Summary

A shared mailbox lets a group of people read and send email from a common address (e.g., [email protected]) without needing a separate license. If you are not yet sure a shared mailbox is the right resource for your team, Understanding Distribution Lists, Microsoft 365 Groups, and Shared Mailboxes compares the three options and tells you which one to request. If your admin has already granted you access, this article explains how to add the shared mailbox to your Outlook client.

Before You Start

• An admin must have granted you permission to the shared mailbox. If you are not sure whether what you were given was shared-mailbox access, Full Access to a colleague's mailbox, or Send As, Understanding Mailbox Access Types in Microsoft 365 tells them apart.
• A Microsoft 365 mailbox.

Instructions

1. Auto-Mapped Shared Mailbox (Most Common)

In most organizations, shared mailboxes appear automatically.

1. Close and reopen Outlook.
2. Look in the left folder pane — the shared mailbox should appear below your primary mailbox.
3. If it does not appear within 30 minutes of being granted access, proceed to the manual method below.

2. Manually Add a Shared Mailbox in Classic Outlook

Add the mailbox through Account Settings if auto-mapping is disabled.

1. Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
2. On the Email tab, select your email account and click Change.
3. Click More Settings > Advanced tab.
4. Click Add under Open these additional mailboxes.
5. Type the name or email address of the shared mailbox and click OK.
6. Click OK > Next > Finish > Close.
7. The shared mailbox appears in your folder pane.

3. Open a Shared Mailbox in New Outlook

New Outlook uses a different approach to access shared mailboxes.

1. Click your profile icon in the top-right corner.
2. Click Open another mailbox.
3. Type the shared mailbox email address and press Enter.
4. The shared mailbox opens in a new browser tab or window.

4. Open a Shared Mailbox in Outlook on the Web

Access the shared mailbox through the web interface.

1. Log in to https://outlook.office.com.
2. Click your profile icon in the top-right corner.
3. Click Open another mailbox.
4. Type the shared mailbox email address and click Open.
5. The shared mailbox opens in a new tab.

5. Send Email as the Shared Mailbox (Send As)

Change the "From" address to send as the shared mailbox.

1. Create a new email.
2. Click From in the message header (if the From field is not visible, click Options > From).
3. Click Other Email Address and type the shared mailbox address, or select it from the list.
4. Compose your message and click Send.

Troubleshooting

INFO

If you recently received access to a shared mailbox, it may take up to 60 minutes for auto-mapping to take effect. Restarting Outlook can speed up the process.

Symptom / Error	Potential Cause	Solution
Shared mailbox not appearing in folder pane	Auto-mapping not yet synced	Close and reopen Outlook. If still missing after 60 minutes, add the mailbox manually using the steps above.
"You don't have permission" error	Access not yet granted by admin	Your account has not been added yet. Send IT: "Please confirm my account has Full Access on the shared mailbox [email protected], and that auto-mapping is switched on for it." The exact mailbox address is what they search for.
Cannot send from the shared mailbox	Send As permissions not granted	Reading a shared mailbox and sending from it are separate permissions. Send IT: "Please grant me Send As on [email protected] in the Exchange admin center." Restart Outlook once they confirm it is applied.

Related Articles

• Understanding Mailbox Access Types in Microsoft 365
• How to Create an Email Signature in Outlook
• How to Set Up an Out-of-Office Reply in Outlook
• Understanding Outlook Versions — Classic vs. New vs. Web

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