Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) provides professional email through Gmail along with powerful collaboration tools like Google Drive, Calendar, Meet, and Docs. You can use Google Workspace for your email while keeping your website hosted on SakuraHost. This guide walks you through the complete setup process.
Why Choose Google Workspace?
While SakuraHost cPanel email is excellent for most businesses, Google Workspace offers additional advantages for organizations that need:
- 30 GB+ storage per user (Business Starter) with options up to 5 TB
- Gmail's superior spam filtering and AI-powered email organization
- Google Drive for cloud file storage and collaboration
- Google Meet for video conferencing with up to 100-500 participants
- Google Calendar for scheduling across your organization
- Admin Console for centralized user management and security policies
- 99.9% uptime guarantee with Google's global infrastructure
Step 1: Sign Up for Google Workspace
Step 1.2: Enter your business name and number of employees.
Step 1.3: When prompted for a domain, select "I already have a domain" and enter your domain name (e.g., yourdomain.co.tz).
Step 1.4: Create your first admin account (e.g., admin@yourdomain.co.tz).
Step 1.5: Complete the purchase process and access the Google Admin Console at admin.google.com.
Step 2: Verify Domain Ownership
Google needs to confirm you own the domain before activating email services. The recommended method is adding a TXT record to your DNS:
google-site-verification=xxxxxxxxxxxx).Step 2.2: Log in to cPanel via billing.sakurahost.co.tz.
Step 2.3: Go to Domains > Zone Editor.
Step 2.4: Click Manage next to your domain, then + Add Record.
Step 2.5: Select TXT record type. Set the Name to your domain and paste Google's verification string as the Value.
Step 2.6: Click Save, then return to the Google Admin Console and click Verify. Allow a few minutes for DNS propagation.
Step 3: Configure MX Records
MX (Mail Exchange) records tell the internet which servers handle email for your domain. You need to update these to point to Google's mail servers.
Step 3.2: Add the following Google Workspace MX records:
Priority 5 → ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM
Priority 5 → ALT2.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM
Priority 10 → ALT3.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM
Priority 10 → ALT4.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM
Step 4: Set Up SPF Record for Google Workspace
Update your SPF record to authorize Google's servers to send email on your domain's behalf:
v=spf1).Step 4.2: Edit the record to include Google's SPF. If your website on SakuraHost also sends emails (e.g., contact forms), keep both:
If only Google Workspace will send email for your domain:
Step 5: Enable DKIM Signing
Step 5.2: Click Generate new record. Google will provide a TXT record name and value.
Step 5.3: In cPanel's Zone Editor, add this as a new TXT record. The name will be something like
google._domainkey.yourdomain.co.tz.Step 5.4: After DNS propagation (up to 48 hours), return to the Google Admin Console and click Start authentication.
Step 6: Configure DMARC
Add a DMARC record to complete your email authentication setup:
Name: _dmarc.yourdomain.co.tz
Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.co.tz
For full DMARC documentation, visit DMARC.org. Monitor reports for 2-4 weeks before tightening the policy to p=quarantine or p=reject.
Step 7: Create User Accounts
Step 7.2: Click Add new user for each team member.
Step 7.3: Enter their name and desired email address.
Step 7.4: Set a temporary password and require a password change on first login.
For detailed user management instructions, refer to the Google Workspace Admin Help documentation.
Keeping Website Forms Working
If your SakuraHost website uses PHP mail functions or contact forms that send email, you may need to configure those to use SMTP authentication through Google Workspace rather than the local server's mail function. Popular WordPress plugins like WP Mail SMTP can handle this. Use these SMTP settings:
SMTP Port: 587
Encryption: TLS
Authentication: OAuth 2.0 or App Password
Username: your Google Workspace email address