Because sending an email to a group and not seeing it land in your inbox feels like talking to yourself. Out loud. In public.
It started innocently.
I created a Google Group. Typed out a beautiful email. Hit send.
And then… crickets.
No email showed up in my inbox.
No confirmation. No copy. Nothing.
Cue the spiral:
Did it go through?
Was I blocked?
Is my domain cursed?
Nope. Turns out Google Groups — for some inexplicable reason — doesn’t send you your own messages by default.
Yes, seriously. Even if you’re the group’s owner, admin, and only member.
If this is you — yelling into the void and wondering why your group emails feel like vapor — I got you.
🤯 Why Doesn’t Google Send You a Copy of Your Own Message?
Google calls it a “feature.”
I call it gaslighting.
If you’re a member of a Group and you send an email to that group, Gmail assumes:
“You wrote it. You saw it. Why would you want it again?”
But for testing, archiving, or just plain peace of mind, most people do want to see it land in their inbox — like every other recipient.
Thankfully, you can fix this.
🔧 Step-by-Step Fix: Actually See Your Own Emails to a Google Group
✅ 1. Check Your Group Settings
Head to your Google Groups admin panel: https://groups.google.com
-
Click on your group
-
Go to My membership settings (top right)
-
Look for:
“Subscription” → Change to “Each email” (not digest or abridged) -
Then tick “Receive your own posts to the group”
Important: This only affects your email address. If you have other users, they’ll need to do this too.
🔍 2. Check Your Gmail Filters or Promotions Tab
Sometimes the message is delivered — just sneakily filed under:
-
“Updates”
-
“Forums”
-
Or worse… Spam
Use in:all or in:anywhere search in Gmail with part of the subject line.
Still nothing? Move to Step 3.
🧪 3. Test From a Different Account
Send an email to the Group from a second account that’s also subscribed.
If it gets delivered to that one, but not to your main address, the issue is likely a personal setting.
Also: Make sure you haven’t disabled email delivery in your Google Group account preferences.
🧠 4. Pro Tip for Group Owners: Add Yourself Twice
I know, I know — it sounds weird.
But here’s what worked for me:
-
Add yourself to the Group using an alias or second email (like a +alias or a backup Gmail)
-
That second version of “you” will get the email normally
-
Set up auto-forwarding to your main account
It’s hacky. But it’s better than feeling like your messages are disappearing into a black hole.
😬 Why This Matters (More Than You Think)
Not seeing your own messages in your inbox creates a weird kind of digital self-doubt.
You start thinking:
Did it go through? Did I mess up? Was it sent?
And if you’re using Google Groups for:
-
Client communication
-
Small community newsletters
-
Internal updates to your own team
…then that little moment of uncertainty turns into a productivity tax. And an anxiety spiral.
This fix isn’t just about email.
It’s about trusting your own systems again — and, let’s be honest, your own brain.
🧹 Bonus: Clean Your Setup for Good
If you’re using Google Groups as a mailing list:
-
Set it to "Post and view by email"
-
Turn off moderation if it’s just you
-
Use BCC when mailing your group directly from Gmail (helps you avoid showing all recipients)
-
Add SPF/DKIM/DMARC if your domain is custom — otherwise, your messages might silently fail
Final Words: You’re Not Crazy — Just Caught in Google’s Weird Defaults
If your emails to your Google Group are disappearing, you’re not doing anything wrong.
Google just assumes you’re too self-aware to want to receive your own writing.
But I say — own it. Get your email receipt. Feel the click satisfaction. Know it landed.
Because nothing beats the sweet, validating ping of:
“Yes. Your message was sent. And here it is.”
No comments:
Post a Comment