Google-Apps
Image by: Valentyna Sagan

Google Apps Legacy Account or G Suite Standard Edition is a very interesting FREE service previously offered by Google. It allows domain owners to host their emails in Google’s servers using their own primary domain (e.g. [email protected]). I managed to register an account before they stopped accepting new registrations on December 2012.

Fast forward 4 years, I needed to change the primary domain I used to register in my Google Apps Legacy account. I learned that they had limited the possibility to update it unless you upgrade your account to a paid subscription. But here’s the catch – you won’t be able to downgrade back to the free legacy account once you started paying.

I searched for ways to legitimately edit my primary domain but ended up seeing lots of paid services that offer to change it for you. Well, I told my self – “if they can do it, I can do it”. I refused to avail any of these paid services but I managed to get necessary hints from all the blogs, forums, and freelance offerings.

After spending several hours trying to figure out the way, I was successful not only in changing my primary domain but also adding one or two secondary domains! It took a lot of careful experimentation and guts. A single click could cause you to lose your account permanently. With tons of data consolidation from different forums along with detailed documentation of what works and what doesn’t, I was able to create my own systematic procedure.

Google offered G Suite Standard Edition for free so IMHO, it is justifiable to give back and help others with the domain swap for free.

PREREQUISITES:

  1. Verify Account Creation Date
  2. Enable API Access and Rapid Release
  3. Add and Verify Domain Aliases (max of three)
  4. Create a Temporary Super Admin User

 

STEP 1 – Verify Account Creation Date

Login to your Admin Dashboard using your Super Admin account. Open Google API Explorer and nagivate to All versions > Admin directory API > directory.customer.get. Put the following information

directory.customer.get

Then click Authorize and execute. Select https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.customer in the OAuth scope window.

directory_customers_get_oauth

The output would determine if your Google Apps account is eligible for this procedure. If the customerCreationTime is earlier than December 6, 2012, you can proceed with the rest of the steps.

 

STEP 2 – Enable API Access and Rapid Release

Go back to your Admin Dashboard then go to Security > API Reference and check Enable API access.

enable_api_access

Next, go to Company Profile > Profile Be sure the following are selected

rapid_release

509 COMMENTS

    • No one can steal your domain without access to your domain control panel, or domain transfer code.

      As for the possibility of stealing your free Legacy Suite account, I was thinking the exact same thing when I came across this site, but went ahead with it with one old gapps account to see if my suspicions were right.

      Yes, it’s possible for this guy to just delete your Super Administrator account, change the domains and keep the account for himself. Does he actually do it, though? Nope!

      I wasn’t really expecting my account back when I initially took the risk, but within a few hours, he emailed me back telling me he had changed the domain, and I can now remove the Super Administrator account I had added for him. I almost couldn’t believe he didn’t take over my account.

      I went ahead and asked him to switch the domain for another account I had, and he did that as well.

      So yes, while he technically can steal your account, he hasn’t done it with me and so many others despite having the opportunity, which speaks a lot. Based on my experience with him, I’d trust him with it anytime!

  18. You are awesome! People like you make this world a better place!
    I had a hard time trying to trust you to send you full control of my Google Apps account, but taking this risk was totally worth it. Thank you for switching my primary domain for me. I still can’t believe you did it so quickly and for free, on top of that. I’d love to buy you dinner!

    • Hi @RootCommand,

      You’re awesome. THANK YOU! Thank you for helping me change my domain in my Google Apps account.

      Same as with others, I can guarantee you that you could trust @rootcommand on this.

      I can’t express how thankful I am. Really appreciate your kindness and help. Thank you very much.

      Patrick

  22. RootCommand you are my new Best Friend!!!! Thank you very much for your help. Really appreciated!! YOU ROCK!!! World is better with people like you 😀

    I will let everybody know!!

  26. Hey Root Command, Just sent you an email about my account details. Please, please let me know if my account will keep the same amount of Free Users as I have one of the 1st Legacy Free accounts with 100 users.!!! 😀

    • i had my doubts, bu you did as you said. While people demans money for this process you do it for free. thank you very much root.
      You Rock !!!

  32. Just a heads up about how to receive email to the original domain after the change.

    Original domain was swapped with the domain alias I’d added. The original domain became the secondary. NOTE: This secondary then needed to be revalidated.

    Even after doing that however email sent to the original domain still wasn’t working.

    Eventually worked out that you need to go into users > accounts for each user and add the old domain as an alias.

    There might be an easier way to do this (what if a domain has hundreds of users?) but didn’t get done automatically.

    Once again, thanks for all your help. Really appreciated. Just thought I’d add this as might be worth mentioning somewhere as was a bit non-obvious.

    • As most of you coming to this page, I was highly suspicious that this would work. I can guarantee you all that @rootcommand was able to change my domain without doing nothing wrong to my account. Thank you!

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