Google Workspace thinks my domain is an email provider (2025)(blog.elis.cc)
380 points by el1s7 17 days ago | 149 comments
tl;dr: Google Workspace's signup page blocks legitimate domains because a frontend regex list flags anything matching patterns like `web\..*` or `me\..*` as an "email provider" — affecting even the Ukrainian Ministry of Economy's me.gov.ua domain. Google support was useless, suggesting the author switch domains rather than fix the bug. The author bypassed it by disabling the client-side validation function in the browser, since the check isn't enforced server-side. The issue reportedly still exists as of August 2026.
HN Discussion:
  • Google's support is broadly broken and treats users poorly across many products
  • Similar validation/domain issues occur elsewhere, confirming this is a widespread pattern
  • This bug likely stems from lazy product engineering that deprioritizes low-impact fixes
  • Automated decisions with unaccountable human defenders create a dystopian user experience
  • Adds contextual/historical information about domains and TLD pricing issues