What you get (out of the box)
- Multi-send (a.k.a. mail merge): personalize at scale, add layouts, and Gmail auto-adds an unsubscribe footer to stay compliant. Available on Workspace (many business tiers) and Workspace Individual.
- Send limits: typically 2,000 emails/day per user, but mail-merge sends cap at ~1,500/day to leave room for normal mail. Trial orgs are lower.
- Deliverability rules: as of Feb 1, 2024, Google enforces sender requirements (SPF/DKIM/DMARC, one-click unsubscribe, low spam rates). If you’re blasting near 5,000/day to @gmail.com, you’re in “bulk sender” territory and must meet all guidelines.
When this is perfect
- You’ve got a curated list, want fast, branded updates, and you’re under ~1,500 recipients/day per sender. It’s native, simple, and pro.
When to graduate to an ESP (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Substack, etc.)
- You need: detailed analytics/automations, advanced segmentation, landing pages, or you plan to exceed Gmail’s merge limits regularly. (Even reviewers of Workspace Individual call Gmail’s newsletter tooling “barebones” vs. full ESPs.)
Quick start (Workspace Admin + Gmail)
- In Admin, make sure Multi-send is allowed for users.
- In Gmail, click Compose → Turn on multi-send, pick a layout, import contacts, personalize with merge tags, and send.
- Set up SPF, DKIM, DMARC for your domain to boost inboxing.
If you tell me your list size, sending cadence, and whether you want analytics/automations, I’ll map the cleanest path (stay in Gmail vs. add an ESP) and give you a punch-list for SPF/DKIM/DMARC so your emails hit the inbox, not the void.