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Kaleb Beebout
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This article will cover the basics of setting up a custom domain email address that can send and receive using Cloudflare’s new email feature and Google SMTP.
The solution here is completely free, save for the cost of the domain - though it is less ideal for a company that is beyond the side project stage as it will share an inbox with a pre-existing Google account. It is perfect for anyone with a domain or two or twenty looking to spiff up their email.
All that is required is a domain managed on Cloudflare, a preexisting Google account, and 15 minutes to set it up.
I will assume the domain is already managed by Cloudflare for the purpose of this article. The free plan is more than sufficient. I also assume you have an existing Google account. Check out the vast knowledge contained on the internet for help getting to this stage.
This how-to guide is split into two parts - receive and send. I will also discuss some additional options for email management at the end.
DISCLAIMER: I have no idea what the long term reliability of this solution will be. Paying for Google Workspace is likely a better option and is really only the price of one coffee per month. If you have any concerns about security, reliability, or appropriateness I encourage you to consider paid alternatives with technical support and a team of smart engineers backing the service. Also don’t violate any of the ToS of the tools and resources mentioned here. You know the drill.
We will set up Email Routing using Cloudflare to receive email from your custom domain email in your <>@gmail.com inbox.
Click into the domain you want to use on Cloudflare (if you have multiple) and look to the sidebar on the left. There is a button labeled email. Click ✅
The tutorial that Cloudflare provides is very good. Ensure you have your Gmail account set up before-hand. Either a personal account or a separate account specifically for your use case.
Hint: Email alias
You will have the option to add other aliases after the setup is complete. Just use one for the setup.
