What is the purpose and impact of the 'external' label in Google Workspace emails?
Michael Ko
Co-founder & CEO, Suped
Published 14 May 2025
Updated 16 Aug 2025
6 min read
The introduction of the 'external' label in Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) has been a significant change for many organizations. This visual indicator, appearing prominently in Gmail, signals to recipients that an email originates from outside their organization's defined Google Workspace domain. It's an initiative designed primarily to bolster security within corporate communication channels.
For some, this feature rolled out gradually, becoming visible at different times. The goal is to make users more aware and cautious about messages that might pose a risk, such as phishing attempts or Business Email Compromise (BEC) scams. Understanding its purpose and impact is crucial for both internal security and external email deliverability.
The purpose of the 'external' label
The primary purpose of the 'external' label is to enhance email security by providing a clear visual cue. It helps users quickly distinguish between emails from trusted internal sources and those from outside the organizational boundary. This simple distinction can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to sophisticated social engineering attacks, where attackers often impersonate colleagues or superiors.
Phishing prevention: Users are more likely to scrutinize emails with an external label, especially if the sender claims to be an internal contact. This can help prevent clicks on malicious links or opening infected attachments.
BEC protection: The label is a strong defense against Business Email Compromise, where fraudsters attempt to trick employees into making fraudulent wire transfers or revealing confidential information. A sudden request from a CEO's email address with an external label can immediately raise suspicion.
User awareness: It serves as a constant reminder for users to exercise caution when interacting with messages from outside the organization, fostering a more security-conscious environment.
This feature provides an extra layer of protection beyond standard email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, which verify sender legitimacy but don't explicitly highlight the external nature of a sender in a user-friendly way. While these authentications are critical for preventing spoofing, the visual label directly informs the user about the origin.
How the 'external' label functions
The 'external' label appears automatically on email threads that include at least one recipient whose email address is outside your Google Workspace organization. This applies both to incoming messages from external senders and to internal messages that are part of a conversation involving external participants.
Google Workspace administrators have the ability to configure these warnings through their admin console. They can choose to turn these alerts on or off, providing flexibility based on the organization's security posture and user training. It's a system-level feature, meaning it's applied by Google at the server level, making it harder for malicious actors to circumvent compared to previous banner-based warnings that could be faked within the email body itself.
How it appears
The label is a distinct visual indicator, often appearing as a yellow or orange banner above the email content, stating "External" or a similar warning. It's designed to be prominent without being overly disruptive to the user's workflow, though some users find the banner takes up too much space on smaller screens.
The feature also sometimes includes a reply warning banner when replying to messages that include external recipients. This is another layer of protection to prevent accidental information disclosure or misdirection of replies to unauthorized external parties.
Impact on deliverability and user experience
While beneficial for security, the 'external' label can have an impact on email deliverability and how recipients perceive messages. For legitimate external senders, their emails might be viewed with increased caution, potentially leading to lower engagement rates, such as opens and clicks. This is especially true if recipients have been heavily trained to view external emails as inherently suspicious.
Positive security impact
Reduced phishing success: Helps users identify and avoid sophisticated phishing and impersonation attempts, safeguarding sensitive data.
Improved user awareness: Fosters a more vigilant mindset among employees regarding email origins.
Layered defense: Adds a visual security layer to existing email authentication protocols.
Potential deliverability challenges
Lower engagement: Recipients might be more hesitant to open or click on emails with an external tag, even from known senders.
Perception of spam/suspicion: The label can inadvertently associate legitimate external mail with suspicious activity, affecting sender reputation over time, potentially impacting inbox placement.
Increased support queries: Users might frequently ask if external messages are safe, especially after security training.
While Google implemented this with good intentions, it introduces a dynamic for email marketers and communicators sending to Google Workspace users. The challenge lies in ensuring that essential external communications, such as transactional emails, newsletters, or B2B outreach, still achieve optimal inbox placement and engagement. Effective communication strategies and adherence to email best practices become even more critical when facing such explicit labeling.
Navigating the 'external' label as an email sender
For Google Workspace administrators, it is important to review the settings for external recipient warnings within the Admin console. While the feature is generally beneficial, some organizations with specific communication flows might need to adjust their internal policies or user training to account for the label. Consistent user education is key to balancing security with communication efficiency.
For external email senders, ensuring strong sender reputation and adhering to all email authentication standards like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC remains paramount. Even with an 'external' label, a positive sender history and proper authentication can signal trustworthiness to Google's systems. You can use Google Postmaster Tools to monitor your domain's reputation.
Best practices for senders
Strengthen authentication: Ensure your domain has correctly configured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to prove legitimate origin. A robust email authentication setup is foundational.
Maintain positive engagement: Encourage recipients to interact positively with your emails, which builds trust and improves your sender reputation. Avoid sending to unengaged users.
Clear communication: Make the purpose of your external emails clear in the subject line and preview text to reduce recipient hesitation.
Monitor deliverability: Regularly check your deliverability rates and monitor for blocklistings or increased spam folder placement.
While the 'external' label serves a vital security function for Google Workspace users, it also places a greater emphasis on the need for transparent and trustworthy external email practices. Adapting to this feature ensures your messages continue to reach and resonate with your audience.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Ensure users understand the security purpose behind the 'external' label through ongoing training.
Regularly review Google Workspace admin settings for external warning banners to align with organizational policy.
For external senders, consistently verify email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to maintain trust.
Common pitfalls
Over-relying on the label as the sole security measure, neglecting other authentication protocols.
Failing to communicate the purpose of the label to internal users, leading to confusion or over-caution.
Assuming the label only affects inbound emails, ignoring its presence on outgoing replies to external threads.
Utilize other Gmail features like annotations for marketing emails to add visual trust signals.
Review your DMARC reports to identify any issues that might be contributing to a poor sender reputation, which could exacerbate the impact of the 'external' label.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says they started seeing the 'external' label in their Google Workspace recently, noting it was new to them since Friday.
2021-05-31 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says that Google had been rolling out the 'external' label gradually, so some users would see it earlier than others.
2021-05-31 - Email Geeks
Final thoughts on the 'external' label
The 'external' label in Google Workspace is a testament to the ongoing battle against email-based threats like phishing and BEC. By making the origin of an email more explicit, Google empowers users to be more discerning and vigilant, ultimately creating a more secure email environment.
While beneficial for security, it also highlights the ever-evolving landscape of email deliverability. For organizations and marketers, it reinforces the critical importance of maintaining a strong sender reputation and adhering to all established email authentication standards. Proactive monitoring and adaptation are key to ensuring your messages continue to land successfully in Google Workspace inboxes.
