Creating a shared inbox can simplify email management for your WordPress site team.
This setup allows your team to view and respond to emails from a single location, ensuring that no messages are overlooked.
Fortunately, you can easily establish a shared Gmail inbox using a WordPress plugin or the Google Groups application. In this guide, we will demonstrate two methods for setting up a shared Gmail inbox on your WordPress site.
Why Is a Shared Email Inbox Essential for Your WordPress Site?
If you’re starting a business website, you’ll soon need a shared email inbox to facilitate your operations.
At CanadaCreate, we utilize a shared professional email inbox to manage hundreds of daily communications, including partnership inquiries and affiliate messages. This ensures our team stays coordinated and can respond promptly to every email.
Other brands under Awesome Motive, such as WPForms and OptinMonster, also rely on shared business email inboxes. They use these to collect customer inquiries and support requests, streamlining their response process.
Does Gmail Provide a Shared Email Inbox Option?
Gmail does not have a built-in shared inbox feature. While you could create a new Gmail account and share the password, we strongly recommend against this approach.
Sharing passwords can lead to security vulnerabilities such as unauthorized access and challenges in monitoring account activity. Additionally, granting all team members access to the same email account may risk exposing sensitive information.
An alternative approach is to utilize Google Groups for managing a shared inbox.
Based on our experience, while this feature is quick and free, it may not be the most effective method for team email communication. It lacks essential features that can enhance collaboration and speed up email responses.
Therefore, this guide will present two methods for setting up a shared Gmail inbox for your WordPress site. You can use the quick links below to jump to your preferred method:
- Method 1: Set Up a Shared Gmail Inbox Using Heroic Inbox
- Method 2: Set Up a Shared Gmail Inbox Using Google Groups (Free)
- Bonus Tip: Enhance Your WordPress Email Deliverability with WP Mail SMTP
Method 1: Set Up a Shared Gmail Inbox Using Heroic Inbox
To create a shared inbox within WordPress, we recommend using Heroic Inbox. This help desk plugin allows you to connect your WordPress site with Gmail, establish a shared email inbox, and invite team members to collaborate effectively.
Step 1: Install and Configure the Heroic Inbox Plugin
To get started, purchase a Heroic Inbox plan from the HeroThemes website, as there is no free version available for this plugin. For detailed pricing information, check out our comprehensive HeroThemes review.
After purchasing a plan, you will receive your account details, download link, and license key via email. Use the link in the email to download the plugin.
Next, access your WordPress admin area to install the plugin. For detailed guidance, refer to our beginner’s guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
Once the plugin is successfully installed and activated, you will be prompted to enter your license key. Input the key and click the ‘Activate’ button to proceed.
You will now see two options for adding an email inbox to Heroic Inbox: generic or Gmail.
Select the ‘Gmail’ option to proceed.
You will then be prompted to enter your Google Workspace app credentials.
Heroic Inbox will provide an Authorized Redirect URI that you must enter when creating your Google Workspace app. This is a specific URL that an application registers with an authorization server (such as Google or Facebook) to securely receive authentication responses.
Next, we will guide you through the process of creating a Google app to obtain your credentials for Heroic Inbox.
Step 2: Set Up a Google Workspace App for Heroic Inbox
Begin by visiting the Google Cloud Console website. If you haven’t logged into your Google Workspace account yet, please do so now.
Then, click on the ‘Select a project’ menu located at the top-left corner of the page.
A pop-up will appear prompting you to choose a project.
Since we are creating a new Google Workspace app for Heroic Inbox, simply select ‘New Project’ in the upper right corner of the window.
At this point, you will need to enter a project name. Choose something easily recognizable, such as ‘Heroic Inbox Project.’
You will also need to select a location for your project in Google Cloud. You can opt for ‘No organization’ and then click the ‘Create’ button.
The next step is to use the search bar to find the ‘Gmail API.’
Once you locate it, click on the Gmail API to select it.
On the following page, click ‘Enable.’
This action will allow Gmail to send and receive emails on behalf of the plugin.
You have successfully enabled the Gmail API, but you still need to connect it to Heroic Inbox.
Click the ‘Create Credentials’ button to get started.
Choose the type of API you want to use by selecting ‘Gmail API’ for this process.
For the data type, select ‘User data’ and then click ‘Next’ to proceed.
You can optionally upload a logo for your Google consent screen and enter your developer contact information, such as your email address.
Click ‘Save and Continue’ to move forward.
The next step involves configuring permission scopes, which is optional.
Heroic Inbox suggests skipping this step, so you can scroll down to the next section.
In the OAuth Client ID section, select the application type as ‘Web application.’
Enter a name for your application, such as ‘Heroic Inbox Integration.’
Return to your Heroic Inbox plugin settings page to find the Authorized Redirect URI and copy it.
Go back to Google Cloud and paste the URI into the designated field.
Once you have completed this, click ‘Create’ to finalize the setup.
Google Cloud will generate your OAuth 2 Client ID and Client Secret for you.
Locate your Client ID on that page, then click ‘Download’ to save the Client Secret file to your computer.
Next, go to the ‘OAuth consent screen’ section in Google Cloud.
Click ‘Publish App’ to take the API out of testing mode.
Now, return to your Heroic Inbox plugin page. Paste the Client ID and Client Secret in the designated fields.
Important:Open the Client Secret file using a text editor like Notepad. Ensure you copy only the portion after "client_secret":" and ".
After copying, click ‘Validate.’
On the following screen, click the ‘Select Mailbox’ button.
You will be redirected to choose a Gmail account to connect with WordPress.
You can repeat this step to add additional Gmail inboxes as needed.
After selecting an account, check all boxes on the consent screen to ensure Heroic Inbox functions correctly.
Then, click ‘Continue.’
If the connection is successful, you will return to the Heroic Inbox plugin page and see the message, ‘Heroic Inbox is Ready!’
You can click the ‘Test Mailbox Configuration’ button to send yourself a test email using the Heroic Inbox plugin.
Refer to the screenshot below to see an example of a successful test email.
That’s all!
Step 3: Add WordPress Users to Your Mailbox
Now that you’ve integrated Heroic Inbox with Gmail, you can begin adding users to access the inbox.
Simply navigate to Heroic Inbox » Dashboard in the WordPress admin panel. There, you will find your mailbox. Click on the three-dot menu and choose ‘Mailbox Settings.’
Next, switch to the ‘Users’ tab.
Then, click ‘Add User’ to include new WordPress users in the inbox.
Select a user from the dropdown menu and assign them the appropriate role, either as a Mailbox User or an Administrator.
Once you’re finished, click ‘Add User.’
Congratulations! You have successfully established a shared Gmail inbox for your WordPress blog or website.
Method 2: Create a Shared Gmail Inbox Using Google Groups (Free)
If you’re searching for a free tool to create a shared Gmail inbox, Google Groups is a viable option. However, keep in mind that its interface may not be very intuitive, and there could be limitations on the number of emails you can send each day.
If you have a small team and are just starting your business, Google Groups can serve as a useful temporary solution.
Begin by logging into your Gmail account. Next, navigate to the Google Groups website and click on ‘Create group.’
You will then need to choose a name for your group and set up a new group email address.
If you’re using a personal Gmail account, your domain will be @googlegroups.com. However, if you have a custom domain, the group email will reflect that domain.
Once you’ve completed this step, click ‘Next.’
Next, you can adjust your privacy settings.
Here, you can choose to make your Google group publicly searchable, restrict membership to invited members only, and set permissions for group members and managers.
When you’re finished with this section, click ‘Next.’
The following step involves adding members. Simply enter the email addresses of your team members in the fields for Group members, Group managers, or Group owners.
You can opt for the ‘Each email’ subscription option, which ensures that every group member receives notifications for new emails as they arrive, rather than in batches.
After completing the setup, click on ‘Create group.’
Once your group is created, go to ‘Group settings’ in the sidebar and select ‘General.’
Next, locate the section labeled ‘Enable additional Google Groups features’ and choose ‘Collaborative Inbox.’ After that, simply click the ‘Save changes’ button.
You can now use this email as your WordPress admin email address and for WordPress contact forms, popups, and more. This ensures you receive notifications whenever a website visitor sends you a message.
Bonus Tip: Enhance WordPress Email Deliverability with WP Mail SMTP
While WordPress is a fantastic platform for building websites, it is not the best choice for sending emails. This limitation arises because many WordPress hosting services are not configured to utilize the PHP mail() function, which is essential for sending emails.
Consequently, emails sent directly from WordPress sites often fail to reach their intended recipients.
This is why Gmail and other email service providers avoid using the PHP mail() function. Instead, they rely on SMTP configuration over SSL/TLS for sending and receiving emails.
You can easily configure your website to send emails using the WP Mail SMTP plugin. This tool allows your WordPress site to utilize SMTP settings, including Gmail’s SMTP server, rather than relying on the PHP mail function. This ensures your emails are successfully delivered and not lost in spam folders.
For more detailed information, check out our comprehensive guide on setting up WP Mail SMTP with any hosting provider.
We hope this guide has helped you set up a shared Gmail inbox for your WordPress site. Additionally, explore our tutorials on creating email newsletters and our top recommendations for the best contact form plugins.
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