Learn How to Create Distribution List in Office 365

Read time 7 minutes

Office 365 has become a favored management application due to its unique and valuable features. In collaborative workplaces, users often rely on tools like Groups, Distribution Lists, Shared Mailboxes, and Teams provided by Office 365 for seamless communication and cooperation. To delve deeper into Distribution Lists, let’s explore their features and the correct procedure for creating them in Office 365.

Distribution Lists – Feature

Distribution Groups, often referred to as Distribution Lists, offer a convenient means of sending mass emails to multiple users, eliminating the need for individual recipient additions. It proves especially beneficial for groups collaborating on projects or sharing information on common topics. Now, let’s explore the distinctive characteristics of Distribution Lists.

• Can be managed through EAC as well as PowerShell cmdlets
• Allows any user (external or internal) to send emails to the members of the group
• Dynamic membership is available through Dynamic Distribution Groups
• Free or Paid AAD subscription works as a license

The Distribution List serves as a centralized communication platform, facilitating multiple users in sharing work, ideas, critical information, and urgent messages. Creating a Distribution List in Office 365 is a straightforward process, especially for an Office 365 user with global administrator rights..

Before we proceed on how to Create Distribution List in Office 365, it is necessary to know the need it serves-

• It saves time and effort by sending emails to multiple users all at once.
• The sender can avoid the situation of reaching the maximum limit of recipients which each message has.
• External users can also communicate smoothly.

An Office 365 administrator can create Distribution List in Office 365 by performing the following procedure-

1. 1. Open Office 365 admin center and then navigate to Groups>Groups.
      
   2. Then click + Add a group option to add a Distribution List.
      
   3. The New Group page will get open. Here, under Add a group, select the Distribution List option from the Type drop-down.
      

Note: Users can click on the +Distributions list tab on the Home>Groups page to add Distribution List directly.

1. Add a Group name, Group email address, Description (optional), drag the option to On/Off to allow/disallow external users (outside of the organization) to send emails to this group. Read the instructions given below and click Add.
   
2. A message will be displayed that the Group was added. Click Close.
   
3. Select your newly created Distribution List and double-click on it. You can anytime edit the Group name, Owners, Members, and Exchange Settings using the respective Edit options.
   
4. Click Edit against Owners to add the Group owners. Click + Add owners, search them using the option, and add them. After adding desired owners, click Close.
   Note: Group Owners need not be members of the distribution group. By default, the user who is creating the group is the owner. However, he can add more owners to the group.
   
5. To add members to the Distribution List, click Edit against Members option. Then click + Add members to search and add the members from the users’ list. Add the desired members and click Close.
   
6. You can also change the Exchange Settings by clicking the Edit Exchange Settings option against Exchange Settings. Different Exchange Settings categories like ownership, membership, membership approval, delivery management, message approval, email options, MailTip, group designation are available. Users can change the settings as per the need and click Save to save it.
   
7. You can manage the senders of the emails whether from inside the organization only or both inside and outside the organization by clicking the delivery management category within the Exchange Settings option. Select the desired radio button and click Save to save this setting.
   
   Therefore, the Distribution Lists group in Office 365 is successfully created along with desired members and settings. Before users create an office 365 group you should know about office 365 group too.

1. Login to Office 365 using a work/school account.
2. Click app launcher icon > Admin.
3. Select Groups from the left pane > choose the preferred distribution list.
4. Click Edit from Members, open View members page.
5. Add members by clicking “Add members” & hit on “Close.”

The following steps can be performed only if you are part of the Office 365 distribution list management that has the ‘Send as permission’ option.

1. Access Outlook on the web & select inbox.
2. Open a received message from the distribution list & choose to reply.
3. Under More, click Show from at the message’s bottom.
4. Right-click on the From address & select Remove.
5. Type in the distribution list on the same field & hit Send to broadcast your email to the list.

The admins have the flexibility to make some changes to the existing Distribution Lists if required. The major modifications are-

• Add and remove members and admins from the group
• Editing the group name, email addresses and certain properties
• Allowing external users to send emails to the members
• Deletion of a Distribution List

Some users need to backup Office 365 data to Outlook due to many reasons. For such users, we recommend Kernel Office 365 Backup and Restore software which swiftly backups the complete Office data including mailboxes, groups, distribution lists, etc. to PST format which can be opened within the Outlook application later on. This software can restore or import the PST files to Office 365 too. Download the tool for free (Trial version) to try its features.

Conclusion

Within Office 365, groups and distribution lists serve as valuable tools to streamline communication by enabling messages to be sent to multiple recipients via a single email address. This fosters robust collaboration among professionals sharing common objectives. Creating, modifying, and deleting a Distribution List is a straightforward process, as outlined below. For users seeking Office 365 backup to PST, the automated Kernel Office 365 Backup and Restore software offers a convenient solution.