Business email on your own domain needs two things: a domain controlled by the business and an email service providing a mailbox or another agreed way to receive messages. Website hosting does not automatically include email, even when both use the same domain.
For example:
can run on Google Workspace while the business.fi website is hosted by a completely different service.
A mailbox, an alias and forwarding are not the same thing
| Solution | What does it mean? | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Mailbox | A separate user account and inbox | [email protected] |
| Alias | Another address pointing to the same user account | [email protected] → Matti's inbox |
| Forwarding | A message is delivered to another address | [email protected] → another email address |
| Group or shared solution | Several people handle the same address | [email protected] for the team |
Providers implement these in different ways.
Google Workspace, for example, lets users have alternate email addresses, or aliases, that deliver messages to the user's primary mailbox. Google's current guidance allows up to 30 aliases per user at no additional alias cost.
An alias is not a separate Google account or a separate mailbox, however.
What do you pay for with email?
Typical costs include:
- the domain's annual fee
- the email service's per-user or per-mailbox fee
- optional services such as additional storage or archiving
Depending on the service, aliases may be included without a separate charge.
It is useful to treat website hosting and email as separate products. That way, changing website providers does not force you to replace working email.
Which DNS settings does business email use?
DNS (Domain Name System) tells the internet which services handle a domain's traffic.
With business email, you will usually encounter at least:
- MX (Mail Exchange), which specifies where incoming email is delivered
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework), which specifies which systems may send on behalf of the domain
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), which adds a digital signature to outgoing messages
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance), which tells recipients how to handle failed authentication
These are not daily tasks for a business owner, but they affect reliable delivery and whether the sender appears genuine.
Google recommends setting up email authentication, and the requirements are stricter for larger senders.
Example of a one-person business
A business could have:
Mailbox
Aliases
All three addresses could deliver to Matti's same inbox if the email service supports this type of alias setup.
If a second person joins the business, they may need their own user account and mailbox. The provider may then charge separately for the second user.
What about a shared address used by several people?
Do not automatically share one person's password with the whole team.
Email services offer separate solutions for shared work, such as:
- delegation
- groups
- shared mailboxes
- ticketing systems
The right solution depends on whether several people only need to receive messages or also reply using the same shared address.
Do you need email on your own domain?
It is not technically required for a website.
A business can also use an ordinary Gmail address, for example. However, an address on your own domain connects email to the business name and makes contact details more consistent:
uses the same domain as:
https://business.fi
For many businesses, this looks clearer than a personal consumer email address.
What if the website changes?
Email can usually stay as it is.
The important thing is not to remove or replace the DNS records needed by email when launching the website.
Read the detailed guide: can email stop working when you change your website.
How does GC help with business email?
GC's website service includes business email setup and migration assistance. The email service's own subscription and usage fees, such as Google Workspace licences, are not included in the website service's monthly price.
The aim is to keep the website and email technically separate so that working email does not have to change just because the website does.
If domains are still unclear, read what a domain is and the differences between domains, hosting and email.
Sources: Google Workspace Admin Help, Add or delete an alternate email address (email alias). Gmail Help, Email sender guidelines. Cloudflare DNS, Set up email records. GC's terms of service.