How to Open a Shared Folder in Outlook?
Written By: Sarthak Poswal 
Updated On October 28, 2026 Written By: Sarthak Poswal Updated On October 28, 2026 Quick Answer: To open shared folder in Outlook, click File > Account Settings > Account Settings. Select the email and click Change. Then, click More Settings. Go to the Advanced tab, click Add, enter the email address of the user who shared the folder, and click OK. Select the shared folder and click OK. The shared folder will become visible in your Outlook folder navigation pane.
Outlook allows users to share folders with members (having a mailbox on the same Exchange Server) of your organization. This feature helps multiple team members work with a single email folder. After sharing the folder, the target user can open the shared folder from any version of Outlook.
In the following sections, we will see the detailed steps to access a shared folder in Classic Outlook, New Outlook, and Outlook on the Web. Additionally, we will also discuss common troubleshooting steps to follow in case you fail to open the folder.
Before accessing the shared folder, make sure you have the right permission to access it, and you are on a stable high bandwidth internet.
Usually, a shared folder automatically appears in your folder pane in Outlook. However, if you are using an old, outdated version of Outlook, the functionality might change. In case you are not seeing any shared folder, try these steps:
Read Also: How to add a shared mailbox in MS Outlook?
The steps to open a shared folder in Outlook on the Web and the New Outlook are the same.
Following these steps allows you to access a shared folder in Outlook. However, do not expect instant results. After granting a user access to a folder in Outlook, it may take up to 1 or more hours to become visible in the target users' Outlook.
The steps to access shared folder in Outlook don't always go as planned. A few common problems and their solutions when opening Outlook shared folders are:
Check what version of Outlook you are using, update it if outdated. Make sure your Outlook is configured with Office 365 account or Exchange work/school. Standard personal accounts do not support shared folder feature.
Sometimes, the Outlook users get the cannot expand the folder error when they try to open shared folder in Outlook. This could be due to an incompatible add-in or you simply do not have permission to view the folder.
If you can view the content of the folders but cannot move or edit any data item, then you do not have complete access. You may only have the receiver permission level assigned to you. Ask the owner to grant you editor level access.
In case none of the folders in Outlook is opening, including the shared folders, then it could be due to a corrupted Outlook profile or maybe your PST file is damaged. To fix it, either create a new Outlook profile or try to repair the corrupt Outlook data files.
The shared folder in Outlook allows multiple users to work on a single email folder. This boosts team collaboration and also helps in managing Exchange mailbox size. If someone has granted you access to some folders, use the steps we discussed above to open shared folder in Outlook.
However, if you fail to access the folders in Outlook due to a corrupt PST file, resolve the issue before the corruption roots deep. Start with ScanPST.exe and if that does not work, try a professional PST repair tool.
Ans: No, to create or open a shared folder, your Outlook must be configured with an Exchange account. Standard personal accounts do not support this collaborative feature.
Ans: If someone has shared a folder with you and you want to remove it from your Outlook, you must ask the original creator to remove you from the authorized user and revoke your access to the folder. After that, the folder will be automatically removed from your Outlook.
Ans: It depends on what version of Outlook you are using and whether you have full access to that folder. Users with read only access cannot download folder to PST.