How to Create a Shared Mailbox in Microsoft 365 Admin Centre

Modified on Tue, 24 Feb at 7:28 AM

Overview

A shared mailbox in Microsoft 365 allows multiple users to read and send email from a common email address. This is ideal for team inboxes like info@company.com, support@company.com, or sales@company.com.

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Key Benefits:

No license required for the shared mailbox itself
Multiple users can access the same mailbox
Emails sent from the shared mailbox appear to come from the shared address
Works with Outlook, Outlook Web App, and mobile devices </aside>

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

Microsoft 365 administrator access
The email address you want to use for the shared mailbox
A list of users who need access to the shared mailbox

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Sign in to Microsoft 365 Admin Centre

Navigate to https://admin.microsoft.com
Sign in with your Microsoft 365 administrator credentials

[Screenshot: Microsoft 365 Admin Centre login page]

Step 2: Navigate to Shared Mailboxes

In the left navigation pane, expand Teams & groups
Click on Shared mailboxes

[Screenshot: Navigation menu showing Teams & groups > Shared mailboxes]

Alternatively, you can:

Use the search bar at the top and type "shared mailboxes"
Navigate to Exchange admin centre and select Recipients > Shared

Step 3: Add a New Shared Mailbox

Click the + Add a shared mailbox button at the top of the page
A side panel will appear on the right

[Screenshot: Shared mailboxes page with "Add a shared mailbox" button highlighted]

Step 4: Configure Basic Settings

In the Add a shared mailbox panel, complete the following fields:

Name: Enter the display name for the shared mailbox

Example: "Customer Support" or "Sales Team"

Email address: Enter the email address

Example: support@yourcompany.com
The domain dropdown will show your available domains

[Screenshot: Add shared mailbox panel with Name and Email fields filled in]

Step 5: Add Members

In the same panel, scroll down to the Members section
Click + Add members
Search for and select users who need access to this mailbox
You can add multiple users at once
Click Add to confirm

[Screenshot: Members section with Add members button and search interface]

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Important: Members added here will have Full Access and Send As permissions by default.

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Step 6: Create the Shared Mailbox

Review all settings
Click Create at the bottom of the panel
Wait for the confirmation message

[Screenshot: Completed form with Create button highlighted]

The shared mailbox will be created within a few minutes. You should see a success notification.

Step 7: Verify and Configure Permissions (Optional)

After creation, you can modify permissions:

Click on the newly created shared mailbox in the list
Select the Members tab
Here you can:
- Add or remove members
- Modify permissions (Full Access, Send As, Send on Behalf)

[Screenshot: Shared mailbox details page showing Members tab with permission options]

Permission Types Explained:

Full Access

Users can open and read emails in the shared mailbox
Users can delete and move emails

Send As

Users can send emails that appear to come from the shared mailbox address
Recipients cannot tell who actually sent the email

Send on Behalf

Users can send emails on behalf of the shared mailbox
The email shows "Sender on behalf of Shared Mailbox"

Adding the Shared Mailbox to Outlook

For Desktop Outlook (Automatic)

Users with Full Access permissions will automatically see the shared mailbox appear in their Outlook folder pane within 10-60 minutes.

[Screenshot: Outlook folder pane showing shared mailbox]

For Desktop Outlook (Manual)

If the mailbox doesn't appear automatically:

Open Outlook
Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings
Select your email account and click Change
Click More Settings > Advanced tab
Click Add
Type the shared mailbox email address
Click OK and close all windows

[Screenshot: Outlook account settings showing Advanced tab with Add button]

For Outlook Web App

Go to https://outlook.office.com
Right-click on your account name in the folder pane
Select Add shared folder
Enter the shared mailbox email address
Click Add

[Screenshot: Outlook Web App showing "Add shared folder" option]

Best Practices

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Do:

Use clear, descriptive names for shared mailboxes
Document who has access and why
Regularly review and update member permissions
Set up email rules to organize incoming messages
Enable automatic replies if needed </aside>

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Don't:

Share login credentials for shared mailboxes (not needed and not secure)
Assign licenses to shared mailboxes unless they need archiving
Give everyone in the organization access by default
Forget to remove access when employees leave </aside>

Troubleshooting

Shared Mailbox Not Appearing in Outlook

Solution:

Wait 60 minutes for synchronization
Close and restart Outlook
Check that the user has Full Access permission
Manually add the mailbox using the steps above

Cannot Send Email from Shared Mailbox

Solution:

Verify the user has Send As or Send on Behalf permissions
Restart Outlook after permission changes
Check that the mailbox address is added to the "From" field options

Shared Mailbox Exceeds Storage Limit

Solution:

Shared mailboxes have a 50GB limit by default
Archive old emails to reduce storage
Consider upgrading to a user mailbox with a license if more storage is needed

Additional Resources

Need Help?

If you encounter any issues or need assistance with shared mailboxes, please contact the IT support team.