goes some way towards addressing these challenges. You can turn this on in the group’s settings. 

When you create your Google Group, you have the option to name your group and choose a unique email address that anyone will be able to use to send messages to the group. To use a custom domain requires a paid Google Workspace account. 

So, as the name suggests, Google Groups is suitable for groups of users who want to send messages centered around particular discussion topics. 

Can I have email groups in Gmail?

If you prefer to stay within Gmail, you can also create an email group using the labels function. Instead of having to manually add each email address to a group email, you can simply select your label. Many people prefer this as a way of sending mass emails because you can also ensure you don’t miss out on any recipients. 

A Gmail group is different from a Google Group because, with a Google Group, everyone has access to a single shared inbox (although they can choose to receive updates in Gmail). With a Gmail group, everyone receives the email separately, and there is no way to collaborate effectively on email. 

In Gmail, you can’t send your emails to a single, shared email. Gmail groups are just a way for you to save time and more easily send mass emails to your recipients. You will need to reply to and forward emails normally. Google Groups keeps your discussions more organized around different topics, and it’s easier to access the archive. 

So, Gmail groups are not true ‘groups’; they are simply email addresses organized under a particular label. 

The benefits of using Google Groups

Group moderation

A Google Groups email list is superior to using email alone as it allows for group moderation for the group members. You can add and remove users from the Google group, deciding who can post and reviewing posts that have been submitted. This gives you more control over the content that is posted in your email list. 

Organizing conversations

In an ordinary email inbox, your group conversations can easily get lost, and there’s no way to search for a group email thread in your Gmail inbox. With Google Groups, you can navigate to your group and view all the conversations that have ever been conducted, as well as mark your favorites for later use. 

Ability to use Gmail’s Collaborative Inbox

Even though Google Groups is great as an email list, some teams want to use their group to collaborate on emails that are sent to the mailing list with unique features such as assigning conversations and marking them as complete. This allows groups of users to read and respond to emails without stepping on each other’s toes through the group email account. 

The 3 primary use cases for Google Groups

Google Groups might seem like a catch-all tool, but its functionality typically falls into three main buckets. Whether you’re using it for business or personal purposes, here’s a quick breakdown of how people use Google Groups:

1. Email Lists

This is the simplest and most common use case: sending emails to a group of people all at once. Think of it as a way to broadcast updates or announcements to customers, employees, or partners without needing to send individual messages. It’s great for one-way communication where you don’t expect—or necessarily want—replies cluttering up your inbox.

For example, if you are releasing a new product feature, a Google Group like updates@yourcompany.com lets you share the news with beta customers. Another common use case is to keep your employees in your entire organization in the loop for company-wide announcements. 

2. Discussion Boards

Google Groups started as a forum tool, and this is where it still shines (relatively speaking). Teams or communities can use it to create discussion threads on specific topics, share ideas, or collaborate asynchronously. Whether it’s a public forum or a private team space, the idea is to keep conversations organized and focused within threads.

For example, public Google Groups might host forums on niche hobbies, while private ones might be used internally to brainstorm project ideas or divvy up tasks.

3. Collaborative Inbox

This is where things get a little murky. Google Groups was never built to be a proper shared inbox, but the Collaborative Inbox feature tries to bridge the gap. It allows teams to assign topics, mark emails as resolved, and work together on email threads. While it’s better than nothing, it lacks the full functionality of a purpose-built shared inbox tool.

Many support teams have started out by using this functionality so that multiple people can respond to incoming customer inquiries. It’s a decent stopgap, but if you’re handling high email volume, you’ll outgrow it quickly. We’ll cover that further later in this article.

How to create a group email

If you want to go ahead and create a group email in Gmail, make sure you are logged into the Gmail account you want to use. You will also need to ensure that you have the email address of everyone you want to include in your group saved within your Contacts. 

Follow these steps: 

• Select the Google Apps icon (nine dots) in the top right-hand corner and go to Contacts. 

• Select the checkbox next to each contact you want to add to your group email. 
• Select the Manage Labels icon at the top of the list of contacts. 
• A dropdown will open and you will be able to select Create Label. 

• On the next popup, enter your label name and click Save. 
• The new label will then appear on the left-hand side of your Contacts page. 

You will then be able to send group emails to your new group when using Gmail, as long as you choose this label when sending your new emails. 

How to access email groups

The whole reason that you’ve created your Gmail email groups is so you can send group emails to a number of recipients at a time. This is in contrast to manually selecting each recipient from your contact book every time you want to send a group email. 

Gmail offers a handy way to access your Gmail groups once you have created them in Contacts. It’s as easy as selecting one of your contacts when composing your new email. 

If you want to access your previously saved groups in Gmail, make sure you have Gmail open and that you are logged in. 

Follow these steps: 

• Compose a new message using the top left-hand button labeled Compose. 
• This will open the Compose window, where you will be able to enter your recipient. 
• Start typing the name of your group in the To field.
• A drop-down list will open from which you will be able to select your group. 
• Compose your message as normal and then click Send to your email list. 

If you want to edit the members of your list or the name of your list, then you will need to head back to your Contacts. 

Google Groups vs Gmail as a mailing list

You may prefer to use a Gmail mailing list over Google Groups because it is designed more for personal use. There is no dedicated inbox for managing your group messages. Instead, everything is sent and received through Gmail. 

Gmail works perfectly well if you are only sending a few messages, for example, within a small team or trying to stay in touch with a select group of customers. If you want to facilitate something along the lines of more group discussions, think about transitioning over to Google Groups. 

One of the limitations of a Gmail mailing list is there is no way to search for all conversations within your group. The advantage of a Google group in this area is that all your conversations are kept in one place and archived for later use if you need them. Another advantage of Google Groups is the ability to mark important conversations which you can easily access. 

Use a Gmail mailing list with a group label for simple conversations that don’t require much interaction from your recipients. 

How to use Google Groups as a distribution board

If you want to create a Google distribution group, you need to head over to Google Groups. An email distribution group is the same as setting up any other kind of Google Group, so make sure you have the email address of everyone you want to include. 

Follow these steps: 

• Make sure you are logged into Google Groups. 
• Select the Create Group button in the top left-hand corner. 

• Enter your group name, unique group email and group description in the fields available. 
• You then click Next and you can choose the privacy settings of your group. 
• Choose who can search for the group, who can join the group, who can view conversations and who can post. 
• Click Next, and then you will be taken to the next screen where you can invite members. 
• You can enter new email addresses, or start typing and choose from suggested contacts who are already in your address book. 
• Include an invitation message and select Create group. 
• Complete the captcha and select Create group again. 
• This will open a screen that contains a summary of your new group, from where you can then select Go to group. 
• As the administrator, you will receive an email alerting you that a new group has been created. 

You can start a new conversation in the group panel to begin using your new Google group. 

How to use Google Groups as a Collaborative Inbox

A Google Groups collaborative inbox allows teams to manage and respond to emails collectively.

• Start by creating your Collaborative Inbox Google Group, and fill in the following group details.
• Choose a descriptive group name (e.g., “Customer Support Team”).
• Then, choose your group email address: Pick an address like support@yourcompany.com.
• Add your group description.
• Then, click Next and adjust the privacy settings to control who can search for, join, and interact with the group.
• Add members by entering their email addresses and finalize by clicking Create group.
• Now, enable collaborative inbox features by logging back into Google Groups and selecting your group.
• Click Group Settings in the left-hand menu. Under “Enable additional Google Groups features,” check the box for Collaborative inbox.
• Then, set permissions for team members to assign topics, take ownership of conversations, and mark emails as resolved.
• Click Save to finalize the settings.
• Now, set up notifications and manage email delivery. You’ll want to make sure email delivery is enabled so group members receive notifications for new messages.
• You can also configure group settings to allow specific categories, such as inquiries or escalations, for better organization.

How to access all of your Google Groups

Once you’ve created your Google Groups, it’s easy enough to find on the Google Groups dashboard. Make sure you’re logged into Google and head over to Google Groups. 

Follow these steps: 

• You should automatically be taken to My Groups.
• If not, select My Groups or Recent Groups from the menu on the left-hand side. 
• You should see a list of all your groups displayed on the right-hand panel. 
• You will see the name, email address, and description in the first column. 
• In the second column, you will see the date that you joined. 
• In the third column, you will see your subscription type. 
• To view any group, select it from the list. 
• You will be taken to the group, where you’ll be able to see all past conversations saved within the group. 

All members of a group can post to a group and take part in conversations. 

The limitations of Google Groups

While Google Groups can be a useful tool for managing group conversations, it does have its limitations.

For one, it’s not designed to be a fully-featured shared inbox, which means it can struggle with high-volume or complex workflows. Features like analytics, seamless Gmail integration, and advanced collaboration tools are notably absent.

Additionally, the interface can feel clunky for teams accustomed to more modern tools, and customizing permissions or managing threads can quickly become cumbersome.

For larger teams or businesses that need robust email management, these gaps can make Google Groups feel like a stopgap rather than a long-term solution.

Why Keeping is the Best Google Groups Email Alternative

If you’re thinking about using Google Groups as a shared inbox for customer support, let me stop you right there. There’s a better way. Keeping takes everything you’re trying to make work with Google Groups and makes it, well, actually work. Built right on top of Gmail, it turns your inbox into a proper customer service tool without the headache of duct-taping together a solution that Google Groups was never designed for.

With Keeping as your Google Groups alternative, you can assign emails to the right team member, update statuses so everyone knows what’s happening, and even leave private notes for your team. All without leaving Gmail. Plus, it’s built specifically for customer service teams, so you can collaborate like a well-oiled machine.

Keeping also comes with built-in analytics. You’ll finally know how fast your team is responding, how many inquiries are rolling in, and what’s slipping through the cracks (if anything). This kind of visibility lets you plan resources and keep everything running smoothly—something Google Groups doesn’t even attempt to offer.

The best part? Keeping is easy to use, affordable, and doesn’t require a degree in IT to set up. If you’re serious about making email a team sport, ditch Google Groups and try Keeping. You’ll wonder why you ever tried to make Groups do something it wasn’t built to do.

Wrapping Up

While Google Groups is a great alternative to regular email for staying in contact with groups of people through email lists, your emails may still spiral out of control.

Google Groups is quite versatile, but eventually, a lot of teams outgrow it. If you need an upgrade, Keeping is designed to work with Gmail. You have all the usual features of email, including features like analytics and automation. Start your free 14-day trial here.

Google Groups Frequently Asked Questions