Using Google Apps with a custom domain name

This page is showing a generic answer.
To see a more detailed answer customized for you, type your domain name here:

Google Apps lets you use Gmail (and other Google services) for your custom domain name, rather than having e-mail handled by Tiger Technologies.

You can use Google Apps (Gmail) for your domain's e-mail if you have a Web site and domain name registered with us, or just a domain name. These instructions assume your domain name already is using our nameservers. If not, you will first need to update the nameservers.

Make sure that you have signed up with Google Apps and that your domain name is using our nameservers. Then follow these instructions to configure your Tiger Technologies account. (We can make these changes for you if you prefer.)

Note: Google occasionally sends people setup instructions that are different than the standard instructions we mention below. If so, you should follow those instructions instead of our instructions.

On this page:

Verification of domain name ownership

Google may first need to verify that you are the proper owner of your domain name. If so, these are the usual steps you should follow (but Google occasionally tells people to do this differently; if so, use the instructions Google tells you instead):

  1. Login to the Google Apps control panel.
  2. Click Verify domain ownership at the top of the Google Apps control panel, and select the CNAME method.
  3. Locate the random string that is unique to your account which is provided in the verification instructions in the Google Apps control panel. (The string usually looks something like googlefffggghhh12345.) You will need to use this value in step 9 below. Write it down or copy it to the clipboard.
  4. Login to your Tiger Technologies “My Account” control panel (having trouble?) and click Return to Main Menu if you aren't already there.
  5. If your account is a Web hosting account, click Domain Name Options.
  6. Click Edit DNS Zone.
  7. Click Add New Entry.
  8. Choose CNAME record and click Continue.
  9. Enter the unique value provided by Google (see step 3 above) into the “hostname” field, then click Continue.
  10. Enter google.com as the CNAME target. Leave the TTL set to 30 minutes. If desired, you can enter a comment in the Optional Note field. Then click Save to save the values.

You should see a message that your changes were saved. Wait at least two minutes, then go back to the Google Apps control panel and click Verify.

Using Google Apps (Gmail) for e-mail

Your Google Apps account provides Gmail accounts for your users, with e-mail addresses at your custom domain name (for example, charlotte@example.com).

If you want to use Gmail for your users, follow the steps below. Make sure you have created all desired users within Google Apps before you follow the directions below and start directing incoming e-mail to Google.

Note: Due to technical restrictions, if you choose to have Gmail handle your e-mail instead of us, you will not be able to use our Mailman mailing list system.

These instructions are for Google's recommended settings. Google occasionally tells people to use different settings; if so, use the ones Google tells you.

  1. Login to your Tiger Technologies “My Account” control panel (having trouble?) and click Return to Main Menu if you aren't already there.
  2. If your account is a Web hosting account, click Domain Name Options.
  3. Click Edit DNS Zone.
  4. Click Add New Entry.
  5. Choose MX record and click Continue.
  6. Make sure MX record for example.com is selected, and click Continue.
  7. Enter ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM into the “MX hostname” field. Set the “MX priority” to 1. Leave the “TTL” set to 30 minutes. If desired, you can enter a comment in the “Optional Note” field. Then click Save to save the values.
  8. Repeat steps 4 through 7 four more times, adding the other values shown below (you've already entered the first row):
    MX hostnameMX priority
    ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM1
    ALT1.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM5
    ALT2.ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM5
    ASPMX2.GOOGLEMAIL.COM10
    ASPMX3.GOOGLEMAIL.COM10

E-mail for your domain name should now start getting delivered to Google, although it may take up to 30 minutes until everyone on the Internet is using these new values.

Creating an SPF record

If you are using Google Apps (Gmail) for your domain's e-mail, Google recommends that you create an “SPF record”. Creating an SPF record is optional, but can help to deter some spammers from sending e-mail that claims to come from your domain.

If you are using Google for your e-mail and want to create an SPF record, follow these steps.

These instructions are for Google's recommended settings. Google occasionally tells people to use different settings; if so, use the ones Google tells you.

  1. Login to your Tiger Technologies “My Account” control panel (having trouble?).
  2. If your account is a Web hosting account, click Domain Name Options.
  3. Click Edit DNS Zone.
  4. Click Add New Entry.
  5. Choose TXT record and click Continue.
  6. Make sure TXT record for example.com is selected, and click Continue.
  7. Enter "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all" into the “TXT data” field. It is very important to include the double-quote at the start and end of the line. If you do not include them, the record will be invalid and will have no effect. Leave the “TTL” set to 30 minutes. If desired, you can enter a comment in the “Optional Note” field. Then click Save to save the values.

Creating a Custom Web Address

You can create custom Web addresses (hostnames) to use with Google Apps services that make it quicker and easier to login. To do this:

  1. Login to your Tiger Technologies “My Account” control panel (having trouble?).
  2. If your account is a Web hosting account, click Domain Name Options.
  3. Click Edit DNS Zone.
  4. Click Add New Entry.
  5. Choose CNAME record and click Continue.
  6. Enter a hostname that you want to use (e.g., you might want to use mail.example.com for the Google Apps mail service).
  7. For the CNAME target, enter: ghs.google.com
  8. Leave the “TTL” set to 30 minutes. If desired, you can enter a comment in the “Optional Note” field. Then click Save to save the values.

Then follow these instructions to configure Google Apps to work with the custom domain name that you chose (you've already completed the part about creating a CNAME record).