Standard email setup for Gmail / Google Workspace

Connect your Gmail or Google Workspace email to Commslayer using the recommended Standard setup. This gives you unlimited sending with no daily caps.

Time required: About 10 minutes

Note: This is different from Gmail Quick Setup (OAuth). Standard setup requires DNS configuration but removes the 1,500 emails/day limit.

Before you start

You'll need:

Access to your domain's DNS settings (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, Google Domains, Shopify, etc.)
An email address on your domain (like support@yourstore.com) with a mailbox you can forward from

Don't use personal Gmail addresses. Free @gmail.com addresses like yourname@gmail.com or yourstorename@gmail.com won't work with Standard setup. You need a Google Workspace email on your own domain.

Step 1: Create your inbox in Commslayer

Go to Settings → Inboxes and click Add inbox
Select Email
Choose Standard setup (the recommended option)
Enter your support email address (e.g., support@yourstore.com)
Give your inbox a name (e.g., "Support" or your store name)
Click Create inbox

Step 2: Add DNS records

Commslayer will show you two DNS records to add. These let us send emails on your behalf.

Add the DKIM record

Log in to your domain registrar (where you manage your domain's DNS)
Find DNS settings or DNS management
Add a new TXT record:
- Name/Host: Copy from Commslayer (looks like xxxxxxxx._domainkey)
- Value: Copy the long string from Commslayer
- TTL: Leave as default
Save the record

Add the Return-Path record

Add a new CNAME record:
- Name/Host: Copy from Commslayer (looks like pm-bounces)
- Value: Copy from Commslayer
- TTL: Leave as default
Save the record

Verify your records

Click Verify in Commslayer. Records usually verify within a few minutes, but can take up to 48 hours to propagate.

Tip: If you're using Cloudflare, make sure the proxy is set to "DNS only" (gray cloud) for these records.

Step 3: Set up email forwarding in Gmail

Open Gmail and click the gear icon → See all settings
Go to the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab
Click Add a forwarding address
Paste the forwarding address from Commslayer
Click Next, then Proceed
Important: Google sends a confirmation email to Commslayer. Open your Commslayer inbox, find the email from Google, and click the confirmation link. Forwarding won't work until you do this.
Back in Gmail settings, select Forward a copy of incoming mail to and choose your Commslayer address
Choose keep Gmail's copy in the Inbox (recommended)
Click Save Changes

Step 4: Test your setup

Send a test email to your support address from a different email account. It should appear in your Commslayer inbox within a minute or two.

Only new forwarded emails will appear in Commslayer. Historical emails are not imported.

What changes with Standard setup

With Standard setup, Commslayer sends emails through our servers instead of Gmail's servers.

Sent emails won't appear in Gmail. Your replies to customers will only be visible in Commslayer. They won't show up in Gmail's Sent folder. Incoming emails still appear in both Gmail and Commslayer (since they're forwarded).

This is normal. Commslayer becomes your main workspace for customer conversations.

Common issues

DNS records not verifying

Wait up to 48 hours for propagation (usually much faster)
Check whatsmydns.net to see if your records have propagated
Make sure you didn't include your domain twice in the Name field
If using Cloudflare, ensure proxy is off (gray cloud)

Forwarding not working

Check your Commslayer inbox for the Google confirmation email. You must click the link before forwarding activates
Verify forwarding is enabled in Gmail settings (not just added)
Check that the correct forwarding address is selected

Emails not appearing in Commslayer

Make sure no Gmail filters are intercepting emails before forwarding