How to set up Google Apps email in Hostgator cPanel

 

The steps below will show you how to integrate Google Apps with your domain and website using cPanel, as provided by Hostgator. They may be able to use cPanel with other hosts.

About cPanel, Google Apps and Website Hosting

Hostgator hosting services, including website and email hosting, are resold by us. When clients decide to host with us, they will already have a Google Apps account set up. Google Apps is a paid (for most people) service that includes a Gmail-like email client as well as community calendaring and document sharing capabilities. Excellent customer support (that used to be free for many). Instead of using our hosting plan, our clients with Google Apps have their email (and, in most cases, calendaring and file sharing) hosted by Google Apps.

As a result, we'll need to take a few extra measures to get the email set up. These measures are outlined below. While we use Hostgator's cPanel, cPanel is fairly common regardless of which host is using it. (Learn more about cPanel.) Even if Hostgator is not your host, these measures should work, but double-check with them.

As of the date this post was posted, these steps worked. You can, however, proceed at your own risk (which can include affecting your ability to send or receive email). Consider making adjustments like this when you have the most email downtime available.

Steps to set up Google Apps email (and calendar and drive) in Hostgator Cpanel

1. Google Apps requires that your domain be "checked." This article assumes you've already done so.
2. You'll need to update the nameservers at your domain registrar to point to the new host. Our nameservers are ns1.goatcloudhosting.com and ns2.goatcloudhosting.com, respectively. You'll have different nameservers if you use a different host.
3. Attach an A record to your host if it isn't already there. Login into cPanel (with us, go to yourdomain.com/cpanel, and log in with your username and password).
4. In cPanel's "Domains" section, select "Advanced DNS Zone Editor."

The term "name" refers to the name of your website. TTL stands for "14400." "A" is the form. The IP address allocated to your domain (which you should have got at the time of setup). If you're not sure, go to cPanel's home page and look for the dedicated IP address.

5. We must now configure email routing. Return to the cPanel home page.

6. Let's update the MX records with the Google Apps details. In cPanel's "Mail" section, select "MX Entry."

7. Switch to "Remote Mail Exchanger" for email routing. Choose "Remote Mail Exchanger" and then "Alter."

8. Shift the email routing to "Remote Mail Exchanger." Select "Alter" and then "Remote Mail Exchanger."

9. Wait for propagation to happen. The mechanism by which the Internet is aware of how to route email based on the settings changes you just made is known as propagation. It might take up to 72 hours, but it's more likely to happen sooner.

👉 Also, you can read:Point HostGator DNS to WP Engine

10. Now let's make sure we don't get any spam in your inbox. An SPF record must be developed. Return to the Cpanel home page and choose Advanced DNS zone editor.

11. Let's go ahead and add the record. The term "name" refers to the name of your website. TTL stands for "3600." TXT is the form. “v=spf1 include: spf.google.com all” is the “TXT Data.” Make certain you only have one SPF record. Multiple records may cause the Internet email system to become confused, resulting in your outbound messages being mistakenly marked as spam.

12. Optional: Use DKIM to authenticate email sending. This move isn't covered in this article. The URL below contains useful details.

13. How about your Google Calendar and Drive accounts? You may have set up your Google Apps account so that users on your domain can easily access email, calendar, or documents, for example, by using a URL like "mail.yourdomain.com" as the email login page. If you did, you'll need to build relevant CNAME records to ensure uninterrupted service. Consider the following URLs: mail.yourdomain.com (for email), calendar.yourdomain.com (for calendar), and docs.yourdomain.com (for documents) (Drive files). For each, you'll need a CNAME record.

14. Let's start putting the records together. The URLs indicated above (one record for each), mail.yourdomain.com, calendar.yourdomain.com, and docs.yourdomain.com, will be used as “Name.” TTL is “3600” in each case; Type is “CNAME”; and “CNAME” is “ghs.googlehosted.com”.

15. You've done it! Let's double-check that you did everything correctly. MXToolbox can be used to check MX setup. If all is set up correctly, you should receive the MX records you specified in the previous steps, and the email should arrive as scheduled. Keep in mind that propagation takes time.

Relevant links for setting up Google Apps via Hostgator Cpanel

1. Google Apps
2. Google Apps support: verify domain ownership
3. Hostgator Google Apps walkthrough
4. Hostgator Google Apps wizard
5. Google Apps support: create SPF record
6. Google Apps support: authenticate email with DKIM
7. MX Toolbox SuperTool
8. Have you ever made this transition? What hurdles did you face? Do you know a better way? Leave a comment below.

Have you ever made this transition? What hurdles did you face? Do you know a better way? Leave a comment below.