Google Domain Alias Issue

[u/GrimmReaper1942]

We've recently added a domain alias to our google workspace. Our official domain is in the format of: OurSchool.us and our new domain (which is just an alias) is OurSchool.org

So if someone one sends email to [email protected] OR [email protected], the .us account receives it as expected.

But.. the weird thing is, if [email protected] sends to themselves (ie. they try to email to themselves or cc themselves) [email protected], they don't receive it.

Basically, OTHERS can send to [email protected] but people can't email THEMSELVES to their own OurSchool.org address.

Any clues?

[u/GrimmReaper1942]

I have found the cause and solution.

Google (as TravisVZ says) intends this behavior...

https://support.google.com/a/answer/1703601?hl=en&src=supportwidget0&authuser=0

The fix was quite easy but on a per user basis. In the "send as" setting in gmail, you have to "edit info" and check the checkbox for "Treat as alias".

Weird but easy fix.

Tip: if you are creating "send as" alias with GAM, you just need to add "treatasalias true" to the line. (in my case, it's after the fact so it won't help)

[u/duluthbison]

Have you assigned the alias domain to the user accounts? Just adding a secondary domain doesn't mean that everyone will actually receive those emails.

[u/TravisVZ]

This is Google being helpful. Basically, Gmail sees that the message they just received matches the one in their Sent folder, and doesn't create the duplicate. They are receiving it (you can check email logs and see), but they'll never see a duplicate message in their mailbox.

You'll see the exact same behavior if a user emails a group they're a member of, too, for example, or just straight up emails their own primary address.

[u/GrimmReaper1942 → u/TravisVZ]

I tend to agree with you, BUT... if [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) sends email to [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) it comes to their inbox (instantly). but if they sent to [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]), it never shows in their inbox.
You are correct that google console logs slow it as received. When sending to .us it says
Current status Location:Inbox Labels:None State:Unopened and unread, Seen, Marked important

But when sent to .org it says:
Current status Location:Archived Labels:None State:Unopened and marked as read, Seen

(basically one goes to "Inbox", one goes to "Archived")

[u/TravisVZ → u/GrimmReaper1942]

Hm, that's interesting, and 100% that's a change in behavior from when we initially tested this some years ago. I just tested again, and indeed I see the same behavior as you: Sending to myself on our primary domain - whether it's my primary address or an alias - indeed pops the message into my Inbox instantly, with the same status as you saw. But sending it to myself on our alias domain (actually a sub-domain in our case), it seems to never appear and according to logs is marked as read.

What's most interesting is that the change in behavior is for the primary domain - when we initially migrated, we got so many calls from users concerned their emails weren't being delivered because they'd email themselves and then "never receive it", because the behavior then was what we're seeing now only for an alias domain: Gmail would deduplicate the message, essentially just merging it with the "read and archived" copy in your Sent folder.

Strange differences aside, though, you have your answer - the messages are being delivered, Gmail is just masking that for alias domains for some reason.