Question
Why can I not use Google Groups as a support address?
Answer
Setting up Google Groups as a support address requires a Google Workspace administrator and a Zendesk Support administrator account.
To set up within the G Suite admin console
- Navigate to the Google Workspace Admin Console, while logged in as Admin > click More controls. Next, click the Google Groups icon at the bottom of the page.
- Select the group or email that you are adding as a support address, click Manage users info.
- Remove all users, if there are any. Next, add your default support system address as the sole member, support@yoursubdomain.zendesk.com.
- Remove the footer by going to Group Settings > under Settings, click Email options > unselect the Email footer option.
- In Basic Permissions, make sure that the setting POST is set to Public.
To add the email as a support address within Zendesk Support
- In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Talk and email > Email.
- Click Add Address.
- Select Connect other. This option circumvents a SMTP check that standard emails go through.
If you added the support address prior to setting up the forwarding, click Retry under the support address to resend the verification email.
For more information about setting up a support address, see the article: Adding support addresses for users to submit tickets.
Disclaimer: Google recommends using a Default Routing rule in their forwarding best practices article. If you run into configuration issues within Google Groups, reach out to Google directly, or find further information within their Google Groups help center.
Warning: Zendesk does not support or guarantee that this method works correctly, nor is able to troubleshoot any issues caused by the use of a Google Group, email aliases or other methods. While Zendesk does not attempt to block these methods, use them at your own risk.
15 comments
Sean Morrissey
For the past 10 years this worked like a champ. Now when I send an email through zendesk, google is sending an email back to the zendesk email address creating a duplicate message in zendesk which also triggers to re-open the ticket.
1
Venn Villanueva
Hi Sean Morrissey,
Let's work this out on a ticket so we can investigate why it creates a duplicate message that triggers the ticket to be re-opened.
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Stephen Nock
Sean Morrissey - did you find a resolution? I am setting up a new instance. I used Google Groups in the past (also 8+ years ago) but am on the fence about whether to do the same or use a dedicated Gmail account / inbox.
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Ferhat Surucu
maybe better to set with a routing rule in google workspace instead of handling with google groups
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Mgo Dono
If I'm receiving emails via gourp email to ZD, in ZD email footer it's showing the following message:
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to email@domain.com.
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Ferhat Surucu
You cannot remove the default Google Group footer from emails sent from the group. This is to comply to with the CAN-SPAM Act
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Sean Morrissey
No resolution from Zendesk. After their nice public comment offering to assist, they immediately replied to my support ticket (well 5 days later) saying they do not support google groups and closed my support ticket.
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Ferhat Surucu
have your IT dept. to use google routing rule instead of google groups which wont have footer
in case internal folks need to see emails your IT could set fwd rule also
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Rafael Vannucci
The best way is what Ferhat mentioned. Setup routing rules and stop using Google Groups.
Reference
Example:
https://admin.google.com/ac/apps/gmail/defaultrouting
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Ryan Winkler
Mgo Dono Check out Group Settings and Email options (https://groups.google.com/a/{YOURGROUP}/g/info/settings) . Make Sure both options are unticked
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Ryan Winkler
Sean Morrissey -- Sorry you had that experience. I know it's been awhile since you've had the issue, but let me know if you want to take another crack.
edit: I DO have footers. Super not great. Let me check on it
I recently set up Google Groups Support address myself again (within the last two weeks of this post), and can confirm that:
My initial thought is that you are added as a member and you are subscribed to each email... Some time in the past year or so Google made some key changes which altered the experience on their end. I believe it still works fine, as for my side project I've not run into any issues, but YMMV and our Support teams are unable to assist with anything on the Google end (although if there is a processing issue, thats a different story)
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Going to include a bunch of Screenshots that could be helpful to someone in the future.
Warning: we still do not support troubleshooting Google Groups settings. You will need to work with Google Support if you run into issues.
That being said.....
Here is how I have my Google Group Set up:
Super Long Image of my Settings:
The easier option may just be setting up Routing/Default routing rules (as mentioned above):
https://apps.google.com/supportwidget/articlehome?hl=en&article_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsupport.google.com%2Fa%2Fanswer%2F2685650%3Fhl%3Den&assistant_id=generic-unu&product_context=2685650&product_name=UnuFlow&trigger_context=a
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Ryan Winkler
I've updated the article to include Google's Best Practices Article, which mentions Default routing, as Ferhat Surucu and Rafael Vannucci mention. Thanks you two!
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Sean Morrissey
Sorry Ferhat Surucu and Rafael Vannucci I am just seeing these updates. I am still having issues and I reviewed your description and screenshot, so I will make a few mods to see what happens. I truly appreciate both of you trying to help. My situation might be unique. I use google groups for my clients Executive board. So a google group will have 5 external emails, 1 organizational member (me, which is set to no emails) and the zendesk support email. The goal is that my client can send one email to to lets say board@mydomain.com and that email conversation goes to all 5 board members and zendesk support. This works great, so the support ticket can be routed as necessary to my staff/departments. However, when I update a ticket in zendesk and lets say I set to pending or on-hold, zendesk runs a second automation and moves the ticket back to open....there is no automation/trigger showing in the event history. I then just set it back to pending or on-hold and its fine. I was able to setup a trigger to detect when a "board" email was changed to open and have the trigger set it back to pending. However, I do wnat to understand why zendesk sets the ticket back to open with no trigger/automation running.
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Sean Morrissey
As a followup, I have been playing with this issue today and I appear to have a work-around. I tag all emails which come from the google group. So my trigger is as follows:
Meet ALL Conditions
1. look for comment text that contains the string "## Reply above this line to add your message to the ticket ##"
2. tag contains "My Tag"
3. Ticket Comment is Public
4. Ticket Status "changed From" "Solved"
Action
1. Ticket Status = Solved
Now I had to create 3 triggers. As I had 3 potential actions, based on the Status changing from
1. Solved
2. Pending
3. On-Hold
This seems to be working.
I am still very confused on the original issue as the status changes with no trigger, but if the workaround holds....I will be happy.
Side note: Thank you to Dominic for assistance with the trigger. He's a great Zendesk consultant and has an awesome youtube channel to help Zendesk Users.
0
Brett Bowser
Keep us posted if you have any other questions!
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