Using a shared mailbox

A shared mailbox is an email address that several people can read and send from, such as info@, office@ or accounts@. It has its own inbox, sent items and calendar, but nobody signs in to it directly. Instead, we give access to the people who need it, and it appears in their Outlook alongside their own mailbox. Shared mailboxes do not need a paid Microsoft 365 licence of their own and they do not count as a user on our plan.

Finding it in Outlook

Once we have given you access, the shared mailbox usually appears in the folder list in Outlook on your computer within an hour or so. You may need to close and reopen Outlook. In Outlook on the web, right-click Folders (or your name) and choose Add shared folder or mailbox, then type the address. On the Outlook phone app, the shared mailbox can be added from the account settings.

Sending as the shared address

When you write a new message, click From and choose the shared address. If the From field is not showing, look for it under the Options tab. Replies to a message that arrived in the shared inbox are usually sent from the shared address automatically. Messages you send this way are saved in the shared mailbox's Sent Items, so your colleagues can see what was answered.

Working as a team

Agree a simple system so two people do not answer the same message, for example flagging messages you are dealing with, or moving them into a folder once handled. Outlook categories with each person's name work well.

Asking for access or a new shared mailbox

Email hello@bitlogix.tech with the address and the names of the people who should have access. Ask your manager to approve it if they have not already. When someone leaves, we remove their access as part of the leaver process, and their own mailbox can be turned into a shared mailbox so nothing is lost; see When someone joins or leaves your team.