Ensure that Google Vault captures all emails in your domain

What you should know

To ensure that copies of all sent or received messages in your domain are stored in the associated users' Gmail mailboxes, you should set up comprehensive mail storage in the Admin console. This is not a new setting, but we’ve learned that some G Suite admins don’t realize it’s disabled by default.

Who’s impacted

Admins only

Why you’d use it

Storing these emails in Gmail mailboxes means that your Vault retention policies and holds, as well as searches and exports for Gmail, will include these emails. Examples of emails sent or received in your domain include mail sent from Calendar and Drive and other G Suite services.

How to get started



Additional details

One example of email captured by comprehensive mail storage is email written in Calendar. For instance, it’s sometimes useful to email all or a subset of the people in a meeting invite. If you click the "Email Guests" icon, it will send an email from your email address. You have the option to email all guests, target people based on RSVP status, and/or send a copy to yourself. There are no CC, BCC, or attachment options, but the details of the calendar event will be included in the email.

If you uncheck “Send copy to me” and the comprehensive mail storage option is disabled in your domain, a copy of the sent message will not be stored in any Gmail mailbox. If comprehensive mail storage is enabled in your domain, a copy of the sent message will be stored in your Sent mailbox.

Helpful links

Help Center: Set up comprehensive mail storage

Availability

Rollout details


G Suite editions

  • Comprehensive mail storage is available to G Suite Basic, G Suite Business, G Suite Enterprise, G Suite for Education, G Suite Enterprise for Education, and G Suite for Nonprofits.
  • Vault is available to G Suite Business, G Suite Enterprise, G Suite Enterprise for Education, and any G Suite users with add-on Vault licenses.

On/off by default?

  • Comprehensive mail storage is OFF by default and can be enabled at the OU level.

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