Wait, That Google Ads Email is Legit?! Understanding Google's "Extended Workforce" @xwf.google.com

google ads Jul 23, 2025
a man checking his email looking concerned

By: Jyll Saskin Gales, Google Ads Coach and Ex-Googler

Have you ever received an email from someone claiming to be from Google, offering to help with your Google Ads account, and you're not sure if they really work at Google or not? There are a lot of scams out there - but if their email address ends in "@xwf.google.com," it's completely legitimate! Let me explain.

 

Email addresses from @xwf.google.com are legitimate

Google recently changed how they handle email addresses for their employees. In the past, everyone working at Google, whether a full-time employee or a temporary contractor, had an "@google.com" email address. This made it difficult to tell who was actually a Google employee and who wasn't.

Now, Google uses "@xwf.google.com" for their extended workforce. XWF = eXtended WorkForce. This includes contractors, temporary workers, and anyone else working on behalf of Google, but not directly employed by them. Think of it as a way to clearly distinguish between full-time Googlers and those who are working with Google in a different capacity.

 

Does it matter if your Google rep is an employee or contractor?

As a business owner or marketer using Google Ads, you might be contacted by someone from Google's extended workforce. They might be an account specialist, a Google Ads specialist, or an account manager. Knowing this change in email addresses helps you:

  • Verify their identity: If the email ends in "@xwf.google.com" or "@google.com," it's a legitimate representative of Google.
  • Avoid scams: Be wary of anyone claiming to be from Google but using a different email domain.
  • Understand their role: Knowing they are part of the extended workforce gives you context about their position and level of authority within Google.

Should You Engage with Google's Extended Workforce?

Just because someone is from Google doesn't automatically mean you should jump on a call or follow their advice blindly. People with different roles and teams have different experience levels, and potential to help.

For more on this topic, check out my in-depth article "Google Ads Sales Teams Explained by an ex-Googler."

 

Are there any other email addresses that are NOT legit? Yes!

Unfortunately, Google Ads scams are becoming more common. Bad actors will email you, impersonating a Google employee or contractor, to try to gain access to your Google account. If you fall for these scams, they can get access not just to your Google Ads account, but to your Google payments profile - and rack up thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges!

Here is an example of what a scam email may look like. Again, THIS IS NOT LEGITIMATE and this person is NOT a representative of Google:

How do we know this is not legit?

  1. Email domain "@supportteam-google.com" is not legitimate. The only legitimate domains for Google representations are "@google.com" and "@xwf.google.com." Notice that in both of these domains, there is a "." before and after the Google part, which means they are hosted on the official google.com domain. However, the scam artist used supportteam-google.com, which is NOT hosted on the official google.com domain
  2. Recommendation is not something Google would ever recommend. "A significant amount of invalid traffic and clicks"? I wish Google reps would email you about that! But they do not. An initial email like this would be more vague, mentioning opportunities to "grow" or "optimize your campaigns," etc.
  3. "Schedule a meeting" button doesn't look right. Legitimate buttons will lead to Google Calendar, and they will be square buttons in the signature Google blue (#4285f4, if you're curious), with standard Google fonts. This button is too round, the wrong colour, and has the wrong font 

If you're ever in doubt about whether an email is really from Google, do not click anything and simply ignore the email.

 

Need More Help with Google Ads?

If you liked this post you may be interested in:

Free Google Ads newsletter

Join 7,000+ business owners and marketers discovering my secrets to Google Ads success. Subscribe now for proven tactics in your inbox every other Tuesday.

Ready to master Google Ads once and for all?

I’m Jyll Saskin Gales, your Google Ads Coach. I worked at Google for 6 years, bringing the best of Google's insights and ad products to the world's largest and most sophisticated advertisers. Now, I’m a Google Ads coach, consultant and teacher, working with business owners, marketers, agencies and freelancers.

I founded Learn with Jyll to make Google Ads training accessible for aspiring and experienced practitioners. My signature Google Ads training program, Inside Google Ads, is the right fit for most business owners and marketers. If you have zero marketing experience and want to ensure you understand all the jargon and terminology first, Google Ads for Beginners will get you ready in just a few hours.

Feel free to contact me with questions.

Â