When multiple people reply to the same emails, it quickly becomes difficult to know who responded, who should handle a request, or whether a customer is still waiting for an answer.
Microsoft 365 shared mailboxes allow several team members to access the same email address without sharing passwords.
Here’s how to set them up and use them effectively.
Why use a shared mailbox in Microsoft 365?
Managing a generic email address or keeping access to a former employee’s emails? Shared mailboxes in Microsoft 365 Outlook provide a simple and secure solution for collaboration.
Benefits
- Simplified collaboration
- Enhanced security
- Better message tracking
- No additional cost (depending on mailbox size)
Requirements
- The shared mailbox must be created by a Microsoft 365 administrator.
- Users must have Full Access and Send As permissions.
- For full transparency, Sent Items Copy should be enabled by the administrator.
🔍 What is the Difference Between a Shared Mailbox and Mailbox Delegation?
Mailbox delegation allows another user to manage your personal mailbox. A personal mailbox is always associated with a specific Microsoft 365 user.
A shared mailbox, on the other hand, is independent and can be accessed by multiple users.
If you’re facing an issue with a shared mailbox, permissions, Outlook, or Microsoft 365 in general, tell me what’s going on. I’ll take a practical look at your situation and get back to you.
For administrators: Create and configure a shared mailbox
- Open theMicrosoft 365 Admin Center
- Go to Teams & Groups → Shared Mailboxes → Add Shared Mailbox.
- Enter the mailbox name, email address and aliases.
- Open the mailbox details.
- Under Mailbox Permissions, assign the appropriate users.
- ✅ Full Access
- ✅ Send As
- 🔲 Send on Behalf (optional)
- Send As
The email appears to be sent directly from the shared mailbox.
Typical use case: official communications sent on behalf of a department or the company.
- Send on Behalf
The email is sent on behalf of the shared mailbox, while the sender remains visible.
Typical use case: maintaining transparency while identifying the person who sent the message.
For administrators: save sent messages in the shared mailbox
- In the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, Open the shared mailbox details
- Go to Sent Items
- Enable:
- ✅ Copy items sent as this mailbox
- 🔲 Copy items sent on behalf of this mailbox (optional)
- In the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, Open the shared mailbox details
Automatically add a shared mailbox in Outlook (Windows & Mac)
- Restart Outlook.
- Check the folder pane, the mailbox should appear below your primary account.
- If it still doesn’t appear after several hours, use the manual method below.
- Outlook version compatibility issues
- A corrupted user profile Exchange configuration settings
- AutoMapping not enabled
Manually add a shared mailbox in Outlook (Windows & Mac)
If the mailbox does not appear automatically, you can add it manually.
- Open Outlook.
Go to File > Account Information. - Select your main account and click Manage.
- Click Add.
- Enter the shared mailbox address.
Manually add a shared mailbox in Outlook Web (OWA)
Using Outlook on the web? The process is very similar.
- Connect to https://outlook.office.com
- Go to Account Information.
- Select your main account and click Manage.
- Click Add.
- Enter the shared mailbox address.
- Restart Outlook if necessary.
A shared mailbox allows multiple team members to access the same email address while maintaining a secure working environment.
When configured properly, it improves request tracking, reduces duplicate work and simplifies collaboration.
It is often the easiest way to manage addresses such as:
- contact@
- support@
- sales@
- administration@