Set Up Custom Domain Email in 5 Minutes (Free)
You have a domain. You should have email on it. Here's how to set up hello@yourdomain.com in 5 minutes, completely free, without leaving Gmail.
What you'll need
- A domain you own (any registrar: GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, etc.)
- A Google account (for sign-in and receiving emails)
- 5 minutes
No credit card. No server. No technical background required.
Step 1: Sign in to Bottled
Go to bottled.email and click "Get Started Free." Sign in with your Google account. That's your authentication — no passwords to create or remember.
Step 2: Add your domain
In the dashboard, click "Add Domain" and enter your domain name (e.g., yourdomain.com). Bottled will set up two things behind the scenes:
- Cloudflare Email Routing — so incoming emails land in your Gmail
- Email delivery — so outgoing emails are sent from your domain with proper DKIM/SPF authentication
Step 3: Add the DNS records
Bottled shows you exactly which DNS records to add, with copy-paste values tailored to your registrar. You'll typically add:
- MX records — tell the internet where to deliver mail for your domain
- TXT records — SPF and DKIM for authentication (prevents your emails from going to spam)
- CNAME records — for domain verification
The wizard has step-by-step screenshots for GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, Google Domains, AWS Route 53, and others. No guesswork.
Step 4: Wait for verification (usually 5-15 minutes)
DNS changes propagate in 5-15 minutes for most registrars (up to 48 hours in rare cases). Bottled automatically checks your records and marks the domain as verified. You'll see green checkmarks when everything is ready.
Step 5: Create your email address
Once verified, create addresses like hello@yourdomain.com, support@yourdomain.com, or team@yourdomain.com. Each address forwards to your Gmail inbox.
On the free plan, you get 2 addresses on 1 domain. Essentials ($9/mo) gives you 10 addresses across 3 domains.
You're done
From now on:
- Incoming emails to
hello@yourdomain.comland in your regular Gmail inbox - Outgoing emails sent from Bottled's dashboard show your custom domain as the sender
- DKIM + SPF are set up automatically, so your emails don't go to spam
What else you get (free)
- REST API for sending emails programmatically
- CRM with up to 50 contacts
- Invite team members with custom avatars
- Push notifications for incoming emails
- 25 outbound emails per month
No credit card. No time limit. The free plan is free forever.