How to add a shared mailbox in Outlook

Here's a clear step-by-step guide to adding a shared mailbox in Outlook 365 (old, new and web app), sending emails from it, and setting it as default From address.

A shared mailbox in Outlook makes collaboration easier by allowing multiple people to access, send, and receive emails from a single address. It can be incredibly useful for teams that need to manage a common email address, like sales or customer support. This guide will walk you through the steps to add a shared mailbox to your Outlook.

What is a shared mailbox?

A shared mailbox is a special type of mailbox in Outlook that allows multiple users to access and manage messages from a common email address. It is commonly used by teams to handle shared responsibilities, such as responding to customer inquiries, managing service requests, coordinating team tasks, or running any communication that benefits from a centralized point of contact.

In addition to emails, shared mailboxes can also include a shared calendar, which allows team members to coordinate schedules and manage appointments collectively.

Unlike a regular mailbox, a shared mailbox doesn't require a separate username and password. Instead, authorized users can access it through their own Outlook accounts.

Key features of a shared mailbox include:

  • Centralized communication. All emails to the shared address are stored in one location, making it easy for team members to stay updated.
  • Send on behalf. Team members can send emails on behalf of the shared mailbox, maintaining a unified communication style.
  • Shared calendar. Shared mailboxes in Outlook include a calendar feature for scheduling and managing team events.

Shared mailboxes are designed for use within an Exchange Server environment, both on-premises and in the cloud with Exchange Online such as Microsoft 365 accounts.

Note. A shared mailbox should not be confused with a shared Outlook folder. While the former is for managing emails from a single account, the latter is used for sharing files and documents among multiple users.

Tip. If you're using a shared mailbox in Outlook, consider taking it a step further by sharing email templates with your team. This can save even more time when responding to repetitive messages.

How to add a shared mailbox in Outlook (classic desktop app)

Before using a shared mailbox in Outlook, your Microsoft 365 admin must create it and add you as a member. Once this is done, restart Outlook, and the shared mailbox should automatically appear in the Folder pane.

If the shared mailbox does not appear in your Outlook automatically, you can manually add it by following these steps:

  1. Open Outlook. Launch the classic Outlook application.
  2. Access account settings. Click on the File tab at the top left corner of the ribbon. Under the Info tab, select Account Settings, and then click Account Settings from the dropdown. Access Account Settings in Outlook.
  3. Select target account. In the Account Settings window, on the Email tab, select your email account to which a shared mailbox is connected and click Change. Select the target account and click Change.
  4. Access more settings. In the Change Account window, click More Settings. Access more settings.
  5. Advanced tab. In the dialog window that opens, go to the Advanced tab and click Add. Go to the Advanced tab.
  6. Add the shared mailbox. Type in the email address of the shared mailbox you want to add (e.g. support@my-company.com) and click OK Add the shared mailbox to Outlook.
  7. Confirm mailbox addition. The shared mailbox will now appear under Open these additional mailboxes in the Advanced tab. Click OK to close the dialog. Confirm mailbox addition.
  8. Complete the process. Click Next, then Finish, and finally Close to save your changes.

The shared mailbox should now appear in your Outlook Folder pane, ready for use. The shared mailbox is added to Outlook 365.

Notes:

  • It may take a few minutes for a newly created mailbox to appear. If it doesn't show up immediately, wait a moment, then close and restart Outlook.
  • For a shared mailbox to be added to Outlook 365 automatically, an admin of the Microsoft 365 account must provide full access permissions for the user with automapping enabled.

How to set up a shared mailbox in new Outlook

After your organization admin has added you as a member, close and restart the new Outlook. The shared mailbox should automatically appear in your folder pane on the left. In the new Outlook, shared mailboxes are added as subfolders under Shared with me within an account to which a certain mailbox is linked.

If the shared mailbox does not show up automatically in the new Outlook app, follow these steps to add it manually:

  1. From the navigation pane, select Mail.
  2. In the folder pane, right-click your account name or click three-dots next to it, and then select Add shared folder or mailbox from the context menu. Add a shared mailbox to the new Outlook.
  3. Search for the mailbox. Type the name or email address of the mailbox you are a member of. As you type, Outlook will display a list of matches. Select the desired mailbox from the list. Search for the shared mailbox.
  4. Once the shared mailbox is selected, click the Add button to complete the process. Complete the process of adding the shared mailbox to the new Outlook.

The shared mailbox should now appear in your folder pane under Shared with me, letting you access its contents and manage emails. Click on the mailbox name to expand or collapse it, just like you do with your primary mailbox. The shared mailbox appears in the new Outlook.

How to add a shared mailbox in Outlook on the web

Unlike the desktop version, Outlook on the web does not automatically display a shared mailbox. To monitor emails from both your primary account and a shared mailbox at the same time, it is necessary to add the shared mailbox manually. Here's how:

  1. Log in to your account in Outlook on the web.
  2. Access the shared folder or mailbox option:
    • For Exchange Online mailboxes (such as Microsoft 365), right-click Folders in the left pane or click the three dots next to it, and then choose Add shared folder or mailbox.
    • For Exchange on-premises mailboxes, right-click the name of your primary mailbox and choose the above option from the context menu.
    Adding a shared mailbox in Outlook on the web.
  3. In the Add shared folder dialog box, type the name or email address of the mailbox you want to access, and click Add.

In Outlook online, shared mailboxes are displayed underneath Folders containing your primary mailbox. The shared mailbox is added to Outlook on the web.

How to send email from shared mailbox in Outlook

Sending an email from a shared mailbox in Outlook is straightforward. While the steps may vary slightly depending on the Outlook version you're using, the process is generally as follows:

  1. Create or reply to a message. Start a new message or open the email you want to reply to or forward.
  2. Select the shared email address. Click the From field in the message window and choose the shared email address from the dropdown list. Send an email from the shared mailbox in Outlook.
  3. If shared email address is not listed:
    • In classic Outlook: Choose Other email address from the From dropdown. Type the shared email address in the From… box and click OK. Type the shared email address in the From field.
    • In the new Outlook and web: Select Other email address, start typing the shared email address, and then pick it from the list of matches. Choose the shared mailbox from the list of matches.
  4. Compose and send the email. Complete your message and click Send.

Once you send at least one email from the shared mailbox, its address will automatically appear in the From dropdown list for future use.

When you send a message from a shared mailbox, recipients will only see the shared email address, not your personal email address.

Can you favorite a shared mailbox in Outlook?

In classic Outlook, you can favorite a shared mailbox just like any other one. This can be done in two ways:

  • Drag and drop.  Simply drag the shared mailbox or its specific folder, such as Inbox, to the Favorites section.
  • Right-click menu. Right-click the shared mailbox or its specific folder, and then choose Add to Favorites.
Favorite a shared mailbox in classic desktop Outlook.

Unfortunately, in the new Outlook and the web version, favoriting a shared mailbox is currently not supported. This limitation means that while you can manage the shared mailbox, you won't be able to add it to your Favorites for quicker access.

How to add users to Outlook shared mailbox

Adding or removing a user to a shared mailbox in Outlook is a task to be performed by the admin of your organization's Microsoft 365 account. Here's how to do it:

  1. First, sign in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center at admin.microsoft.com.
  2. In the left pane, navigate to Shared mailboxes.
  3. Select the mailbox you want to add a member to. Select the mailbox you want to add a member to.
  4. In the details pane, go to the Members section and click Edit. Edit the members list.
  5. Add users. In the Shared mailbox members pane, click Add members. Then, you can add users by selecting from the list or using the search box to find specific users. Add a user to the shared mailbox.
  6. Remove users. To remove a member, select the user in the list and click Remove members. Remove a user from the shared mailbox.

Once added, users will gain access to the shared mailbox. They may need to restart Outlook for the changes to take effect.

How to see members of Outlook shared mailbox

Unfortunately, there is no way to view the members of a shared mailbox directly in Outlook - whether it's the classic, new, or web app.

Only the Microsoft 365 admin can see all users of the shared mailbox in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. If you need to know the members of a particular mailbox, contact your organization's admin for this information.

How to make shared mailbox the default sender in Outlook

To set a shared mailbox as the default sender in Outlook, you need to add it as a separate account to your Outlook profile. Once added, you can make it the default account for sending emails.  Here are the steps to follow:

  1. Add the shared mailbox as an account. In classic Outlook, go to File > Add account. Enter the shared mailbox address and click Connect. Add a shared mailbox as a separate account in Outlook.
  2. Sign in with your credentials. In the Sign in dialog box, enter your own email address and password, then click Sign in. Sign in with your credentials.
  3. Wait for the configuration to complete. Allow Outlook a couple of moments to configure your new email account. Restart the application if prompted. Restart Outlook if prompted.
  4. Set the shared mailbox as the default account. Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings, select the shared mailbox account and click Set as Default. Set the shared mailbox as the default account in Outlook.
  5. Set the default From address for all accounts. If you have multiple accounts in Outlook and want the shared mailbox to be the default From address for all new messages, navigate to File > Options > Mail, scroll down to the Send messages section and select the Always use the default account when composing new messages option. Set the shared mailbox address as default for all Outlook accounts.

With these settings, all emails you send in Outlook will default from the address of the shared mailbox.

Notes:

  • This solution is only applicable in classic Outlook. The new Outlook does not currently support this method.
  • For this approach to work, you must have full access permissions for the shared mailbox.

How to remove shared mailbox from Outlook

The method to use for removing a shared mailbox depends on your Outlook version and how the mailbox was added – automatically, manually, or as a separate email account.

How to remove shared mailbox from Outlook desktop app

If the shared mailbox was added manually through the Advanced Exchange Account settings, you can remove it from the same settings:

  1. In the classic Outlook desktop app, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
  2. Select your account and click More settings.
  3. Switch to the Advanced tab.
  4. Select the shared mailbox you want to delete and click Remove. Remove the shared mailbox from the Outlook desktop app.
  5. In the confirmation message that appears, click Yes to confirm the removal. Confirm the mailbox removal.

If the shared mailbox is not listed in the Advanced tab, it could be due to one of these reasons:

  • Automatically added. Shared mailboxes added through auto-mapping cannot be removed manually. You'll need to contact your organization's admin for assistance.
  • Added as a separate account. If an additional shared email account was configured in your Outlook, you can remove that account via File > Account Settings.

Note. The instructions above apply to the classic (old) Outlook. In the new Outlook app, users cannot remove a shared mailbox themselves. To have it removed, please contact your Microsoft 365 admin for assistance.

How to remove shared mailbox from Outlook on the web

Removing a shared mailbox from the web version of Outlook is a simple process that can be done in just a couple of clicks:

  1. In the list of folders, right-click the shared mailbox.
  2. Select Remove shared folder from the context menu.
Removing the shared mailbox from Outlook on the web.

That's it! The shared mailbox will be removed from the Outlook web app.

Can't remove shared mailbox from Outlook

If you are unable to remove a shared mailbox from your Outlook or it keeps reappearing on the app restart or update, most likely it was added with auto-mapping feature enabled by the admin of your Microsoft 365 account.

In this situation, ask your administrator to do one of the following:

  • Remove you from the shared mailbox members. This will result in losing access to the mailbox.
  • Disable auto-mapping. The admin can disable full access permission to the mailbox and then re-assign the permission with auto-mapping disabled. For detailed instructions, please refer to Microsoft's documentation: Remove auto-mapping for a shared Outlook mailbox.

In conclusion, setting up a shared mailbox in Outlook is an excellent way to simplify communication and teamwork without the need to forward messages or share personal email credentials. By following this guide, you can make sure everyone on your team has access to important emails and team events, keeping everything organized and efficient.

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