How to automatically apply Gmail labels to emails from specific domains for multiple users in organization?

Google Workspace Developers Q&A
,
1

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to build an automation workflow that automatically applies Gmail labels to emails based on sender domains, and I need this to work for multiple users in my organization.

What I’m trying to achieve:

  1. When a new project is created in our system, I retrieve the client’s domain (e.g., client-company.com)

  2. Create a Gmail label with the client’s name

  3. Automatically apply this label to all emails from @client-company.com for specific team members working on that project

My questions:

  • Is it possible to create Gmail filters/labels programmatically for multiple users in a Google Workspace organization without each user manually authorizing access?

  • Should I use Domain-Wide Delegation for this? If so, what are the required OAuth scopes?

  • Has anyone successfully implemented this with automation tools like n8n, Zapier, or (URL Removed by Staff)?

  • Or do I need to build a custom backend application with the Gmail API to achieve this?

What I’ve tried:

I’m currently using n8n and can successfully:

  • Create labels using the Gmail API (gmail.labels.create)

  • Create filters for a single authenticated user (gmail.users.settings.filters.create)

However, I’m stuck on how to:

  • Apply these filters/labels to multiple team members’ Gmail accounts without requiring each person to manually authenticate

  • Manage this at scale for our organization

Technical details:

  • We have Google Workspace

  • Team size: 5-15 people per project

  • Need to automate label creation for dozens of clients

Is Domain-Wide Delegation the right approach here? Or is there a simpler way to manage Gmail labels/filters across multiple users in an organization?

Any guidance, documentation links, or code examples would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

2

HI

Have you thought about enable the Google groups in the admin control panel and then Enable Shared Labels: A Group owner/manager enables shared labels in Google Groups settings for a specific group, making labels visible and manageable for all members.

  • Apply Labels: Members can then apply these shared labels to group-related emails, or you can create filters within the group settings to automatically apply them.

Use labels to categorize group content

Third-Party Tools (e.g., Gmelius, cloudHQ)

  • Automated Routing: Set up powerful automations (triggers like keywords, sender, etc.) to automatically apply these shared labels to incoming mail, routing it correctly for everyone.

  • Nested Labels: Create hierarchical structures (e.g., “Support” > “Agent A”) for detailed task management.

1 Like