What is Delegated Access?

In Google Workspace, delegated access means a user can open and manage another mailbox from their own account.

In practice:

You create a dedicated inbox user, like [email protected].
You grant one or more people access to it using Gmail delegation.
Those delegated users can read and send mail for that inbox.

Sterling connects via OAuth, and will follow your configured Email Handling rules when working in that inbox.

Before you start

Confirm you have Google Admin access.
Confirm you are using a dedicated mailbox user (for example, [email protected]).
Confirm whether your organisation uses a mailbox user or a Google Group inbox. This guide is for a mailbox user with delegation.

✅ Minimum access

Connect one inbox at a time. Sterling only processes the mailbox it connects to.

Email flow diagram

1. Google Workspace: Delegated Mailbox ([email protected])

1.1 Create the Shared Inbox User

Go to Google Admin Console: https://admin.google.com
Navigate to Directory → Users
Click Add new user
Enter:
- First name: Accounts
- Email: [email protected]
Assign a Workspace license
Log into Gmail as accounts@ once to activate the mailbox

📘 Google Help:

Add a user: https://support.google.com/a/answer/33310

1.2 Enable Mail Delegation in Admin Console

Go to Apps → Google Workspace → Gmail → User settings
To apply the setting to a department or team, select an organizational unit
Scroll to Mail Delegation
Turn on:
✔ Allow users to delegate access to their mailbox
Save

📘 Google Help:

Allow mail delegation: https://support.google.com/a/answer/7223765

2. Sterling Setup: Enable the Communications Skill

2.1 Navigate to Skills

Log in to Sterling
Go to Skills → Communications
Select Google Workspace

2.2 Enable the Provider

Click Enable
The Email Handling configuration panel will appear

2.3 Configure Email Handling Instructions

Fill in the instructions that tell Sterling what to do with emails at each stage of a task.

Start of Task (examples)

Move the email into an “In Progress” label
Mark the email as read
Send a reply acknowledging the email is being handled

End of Task (examples)

Move processed email to “Completed”
Add labels for record-keeping
Notify the vendor or requester

Sterling will use these rules to manage the mailbox automatically.

3. Connect the Mail Account (OAuth)

3.1 Google Workspace

Click Add Account
Sign in using the inbox: [email protected]
Approve Gmail permissions
Sterling will sync:
- Unread emails in the Inbox from the time of connection
Emails will be handled according to your Email Handling rules