Managing multiple inboxes is a productivity killer, especially when you’re juggling your personal Gmail and a company email hosted elsewhere.
Fortunately, Gmail allows you to link your work email so you can receive and send messages from a single interface. In this guide, I will walk you through how to link your company email to Gmail using POP3/IMAP and SMTP settings.
Before you begin, gather the following:
- Your company email address and password
- Your incoming (POP3/IMAP) and outgoing (SMTP) server details (ask your IT admin if you’re unsure).
- Recommended: Access to your Gmail account via desktop for full settings
Step 1: Open Gmail Settings
- Go to mail.google.com on desktop.
- Click the gear icon in the top right.
- Select “See all settings.”
- Navigate to the Accounts and Import tab.
Step 2: Import Your Company Email (POP3 Setup)
- Scroll to “Check mail from other accounts” and click “Add a mail account.”
- Enter your company email address, then click Next.
- Select “Import emails from my other account (POP3)” and continue.
Fill in the required fields:
- Username: your full work email (e.g.,
naf@techweez.co.ke) - Password: your company email password.
- POP Server: e.g.,
mail.yourcompany.com - Port: usually 995 (with SSL)
Check these options:
- Leave a copy of retrieved messages on the server (optional)
- Always use a secure connection (SSL).
- Label incoming messages for easy sorting
Click Add Account to proceed.
Step 3: Set Up “Send As” for Outgoing Emails (SMTP)
Once Gmail confirms your POP settings, you’ll be asked if you want to send mail from this account.
- Choose Yes.
- Enter your name as you’d like it to appear.
- Select “Send through
yourcompany.comSMTP servers.”
Fill in:
- SMTP Server: e.g.,
smtp.yourcompany.com - Username & Password: same as above
- Port: usually 587 with TLS enabled (or 465 with SSL)
Gmail will send a verification email to your company address; click the confirmation link to complete the setup.
Step 4: Organize with Labels & Filters (Optional)
To prevent clutter and make work emails easy to spot:
- Go to Settings > Labels and create a label like “Work Inbox.”
- Create a filter to apply that label to all emails from your work account
You can even use colors to differentiate between personal and professional messages.
After completing the setup, the final step is to ensure everything functions as expected. Start by sending a test email from Gmail using your company address.
Ask a colleague to reply, and confirm that their response arrives in your Gmail inbox.
Finally, double-check that it’s sent from your company email and not your personal Gmail account; this helps maintain a consistent and professional communication thread.
Common Setup Issues (and Fixes)
Even with the right setup, you might encounter a few common issues. Here’s how to address them:
- Email not syncing properly? Gmail checks for new messages using POP at scheduled intervals, which means emails might not appear instantly. For real-time delivery, consider using IMAP instead or set up email forwarding from your company server.
- Unable to send emails? This is often due to incorrect SMTP settings. Double-check the server address and port number, and ensure authentication is enabled.
- Seeing a “sent on behalf of” message? This usually happens when Gmail’s SMTP server is used to send messages. To prevent this, configure Gmail to send emails through your company’s SMTP server for a more professional appearance.
