How to set up and use a shared mailbox in Microsoft 365 for small business teams

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to set up and use a shared mailbox in Microsoft 365 for small business teams. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

A shared mailbox allows multiple team members to send and receive emails from a single address, such as [email protected] or [email protected], without needing a separate user licence. This is ideal for small businesses that want to centralise customer enquiries while keeping individual inboxes separate.

Detailed Instructions

Step 1: Create the shared mailbox

1. Go to the Microsoft 365 admin centre and sign in using your administrator credentials.
2. In the left-hand navigation menu, expand Teams & groups.
3. Click Shared mailboxes.
4. Click the Add a shared mailbox button.
5. Enter a display name (for example, Sales Enquiries) and an email address (for example, [email protected]).
6. Click Save changes.

Note: Shared mailboxes do not require a Microsoft 365 licence as long as they remain under 50 GB in size.

Step 2: Add members to the shared mailbox

1. On the Shared mailboxes page, click the name of the mailbox you just created.
2. Under the Members tab, select Add members.
3. Search for and select the employees who need access to the mailbox.
4. Click Save.

Step 3: Assign send permissions

1. On the Shared mailboxes page, click the name of the mailbox.
2. Select Mailbox permissions.
3. Next to Send as or Send on behalf, select Edit.
4. Select the members who need to send email from the shared address and click Add.
5. Click Save changes.

Step 4: Access the shared mailbox in Outlook desktop

1. Open Microsoft Outlook on your computer.
2. Wait a few minutes for the shared mailbox to appear automatically in your folder pane under your primary mailbox.
3. If it does not appear, restart Outlook.
4. To manually add it, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
5. Select your email account and click Change.
6. Click More Settings > Advanced > Add.
7. Enter the shared mailbox email address and click OK.
8. Click Next, then Finish, and finally Close.

Step 5: Access the shared mailbox in Outlook on the web

1. Sign in to Outlook on the web at outlook.office.com.
2. Right-click your primary mailbox folder in the left navigation pane.
3. Select Add shared folder.
4. Enter the email address of the shared mailbox and click Add.
5. The shared mailbox will now appear in your folder list.

Step 6: Send email from the shared mailbox address

1. Open a new email message.
2. If the From field is not visible, go to the Options tab and select From.
3. Click the From dropdown and select the shared mailbox address. If it is not listed, select Other email address and type it in.
4. Compose and send your email as usual.

Troubleshooting

Shared mailbox does not appear in Outlook

• Ensure you have been added as a member of the shared mailbox in the Microsoft 365 admin centre.
• Restart Outlook to allow Autodiscover to update your profile.
• Check that you are using an Exchange Online account, not a POP or IMAP account.

Cannot send email from the shared mailbox

• Verify that you have Send as or Send on behalf permissions assigned in the admin centre.
• Make sure the From field is enabled and you have selected the correct shared mailbox address.
• Wait up to 30 minutes after permissions are assigned before attempting to send.

Shared mailbox is full or nearing the size limit

• Shared mailboxes can store up to 50 GB without a licence.
• Ask members to delete old emails or empty the Deleted Items folder regularly.
• If you need more than 50 GB, a licence must be assigned to the shared mailbox.

Warning: Do not convert a shared mailbox to a regular user mailbox unless you intend to assign a licence and change how the mailbox is accessed.

If you need assistance configuring permissions or accessing a shared mailbox, Open a Ticket with our support team.

Still Having Issues?