How to Change Primary Domain in Google Apps

Now Google allows Google Apps users to change their Primary Domain as announced by Google Apps blog on 5th October 2015. However, the change can only be done through Google Apps Customer API interface instead on GUI in the Admin Panel.

Bear in mind that, you can only change Primary Domain from Secondary Domain. Domain Alias is not allowed. So, FREE Standard Version (called Legacy or Grandfather version) is out of luck, unless they already add the Secondary Domain in their account prior to 14th November 2014. This date is the day when Google disabled the function to add Secondary Domain in FREE Standard Version. Now, FREE Standard Version users may only add Domain Alias.

Back to Change of Primary Domain in Google Apps, actually the process is rather easy. You may refer to step by step instruction below.

  1. Login to your Google Apps Control Panel.
  2. Browse to Google Apps API Page where you change customer information. Make sure you see your Admin email address in to right corner.
  3. Click “Try it now” link.
  4. In “customerKey” field enter “my_customer“.
  5. In “fields” field enter “customerDomain“.
  6. Click “Request body” field, a drop down box will appear & select “customerDomain“.
  7. In the newly appear field, enter your Secondary Domain which you want to change to Primary Domain.
  8. Finally click the blue “AUTHORIZE AND EXECUTE” button.
  9. When the process is done, your secondary domain is converted to Primary Domain and vise versa.

 



20 comments… add one
  • I’m having a ‘Bad request’ response all the time, I’m entering the OAuth customerKey and I’m definitely logged in as an administrator. Am I doing something wrong?

    Reply
    • Try again after logout and re-login.

      Reply
  • I’m having a “New domain name is not a verified secondary domain ” I’m entering the OAuth customerKey and I’m definitely logged in as an administrator. Am I doing something wrong?

    Reply
    • You have to verify the secondary domain prior to that.

      Reply
  • its not working says cant change the domain

    Reply
    • It works as long as the domain is a verified secondary domain & you are not in a trial period.

      Reply
      • Is there a way, do you know, to accomplish this switch, in a any way, with a legacy/standard/free account?

        Reply
        • Yes, you can do it with legacy/standard/free account as long as the domain is a verified secondary domain & you are not in a trial period.

          Reply
  • Can confirm this works exactly as described – if you have multiple Google accounts just be sure to be logged into an account with admin access to the Google App account.

    This was much easier than the obtuse instructions in the official documentation and Google should really make it a button, rather than deliberately making it difficult to do.

    Reply
  • Is it possible to swap the domain name using this method? I read that it stopped working and can’t do it during the 30 days trial. How can this be done and kept the free legacy apps?

    Reply
  • It can be done but the procedure mentioned above has been patched by Google and hence no more working completely.

    It works perfectly if there is existing secondary domain and want to make it primary.

    But if you intend to add a new domain to the legacy apps and make it primary, then it won’t work.

    Reply
    • According to a guy from buygapps.com, he still can add secondary domain to standard/legacy/free Google Apps Account.

      Reply
      • I sent him an email and will see if it’s true or not. If he can get one of my changes done I will verify it on here for you. If he can’t then I guess it’s no longer an option. Fingers are crossed as I have several more accounts I’d like to use in the future…

        Reply
        • did it work?

          Reply
        • did it work??

          Reply
  • I’m getting the following message:

    “message”: “Invalid Customer Id”

    What am I doing wrong? Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Apologies, already found out, I wasn’t logged in as administrator…!

      Reply
  • any update on this ?

    Reply
  • Any Update please for the new method?

    Reply
  • No it IS NOT working as of March 2016 — google had blocked and API and one can NO LONGER use it to swap domains. Some people are selling the service for swapping domains after March 2016 but nobody is publishing the actual steps. It does require super admin account to be shared with the “seller” of the service so it is most likely a GUI thing but nobody would share the steps..

    Reply

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