# Google Workspace Setup for Small Businesses Source: https://dijituldns.co.uk/google-workspace-setup/ Updated: 2026-10-18 > dijitul sets up Google Workspace on your domain so your team uses Gmail, Drive and Calendar with your own addresses. You pay Google's own per-user price direct to Google; our set-up is £45 an hour + VAT, or a fixed quote when existing mail is being moved. We verify the domain and add every DNS record. Price: £45 an hour + VAT ## Key facts - You pay Google's own per-user price; dijitul set-up is £45 an hour + VAT - Fixed quote available when existing mailboxes need moving - New set-ups use a single MX record: smtp.google.com, priority 1 - SPF include: _spf.google.com - DKIM published as TXT at google._domainkey, 2048-bit recommended - DMARC added at p=none, then tightened once reports look clean ## Is Google Workspace right for you? Google Workspace is a good fit when your team already thinks in Gmail and Google Docs. You get Gmail on your domain, shared calendars, Drive storage, Docs and Sheets, and Meet for video calls, all managed from one Admin console. It is worth the per-user cost if you share files and calendars every day. If your team only needs to send and receive email, basic [email hosting](https://dijituldns.co.uk/email-hosting/) may do the job for less. If you work in Outlook, Word and Excel, look at [Microsoft 365](https://dijituldns.co.uk/microsoft-365-email-setup/) instead. We compare the two in [Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 email](https://dijituldns.co.uk/compare/google-workspace-vs-microsoft-365-email/). ## What we set up - **Domain verification.** Google gives you a TXT record to prove you own the domain. We add it in your DNS. - **Users and addresses.** We create users, aliases and any groups such as sales@ or info@. - **MX record.** New set-ups use one MX record, `smtp.google.com` at priority 1. Older set-ups with five Google MX records still work, but we tidy them up when we touch the zone. - **SPF.** We add `include:_spf.google.com` to your single SPF record, alongside anything else that sends as you, such as your website or newsletter tool. - **DKIM.** We generate a key in the Admin console, publish it as a TXT record at `google._domainkey` (2048-bit), then switch signing on. - **DMARC.** A TXT record at `_dmarc` starting at `p=none`, so you get reports without risking delivery. ## Avoiding the common mistakes - **Two SPF records.** Adding a second `v=spf1` record for Google, rather than merging into the existing one, makes SPF fail for everything. - **Too many lookups.** SPF allows 10 DNS lookups. Several includes from different tools can push you over, and then SPF fails. - **DKIM left off.** Google does not sign with your domain until you publish the key and press start. Without it, DMARC relies on SPF alone. - **Proxied mail records.** In Cloudflare, mail-related records must be "DNS only". - **Old MX records left behind.** Mixing Google MX records with your previous provider's splits incoming mail between two places. For the records themselves, see [SPF, DKIM and DMARC records](https://dijituldns.co.uk/spf-dkim-dmarc-records/) and [MX records set-up](https://dijituldns.co.uk/mx-records-setup/). ## Bringing your existing mail across If your team already has mail on another service, we copy it into Google Workspace before switching the MX record, so nothing goes missing. The full method, from lowering the TTL to the final catch-up copy, is on [moving email provider](https://dijituldns.co.uk/moving-email-provider/). Contacts and calendars move separately from mail, so we plan for those too. ## Keeping it healthy after go-live Set-up is not quite the end. DMARC reports show every service sending mail as your domain, and whether it passes. Once the reports show only Google and your known tools passing, we move the policy from `p=none` to `p=quarantine`, then to `p=reject`, so spoofed mail claiming to be you is refused. This also keeps you on the right side of Google and Yahoo's sender rules. Since February 2024 every sender needs SPF or DKIM, and bulk senders (around 5,000 or more messages a day to personal Gmail accounts) need SPF, DKIM and DMARC with alignment. Most small businesses never reach that volume, but a newsletter list can. ## How dijitul helps You buy Google Workspace at Google's own per-user price and stay the account owner. Our set-up is £45 an hour + VAT, or a fixed quote for a move with existing mailboxes. We manage the DNS in Cloudflare afterwards, so later changes are quick. Call [01623 650333](tel:01623650333) or email [info@dijitul.uk](mailto:info@dijitul.uk), or [ask for a quote](https://dijituldns.co.uk/quote/). ## FAQs ### How much does Google Workspace cost? Google sets its own per-user price, which varies by plan and changes over time, so check Google's current pricing. dijitul does not resell or mark it up. Our set-up is £45 an hour + VAT, or a fixed quote when existing mail is being moved. ### What MX record does Google Workspace use? New Google Workspace set-ups use a single MX record pointing to smtp.google.com with priority 1. Older set-ups that use Google's previous five MX records still work. Any MX records from your previous provider should be removed so mail does not split. ### Do I need DKIM for Google Workspace? Yes. Generate a key in the Google Admin console, publish it as a TXT record at google._domainkey, then switch signing on. Without DKIM, DMARC depends on SPF alone, which fails whenever your mail is forwarded. dijitul sets this up as standard. ### Will I own the Google Workspace account? Yes. The account and billing are in your name with Google. dijitul works as an admin to set it up, and you can remove our access at any time. That keeps you in control of your users, data and subscription. ### Can I keep my website where it is? Yes. Google Workspace only changes where email goes, through the MX record and related TXT records. Your website's A or CNAME records stay as they are, so the site keeps running wherever it is hosted. ### Is Google Workspace better than basic email hosting? It depends on how you work. If you share files and calendars daily, Google Workspace is worth the per-user cost. If you only need email on your domain, mailboxes included with dijihost Complete Hosting may be enough. dijitul can set up either. ## Prices and contact Domains are priced live in the client portal. DNS management and 10 mailboxes are included with dijihost Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT. On their own, DNS and email set-up is £45 an hour + VAT or a fixed quote. Domain search and registration: https://clients.dijitul.uk. Hosting: https://dijihost.co.uk/ (£1 a day + VAT). Contact: https://dijituldns.co.uk/contact/ · 01623 650333 · info@dijitul.uk