Google Collaborative Inbox Group

Overview

A Google Collaborative Inbox Group supports a central email address, similar to a "shared mailbox" or "delegated account." This type of group allows multiple staff to access, use and manage email requests sent to the group (alias). 

Members of a Collaborative Inbox group who have the correct permissions can:

• Take a conversation they volunteer to respond to.
• Assign responsibility for a conversation to another group member.
• Mark a conversation as complete, duplicate, or no action needed.
• Search for conversations according to resolution status or assignee.

How to Create

Step #1: Create a new group

Visit groups.google.com and select Create Group.

Type your Group name, and optionally add a description. Click Next. 

In the next window, Choose privacy settings should be as follows (screenshot below):

• Who can search for group: Entire organization
• Who can join group: Only invited users
• Who can view conversations: Group members
• Who can post: Anyone on the web
• Who can view members: Group members

Click Next. 

In the last window, Add members, add people to your group as Members, Managers or Owners as appropriate. As a general guideline, most people can be listed as Members. 

• Change Subscription to No Email

Click Create group to create your new group. 

Step #2: Configure your new Collaborative Inbox

There are several changes you will need to make to your new group, all of which are detailed below.  

In the General Section:

First, make these changes (see screenshot below):

1. Enable additional Google Groups features: Collaborative Inbox
2. Shared labels: select the checkbox to Enable shared labels for this group

Then double-check that "Who can view conversations" is set to Group Members:

In the Member Privacy section:

Make these changes (see screenshot below)

1. Who can contact group owners: Anyone on the web
2. Who can view member email addresses: Group members

In the Posting Policies section:

First, make sure these options are selected (see screenshot below):

• Allow Email Posting: option selected
• Allow web posting: option selected

Then check/change these settings (see screenshot below):

1. Who can reply privately to authors: Group owners
2. Who can attach files: Anyone on the web
3. Who can moderate content: Group managers
4. Who can moderate metadata: Group members
5. Who can post as a group: Group members
6. Default sender: Group address

Save changes

Finally, select Save changes at the bottom to make sure all your settings are saved. 

Step 3: Check members subscription

To make sure members don't receive every email (in their personal Inbox) which was sent to the Group, you will need to change the subscription. Please follow these steps:

1. While you are still in the Group settings, from the menu on the left, select People > Members:
   
    
2. For every member, change the Subscription to No email: