Many organizations moving from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace — or simply managing both platforms — find themselves asking: how do we replicate the shared mailbox and delegation workflows we rely on in M365? The good news is that Google Workspace supports all of these scenarios. The implementation is just different enough to be worth understanding before you configure anything. This post walks through three key workflows: mailbox delegation, shared mailboxes, and mail forwarding rules — and how each one maps to the Google Workspace equivalent.
1. Mailbox Delegation
M365 equivalent: Delegating Full Access to another user’s mailbox, where it appears as a folder in the delegate’s Outlook.
In Google Workspace, this feature is called Mail Delegation and is managed at the Gmail level. It allows one user (or an administrator) to grant another person access to read, send, and manage email on their behalf.
How to set it up
- Administrator method (recommended): In the Google Admin console, navigate to Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail > User settings. Admins can configure delegation on behalf of any user without requiring the user’s involvement. This is the preferred approach for business-managed accounts.
- End-user method: Individual users can go to Gmail Settings > See all settings > Accounts > Grant access to your account and add a delegate themselves, if your organization’s policy permits it.
What the delegate experiences
- The delegated mailbox appears as a separate account the delegate can switch to using the account switcher in the top-right corner of Gmail on the web — similar to opening another mailbox in Outlook on the Web.
- When the delegate sends a message from the delegated account, it will display as “Sent by [Delegate Name] on behalf of [Mailbox Owner]” — equivalent to M365’s “Send on Behalf” permission.
- Delegates can read, reply to, and delete messages, but cannot change passwords or access other Google services as the mailbox owner.
Important limitations
- Mail delegation is a Gmail/web-native feature. If your staff use Outlook desktop connected to Google via IMAP, the delegation experience is significantly less seamless than it is in M365.
- Calendar delegation is configured separately through Google Calendar sharing settings — it is not part of this same workflow.
2. Shared Mailboxes
M365 equivalent: An unlicensed shared mailbox that multiple staff members can access, send from, and manage collaboratively.
Google Workspace does not have a direct “shared mailbox” object in the M365 sense. There are two practical approaches depending on your workflow needs.
Option A: Google Groups – Collaborative Inbox (closest equivalent)
A Google Group configured as a Collaborative Inbox is the most common substitute for an M365 shared mailbox in Google Workspace environments.
- Create a Google Group with a shared address (e.g.,
[email protected]or[email protected]). - Enable the Collaborative Inbox setting within the Group configuration.
- Members can view incoming messages, claim ownership of a conversation, assign messages to other team members, and reply — all from a shared queue.
- You control who can send to the group, whether external senders are allowed, and who has management access.
Key consideration: The Collaborative Inbox is accessed via groups.google.com or the Google Groups interface — it does not appear as a native mailbox folder inside each user’s Gmail. This is the most common source of friction for staff transitioning from M365 shared mailboxes.
Option B: Delegated Role Account (more M365-like experience)
For teams that need a more traditional shared mailbox feel — where staff switch into a dedicated account and manage email directly — a delegated role account is the better option.
- Create a Google Workspace user account for the shared address (e.g.,
[email protected]). - Use Mail Delegation (as described above) to grant access to one or more staff members.
- Staff switch to the account using the Gmail account switcher and manage mail as if it were their own inbox.
Licensing note: This is an important difference from M365. In Microsoft 365, shared mailboxes are genuinely unlicensed — you pay nothing for them. In Google Workspace, any account used this way requires at minimum a Cloud Identity account or a paid Google Workspace license. There is no true zero-cost shared mailbox equivalent. Your Google Workspace agreement and edition will determine the most cost-effective license tier to use for these accounts.
3. Mail Forwarding & Transport Rules
M365 equivalent: Exchange transport rules that forward mail from a shared mailbox to a delegate, or route messages based on sender, recipient, or content conditions.
Google Workspace provides equivalent functionality through Routing Rules in the Admin console and per-mailbox forwarding settings.
Admin-level routing rules
In the Google Admin console, navigate to Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail > Routing. From here you can:
- Add more recipients — Silently forward or CC mail sent to one address to additional recipients. This is the most direct equivalent to an M365 transport rule that forwards a shared mailbox to a delegate.
- Recipient address rewriting — Redirect mail from one address to another entirely.
- Content-based routing — Apply routing rules based on message headers, sender domain, or keywords in the subject or body.
- Default routing and catch-all rules — Apply domain-wide routing behavior for unmatched addresses.
Per-mailbox forwarding
Individual users can configure forwarding within Gmail Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP. Administrators control whether end users are permitted to configure their own forwarding rules — this is managed in the Admin console under Gmail > End User Access.
Feature Comparison at a Glance
| Microsoft 365 Feature | Google Workspace Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Mailbox Delegation (Full Access) | Gmail Mail Delegation |
| Unlicensed Shared Mailbox | No direct equivalent — requires a licensed account or Collaborative Inbox Group |
| “Open Another Mailbox” in Outlook on the Web | Gmail account switcher (web — works well) |
| Shared mailbox folder in Outlook desktop | Not natively supported — IMAP delegation is limited |
| Transport rule to forward to delegate | Admin console → Gmail → Routing → Add more recipients |
| Exchange Online PowerShell cmdlets | GAM / GAMADV-XTD3 (command-line admin tool) |
Bottom Line
Google Workspace handles delegation and shared access well when your team works primarily in a web browser. The Gmail account switcher is clean and intuitive, admin-level routing rules are flexible, and Collaborative Inboxes work effectively for teams managing a shared queue. The main gaps to plan around are the absence of a true unlicensed shared mailbox (budget accordingly) and a weaker experience for Outlook desktop users compared to M365.
If you’re planning a migration or need help configuring any of these features in your Google Workspace environment, contact our helpdesk — we’re happy to walk through the right approach for your team’s workflow.