Read time: 7 minutes
Summary: To add a shared mailbox in Outlook, first make sure your IT admin has already permitted you to access the mailbox. After that:
- Classic Outlook > File > Account Settings > Account Settings > Microsoft account > Change > More Settings > Advanced > Add > enter email address > OK > Apply > OK.
- New Outlook > right-click your account name in the Folder pane and select Add shared folder or mailbox > enter email address > Add.
- Outlook for Web > right-click your account name in the Folder pane > Add shared folder or mailbox > enter email address > Add.
Organizations as well as professionals from customer support teams, sales teams, human resources, accounts departments, reception teams, and others know how a shared mailbox is helpful and important for managing communication through one email address.
Since Outlook is a top email management application and has been a widely preferred email client, adding a shared mailbox in MS Outlook should not be complex. In this article, we’ll guide you through every step needed to add a shared mailbox to MS Outlook and get started using this important feature.
What is a Shared Mailbox?
A shared mailbox allows multiple authorized people in an organization to receive, view, monitor, and send emails from a common email address. such as support@company.com, sales@company.com or info@company.com. For example, consider a company that has a customer support team with six employees. Instead of creating separate email addresses for every customer inquiry, the company can create a shared mailbox called support@company.com. The admin can then grant all six employees access to this mailbox.
When a customer sends an email to support@company.com, every authorized employee can access the message and respond to it. Depending on the permissions assigned, employees can send replies that appear to come directly from the support email address.
Why Do Businesses Use Shared Mailboxes?
Shared mailboxes are useful when several employees need to manage communication through one email address. Some common examples are as follows:
- Multiple customer support representatives can respond to customer inquiries from a common address
- Sales employees can monitor incoming leads and follow up with potential customers
- HR teams can manage recruitment inquiries, employee questions, and application-related emails
- Finance employees can receive invoices, payment queries, and billing-related communication
- Employees can monitor general inquiries and appointment requests
What Do You Need Before Adding a Shared Mailbox in Outlook?
Before adding a shared mailbox, make sure that a few basic requirements are met.
- An existing shared mailbox created in your organization’s Microsoft 365 or Exchange environment.
- Appropriate permission to open and manage the shared mailbox.
- A working Outlook account with an eligible Exchange Online mailbox.
- The shared mailbox email address (Example: support@company.com)
- An updated Outlook application, be it New Outlook or Classic Outlook.
Once these prerequisites are met, you can add a shared mailbox in Outlook.
How to Add a Shared Mailbox in New Outlook?
If you’re using New Outlook to manage your emails, then you can also add a shared mailbox in there. Here are the steps to follow:
- Launch New Outlook and sign in using your Microsoft 365 account.
- Select Mail, right-click your primary Microsoft 365 email account, and select Add shared folder or mailbox.
- Enter the mailbox name or email address and click Add.
- Your shared mailbox will be listed. Click on Close and start using it from your folder pane.
Once added, you should be able to locate it under Shared with me in the Folder pane. Expand the mailbox to access folders such as Inbox, Drafts, and Sent Items.
How to Add a Shared Mailbox in Classic Outlook?
If you’re a Classic Outlook user, you can also add a Shared mailbox there with ease. Here are the steps to follow:
- Open Classic Outlook, go to File, then Account Settings > Account Settings.
- From the Email tab, select your Microsoft 365 account, and then click Change.
- Tap on More Settings, then go to Advanced, and click on Add under Mailboxes.
- Now, enter your shared email address and then click OK. After that, click Next > Finish > Close.
The shared mailbox will now appear in your MS Outlook below the primary mailbox. Now, you can send or receive emails using this mailbox.
How to Add a Shared Mailbox in Outlook for Web (OWA)?
If you regularly use or prefer Outlook for Web (OWA) to manage your emails, then you can also add a shared mailbox there. Follow these steps:
- Log in to Outlook for Web with your Microsoft 365 account.
- From the folder pane, right-click on your account, then tap on Add shared folder or mailbox.
- Enter your shared email address and tap on Continue.
- Within a few seconds, your shared mailbox email address will be added. Tap on Close.
Now, you can access your shared mailbox from the folder pane.
Note: If you cannot find the relevant option, contact your IT admin to verify your mailbox permissions and Outlook version.
Shared Mailbox Permissions and Their Uses
You must also understand that accessing a shared mailbox and sending emails from it are two different things. Microsoft Exchange provides three commonly used permission types.
| Permission | What it Allows You to Do |
| Full Access | Open the mailbox, read messages, and manage mailbox contents |
| Send As | Send emails that appear to come directly from the shared mailbox |
| Send on Behalf | Send emails showing that an individual sent the message on behalf of the shared mailbox |
For example, suppose your organization has created support@company.com.
- With Full Access, you can open the mailbox and manage its emails.
- With Send As, your message appears to come from support@company.com.
- With Send on Behalf, the recipient sees your name followed by “on behalf of support@company.com”.
One Important Point: Full Access does not automatically include permission to send emails from the shared mailbox. Your admin must also grant Send as or Send on Behalf permission, depending on your requirements.
How to Send Emails from a Shared Mailbox in Outlook
Adding a shared mailbox does not always mean that you can immediately send emails from it. You must have the appropriate sending permission. Get the required permissions (Send as or Send on Behalf permission) from your admin, then follow these steps:
- Launch Outlook and select the shared mailbox from the folder pane.
- Select New Email or New Mail, go to the From field, and select the shared mailbox address from the available list.
- Enter the recipient’s email address, add a subject, and write your message. Review and tap on Send.
Your email will be sent using the shared mailbox identity, provided your account has the required permission.
Note: If you don’t find your shared mailbox email address in From, go to the From dropdown and tap on Other email addresses, then enter your email address manually in the box next to From.
Shared Mailbox Licensing and Storage Limits
Another important consideration is licensing. Microsoft generally allows an Exchange Online shared mailbox to store up to 50 GB of data without requiring a separate license for the shared mailbox itself. However, this does not mean that shared mailboxes are completely independent of licensing requirements. The users accessing the shared mailbox must have their own eligible Exchange Online mailboxes.
However, if you only need to free up your mailbox storage space, you can consider backing up your mailbox to PST so that you can access your data later. Manual backups may bother you, so you can use the automated way: the Kernel Office 365 Backup tool. With it, you can offload older data to a local PST file in just a few easy steps. After backing up your Office 365 shared mailbox data, you delete old items from the live mailbox to stay under the 50 GB threshold without paying for an Exchange Online Plan 2 or higher-tier license.
Conclusion
We hope that you are now knowledgeable enough to add a shared mailbox in Outlook, be it New, Classic, or Web. Do remember that you have access to a shared mailbox once your admin has created it and granted the necessary permissions. With the right configuration, a shared mailbox can make team communication more organized, reduce missed messages, and help employees manage customer inquiries more efficiently. To free up storage or to protect your data from unwanted issues, export Office 365 mailbox to PST.
Frequently Asked Questions
A: You may be able to enter a shared mailbox address in Outlook, but you cannot access its contents unless your account has been granted the required permissions.
A: Yes. However, you need Send as or Send on Behalf permission in addition to the appropriate mailbox access.
A: Not always. A shared mailbox can generally operate without its own separate license up to the standard 50 GB storage limit.
A: Yes. Multiple authorized users can access a shared mailbox and manage its messages.
