Setting up forwarding in Gmail

Read Setting up email first: it explains where to find your category's forwarding address (something like tender+c1a2b3c4d5@tenderapp.com).

This article covers Gmail and Google Workspace. If your support address is a Gmail or Workspace mailbox that someone can log in to, follow the Gmail steps below while logged in as that mailbox. If it's a Workspace group (a list that delivers to several people), see Google Workspace groups.

The steps happen in Gmail and the Google Admin console, so there are no screenshots here; Google moves its menus from time to time, but the names below stay close.

Step 1: add Tender as a forwarding address

Gmail only forwards to an address it has confirmed.

1. In Gmail, click the gear icon at the top right, then See all settings.
   
2. Open the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
   
3. Click Add a forwarding address, paste the Tender forwarding address, and click Next, then Proceed.

Gmail now sends a confirmation email, with a link and a code, to the Tender address.

Step 2: confirm the address

The confirmation email comes to Tender like any other email to that category: it shows up as a new discussion from Google in your dashboard. If it's not there after a few minutes, look in Spam in the dashboard's sidebar.

Open it and click the confirmation link, or copy the code into the box under Forwarding in Gmail's settings and click Verify. Then delete the discussion.

Step 3: forward your email

There are two ways to forward. Choose one.

Forward everything. Best when the mailbox is only used for support.

1. In Forwarding and POP/IMAP, select Forward a copy of incoming email to and pick the Tender address.
   
2. Choose what Gmail does with its own copy. Archive Gmail's copy keeps the inbox tidy while keeping a backup.
   
3. Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.

Forward some email with a filter. Best when the same inbox also gets mail that isn't support.

1. Leave Forwarding set to Disable forwarding. The filter does the forwarding; if you also turn on forwarding here, Gmail forwards everything.
   
2. Click the Show search options icon at the right end of Gmail's search box.
   
3. Fill in what support email has in common, for example To: support@yourcompany.com, and click Create filter.
   
4. Tick Forward it to, pick the Tender address (only confirmed addresses are listed), and click Create filter.

That's it. Test your forward by writing to your support address from another account.

Google Workspace groups

If your support address is a Google Group (for example support@yourcompany.com delivering to several people), add the Tender address to the group as a member instead of setting up forwarding:

1. In the Google Admin console, open Directory › Groups and click the group (or open the group at groups.google.com if you manage it there).
   
2. Under Members, click Add members, enter the Tender forwarding address and add it.

Two group settings matter:

• Who can post: customers outside your company must be able to email the group. If they can't, their mail never reaches Tender either.
• External members: the Tender address is outside your domain. If the group won't accept it, an administrator has to allow external members for groups (in the Admin console, under the Groups for Business sharing settings), then allow them on this group.

If the Admin console refuses the address because of the +, use a dot instead: tender+c1a2b3c4d5@tenderapp.com becomes tender.c1a2b3c4d5@tenderapp.com. Tender treats both the same way.

Forwarding is turned off for your organisation

A Workspace administrator can stop people forwarding mail outside the company. If Gmail doesn't offer Add a forwarding address, or the Forward it to option is missing, ask your administrator to allow automatic forwarding (in the Admin console, under Apps › Google Workspace › Gmail › End User Access).

Something not working?

See Troubleshooting & Heartbeats, or start a discussion and we'll help.