Server-Side Configuration for Google Workspace

Server-side signatures are applied post-send by WiseStamp's cloud service, ensuring consistency across all devices and email clients. This is ideal for multi-device users or those with different email platforms. This article describes how to configure your Google Workspace Admin Console to support WiseStamp’s server-side solution.

!note!This article focuses on the Google Workspace server-side connector. If you are looking to connect WiseStamp with Microsoft Exchange Online, see Server-Side for Microsoft Exchange.!/note!

What is a server-side solution?

WiseStamp's server-side solution is a deployment method that enables you to route your organization's emails through the WiseStamp SMTP server to automatically append signatures to your outgoing messages. WiseStamp's server-side solution ensures a consistent, professional signature for all emails, with no need for extra apps or add-ons. Just some email server configuration. It also ensures the newest signature versions are always used.

How do I benefit by using WiseStamp's server-side solution?

The server-side solution applies your WiseStamp signatures to email messages sent from any device and any mail client. You can therefore ensure consistency and professionalism across all outgoing emails, regardless of which email platform is used to compose them. Furthermore, the server-side solution does not require any additional apps, add-ons, or other changes to your WiseStamp environment. (Some configuration of your email server is necessary.)

Another advantage of the server-side solution is the certainty that the latest changes to your signatures are displayed, as the WiseStamp server-side host checks to ensure that the most recent signatures are added to outgoing messages.

Is the server-side solution secure?

Yes. WiseStamp's method is secure, without storing or reading your email content. Each account is processed in isolation for added security.

What's Hybrid Mode?

WiseStamp's Hybrid mode combines client-side and server-side solutions, offering flexibility. It only applies a server-side signature if a client-side signature is not detected, ensuring consistent delivery and security. It's available for various automatic installations.

Google Workspace server-side configuration

Google Workspace server-side configuration is done in the following sequential phases:

1. Configure your SPF records to help prevent your messages from being marked as spam.
2. Integrate Google Workspace with WiseStamp to acquire domain information. For more information see, Google Workspace Integration.
3. Start the WiseStamp connector wizard.
4. Go to Settings for Gmail.
5. Add a new mail host to serve as the outbound connector to the WiseStamp server-side host.
6. Configure the SMTP relay service to set up routing for the inbound connector.
7. Configure the compliance rule to ensure that emails are routed to the WiseStamp server-side host.
8. Finish the WiseStamp connector wizard.
9. Perform a validity check by sending a test email and establishing the server connector.

Configure your SPF record

For protection against spoofing and phishing and to help prevent your messages from being marked as spam, we recommend adding Sender Policy Framework (SPF) records to your domain.

For more information and instructions, see Setting Up SPF Records for Your WiseStamp Signature.

Start the WiseStamp connector wizard

This wizard guides you through the Google Workspace configuration to support WiseStamp’s server-side solution.

1. Sign in to your WiseStamp account.
2. On the left panel, click Connectors.
3. In the Server-side for all email platforms section, click Connect and select Google Workspace. The list of domains are displayed.
4. Select the relevant domains and click Connect.
5. If domains do not have SPF records, a popup appears with a list of the selected domains and the SPF status. You must then add SPF records to all domains without SPF records. Once SPF records are added to these domains, click Verify to continue. For information on adding SPF records, click Get configuration instructions.
6. A popup appears indicating that now you need to continue the configuration using Google Workspace Admin Console. It also includes the routing code required by this console, as specified in sections Add a new mail host and Configure the compliance rule. Click the Copy icon to copy the routing code.
7. Continue to the next section and go to the Settings for Gmail page.

Settings for Gmail

Additional steps for enhancing efficiency and security are presented in the Post configuration procedures section.

All procedures are performed from the Google Workspace Admin Console. To get started, sign in and go to Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail.

In Google Workspace, there are several settings such as Routing, Default Routing, and Content Compliance that can influence the path of an email. Presently, within the Admin Console, Google does not provide a way to prioritize these rules; their processing sequence is determined by the order of their creation.

If you previously configured mail routing for another third-party service, you need to remove those settings. Afterward, recreate the Routing, Default Routing, and Content Compliance rules, particularly once the Content Compliance rule for WiseStamp is established.

Add a new mail host

The first phase of the configuration involves adding a mail host. This host acts as an outbound connector to allow your emails to route to WiseStamp server-side signatures.

Before you begin, make sure you have the routing code that you copied in section Start the WiseStamp connector wizard, step 6.

1. From the Google Workspace Admin Console, go to Settings for Gmail ( Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail).
2. Click the Hosts section and then click ADD ROUTE. 
3. Configure the new mail route, as follows:
   1. Enter a name for the new host (e.g., WiseStamp).
   2. In the Specify email server section, verify that Single host is selected from the dropdown list.
   3. In the field below, enter your routing code followed by .gw.smtp.wisestamp.net
      For example: 2gg2mrqnl6nlx.gw.smtp.wisestamp.net
   4. Enter 25 as the port number for the host configuration.
   5. In the Options section, select all checkboxes except for Perform MX lookup on host.
4. Click Save.

Configure the SMTP relay service

This phase involves configuring the routing for the inbound connector to receive the email back from the WiseStamp server.

1. From the Google Workspace Admin Console, go to Settings for Gmail ( Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail).
2. Click the Routing section and go to the SMTP relay service section. Click ADD ANOTHER RULE or CONFIGURE.
3. Configure the SMTP relay service, as follows:
   1. Enter a description for the service (e.g., Receive from WiseStamp).
   2. Click the Allowed Senders dropdown list, and select Only addresses in my domains.
   3. in the Authentication section, select Only accept mail from the specified IP addresses.
   4. Click SAVE. 
4. A popup appears. Perform the following:
   1. For each IP address, enter a distinct and meaningful description (e.g., WiseStampIP1, WiseStampIP2... up to WiseStampIP7).
   2. Individually input the following IP addresses:
      • 34.121.227.57
      • 34.121.44.217
      • 34.172.57.131
      • 34.31.145.8
      • 34.132.46.63
      • 35.184.115.114
      • 35.224.208.1
   3. Select Enable.
   4. Click SAVE.
5. in the Encryption section, select Require TLS Encryption.
6. Click SAVE.

Configure the compliance rule

The next stage of the configuration involves creating a compliance rule to ensure that your emails are routed to your WiseStamp server-side host.

Before you begin, make sure you have the routing code that you copied in section Start the WiseStamp connector wizard, step 6.

1. From the Google Workspace Admin Console, go to Settings for Gmail ( Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail).
2. Click the Compliance section and go to the Content compliance section. Click ADD ANOTHER RULE or CONFIGURE.
3. Configure the Content compliance, as follows:
   1. Enter a description for the rule (e.g., Route WiseStamp).
   2. in the Email messages to affect section, select Outbound and Internal – Sending.
   3. in the Expressions section, verify that If ALL of the following match the message is selected. 
   4. Click ADD.
4. In the popup, select Advanced content match from the dropdown list.
5. Configure the following settings:
   1. Location: Select Full headers.
   2. Match type: Select Not contains text.
   3. Content: Copy and paste the following: X-WiseStampHostedSignatures-MessageProcessed
6. Click SAVE.
7. Click ADD again to add another expression. Under Expression: Select Advance content match and create a rule with the following settings:
   1. Location: Select Full headers.
   2. Match type: Set this to Not Matches regex.
   3. Content: Copy and paste the following text:
      (From:.*|Sender:.*)?(drive-shares-dm-noreply@google.com|drive-shares-noreply@google.com|calendar-notification@google.com)
8. Click SAVE.
9. Click the If the above expressions match dropdown list and select Modify message.
10. In the Headers section, select Add custom headers and click Add.
11. In the popup that opens, create a header with the following parameters:
    1. Header key ( X- ): Copy the following text: Wisestamphostedsignatures-Auth
    2. Header value ( : ): Paste the WiseStamp routing code here
12. Click SAVE.
13. In the Route section, select Change route.
14. Click the Normal Routing dropdown list and select the outbound connector route that you created earlier.
15. In the Encryption (onward delivery only) section, select Require secure transport (TLS).
16. Click SAVE.

Finish the WiseStamp connector wizard

Now that you have completed all configurations on Google Workspace, go back to the WiseStamp connector wizard and click Connect to finish the wizard. The Management page for this connector is displayed. On this page you can further configure this connector and view its current status. For more information, see Manage server-side connector with Google Workspace.

Perform a validity check

After configuring the required connectors and rules, go back to WiseStamp to test your settings.

To test the connector:

1. Activate your user on WiseStamp.
2. From your Gmail, send a test email to yourself or a colleague.
   The WiseStamp signature should be displayed on the email received.

!important!IMPORTANT: Make sure that several selected people in your organization have access to the login credentials for the Google Workspace Admin Console. Quick access to the Admin Console is critical for rapid troubleshooting, if email delivery becomes interrupted.!/important!

!note!Once using the server-side solution (not in Hybrid mode), WiseStamp signatures will NOT appear during email composition or in emails in the Sent folder. !/note!

Post configuration procedures

Set up devices and apps

To help ensure maximum efficiency and security we recommend using the SMTP relay service to send emails from devices or apps. For complete details on how to set up your devices and apps to send email through Google Workspace, using the service you configured (Configuring the SMTP Relay Service), refer to the instructions in Option 1 of  sending emails in Google Workspace Admin Help.

Manage server-side connector with Google Workspace

After creating a server-side connector with Google Workspace, you can manage this connector from the Management  page. From this page you can perform many management tasks, such as view the connector status, set new features, refresh SPF records, edit included domains and remove the connector. To access the Management page, go to the Connectors page and click Manage for the server-side connector.

The following table lists the management tasks available to you:

Manage domains in Google Workspace

When you want to include certain domains for the server-side solution, but not all domains related to your Google Workspace account, follow these steps to include specific domains in Google Workspace for WiseStamp:

1. Sign in to your Google Admin Console using your administrator credentials.
2. From the Home page, go to Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail > Compliance.
3. In the Compliance section, locate Content Compliance.
4. Locate the WiseStamp content compliance rule and click Edit.
5. In the Edit settings, scroll down and click Show Options.
6. Scroll down to C. Enveloper filter and check the Only affect specific envelope senders.
7. You can now either specify email addresses or use existing groups.
8. To apply your changes, Click Save.

You have now successfully set up WiseStamp's server-side solution to include specific domains in Google Workspace. Only emails from the specified domains are routed through WiseStamp SMTP and have signatures appended.

Troubleshooting server-side configuration issues

The following sections provide guidelines to help handle issues that may occur with server-side configuration.

Server-side connector errors

Sometimes connector errors can prevent your emails from being sent or your signature from appearing in your emails. In such cases, disconnecting and reconnecting your WiseStamp account can resolve the issue.

To disconnect from the server:

1. Open your WiseStamp account.
2. On the left panel, click Connectors.
3. Click Manage on the Connectors page.
4. At the upper right corner of the page, click Disconnect. 
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to confirm the disconnection and complete the process. 

To reconnect follow the procedures specified in Google Workspace server-side configuration.

Two WiseStamp signatures are displayed

If you see two signatures at the bottom of your email, it's likely that you have a manually installed signature (copy/paste).  WiseStamp cannot recognize manually installed signatures, so they cannot be automatically removed or overwritten. To avoid having duplicate signatures, simply reinstall or remove your copy/paste signature.

Mails not being sent

In rare circumstances, you may encounter a critical issue where your emails are not going through. In such cases, you may need to disable the compliance rule in the Google Workspace Admin Console until further investigation with WiseStamp support team. Disabling the rule ensures that your emails bypass WiseStamp's servers, allowing them to be delivered without any interference.

To disable the compliance rule:

1. From the Google Workspace Admin Console, go to  Apps > Google Workspace > Settings for Gmail >  Compliance.
2. Under Content Compliance, in the row of the rule you created for WiseStamp, click Disable.

Please note that as long as the rule is disabled, all emails will bypass WiseStamp's server, even those that may have been previously routed through it. You may need to re-enable the rule at a later time to resume signature deployment.

Troubleshooting

Here are the main issues that may occur concerning this topic: