Task Library
Move the business off @gmail.com onto name@itsowndomain.com with a real mail provider, so every email reinforces the brand and deliverability can be authenticated.
Category: Digital Plumbing
Use this when the business still runs on a free @gmail/@yahoo address, or team members each use random personal addresses for business mail.
Inputs
- Domain with registrar/DNS access verified (run verify-domain-ownership-and-registrar-access first)
- Chosen mail provider – Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 are the standard choices
- List of needed addresses: owner (firstname@domain) plus role addresses (info@, support@) as required
Steps
- Sign the business up for the mail provider under the owner's control (owner is the admin of the Workspace/365 tenant – same ownership rule as every other platform).
- Create the owner's mailbox and any role addresses. Keep it simple: one real mailbox per human; role addresses can alias or forward.
- Add the provider's MX records at the DNS host (and remove old/conflicting MX). Mail flow follows MX – this is the cutover moment, so do it deliberately.
- Verify send and receive both directions: from the new address to an external account and back.
- Bridge the old address: set the legacy @gmail to forward to the new mailbox and reply from the domain address, so nothing is missed during migration.
- Update the public touchpoints to the domain address: website contact form recipient and displayed email, GBP, social profile contact fields, and email signatures (with the canonical NAP).
- Proceed immediately to configure-spf-dkim-dmarc-for-deliverability – an unauthenticated new domain address lands in spam.
Definition of done (QA checklist)
- name@businessdomain.com sends and receives successfully both directions
- MX records resolve to the chosen provider; no stale MX entries remain
- Owner holds admin of the mail tenant; mailboxes/aliases documented
- Website, GBP, and social contact points show the domain address; legacy address forwards
- Linked back to the definitive article and relevant siblings
- Complies with Blog Posting Guidelines (if it publishes content)
Example(s)
- Example needed – run the Meta-Article Prompt after first real run.
File in the zip: skills/digital-plumbing/set-up-professional-email-on-domain.md. Download the Task Library zip.
Index: Task Library. Article guidelines.
