How do companies set a name and avatar for their automated email addresses?

Question

Websites will often send notification emails from addresses like [email protected] or [email protected]. When these show up in Gmail / Inbox, they often have a name and an avatar associated, like this one from Zeplin:

I know if you're using Google Apps, as an administrator you could create a user called no-reply and set their avatar. But this also uses up one user slot which costs $5 / month. And I'm not sure if this technique works outside of Gmail or Inbox.

Are there other ways to set the avatar for automated email addresses?

Drennen

Answer 1

Have a look at Gravatar.

What Is Gravatar?

An "avatar" is an image that represents you online—a little picture that appears next to your name when you interact with websites.

A Gravatar is a Globally Recognized Avatar. You upload it and create your profile just once, and then when you participate in any Gravatar-enabled site, your Gravatar image will automatically follow you there.

More info here:

https://en.gravatar.com/

This is the result for the email above.

A catch all email address allows you can receive the Gravatar activation emails for non existent email addresses.

Details for Google Apps:

• Google Admin console
• From the dashboard, click Apps, then click G Suite
• Gmail
• User settings.
• Catch-all address section

Galloway

So I know about Gravatar, but to set one you have to actually own the email address and set up a Wordpress account. So I would still need to create a user for each "no-reply" email address so I can confirm the Gravatar. – Drennen

setup a catch all for the domain and get the gravitar activation email from there. :D – Galloway

Oh that's clever. Do you know if I can set up a catch all via Google Apps? – Drennen

from google: "To create a catch-all address for delivering messages addressed to non-existent recipients: Sign in to the Google Admin console. From the dashboard, click Apps, then click G Suite > Gmail > User settings. (Free edition) In the Catch-all address section, select the Forward the mail to: radio button." dont forget to mark the question answered ;) – Galloway

Cool, thanks dude. You might want to edit your answer to include the catch all bit. That's a good solution. – Drennen

FYI, you can assign multiple e-mails to one or different gravatar images on Gravatar now. – Cloraclorinda

Answer 2

TL;DR Get a verified Google+ Brand Page and enable DKIM authentication for any external service you send email through (ala Mailchimp).

These steps are not documented and Google themselves did not help. But, after implementing them, my business avatar started to appear for emails sent via Mailchimp or Mandrill or some such with a return email address of my domain.

1) Create a Google+ Brand Account page (https://support.google.com/plus/answer/1710600). You may already have one set up as part of general SEO, but you need one for the avatar to work. Make sure too, at the end of the process (which is again, is poorly documented) that on your Google+ brand page, you see the little verified badge next to your business name.

2) Set the avatar you want on your brand page.

3) From whatever external service you send email from, set up DKIM authentication for your domain. Google Inbox won't display an avatar if it detects the email as being sent 'on behalf' of your domain; the DKIM authentication will make Inbox believe your domain actually sent it, and then apply the avatar. (These instructions vary wildly depending on your email provider, but here are the ones for Mailchimp).

Stedfast

"Make sure too, at the end of the process (which is again, is poorly documented) that on your Google+ brand page, you see the little verified badge next to your business name." - this advice is no longer relevant, since verification is no longer available. – Pettitoes

Answer 3

Go to https://myaccount.google.com/email

Click on "Advanced Settings" then on "Alternate Email". Verify emails.

Atingle

I added an alternate email. How did that help me? – Acrylonitrile

Nevermind, I had to create a separate email account, set an avatar for it and then add an alternate email. Thank you! – Acrylonitrile

Cool, this actually worked immediately, Gavatar thing didn't though (yet) – Hagiolatry

Can someone elaborate on what the actual steps here are? If I want an avatar on my company email [email protected], then I should do what? – Trehala