Gmail delegation gives an authorised colleague access to a mailbox without sharing its password. It can suit an assistant or a team managing a business mailbox. Delegation requires the organisation's policy to allow it, and an alias cannot be delegated as if it were a separate account.
IN THIS ARTICLE
01 Enable the intended access
- Confirm the mailbox and the colleague who should receive access. Decide how long the delegation is needed and who approves it.
- If the option is unavailable, have an administrator review Gmail's User Settings > Mail delegation policy for the relevant users.
- In the mailbox owner's browser Gmail, open Settings > See all settings > Accounts and Import or Accounts. In Grant access to your account, choose Add another account.
- Enter the eligible colleague's address, choose Next Step and send the access invitation. Have the intended person accept the invitation from their own account. Complete any Google identity check required for this sensitive change.
- After access is active, have the delegate open the mailbox through Gmail's account selector rather than using the owner's credentials.
02 Test the visible identity
Send a permitted test message and inspect how the sender is displayed to the recipient. Google Workspace administrators can control aspects of whether delegate information appears. Confirm that the result matches your organisation's expectations for customer correspondence.
What does Gmail delegation allow a colleague to do?
Delegates can perform supported mail actions, including reading and sending messages, but delegation is not unrestricted ownership of every Google service in the account. Use separate calendar or Drive permissions where those are needed.
03 Remove access when it ends
Return to the delegation settings and remove the person when the role or project ends. Verify that the mailbox is no longer available through their account. Review any separate groups or file permissions too.
If the invitation does not work, check the exact account, organisational restrictions and whether the target is a real eligible account rather than an alias. Allow for the documented activation time before sending duplicate invitations or weakening account security.