What is a shared mailbox, and when should I use one?
A shared mailbox is one inbox, such as info@ or office@, that several people open with their own logins. Everyone sees the same messages and replies go out from the shared address. Use one when a team answers the same customer email, so nothing depends on one person and nobody shares a password.
The short version
- One address, one inbox, several people, each signing in as themselves.
- Replies come from the shared address, and the mail stays with the business. In Microsoft 365, turn on saving sent items to the shared mailbox so everyone sees the replies too.
- Better than forwarding to personal inboxes, and much safer than a shared password.
- In Microsoft 365, the shared mailbox itself needs no license up to 50 GB.
How does a shared mailbox work?
An administrator creates the mailbox, for example info@yourbusiness.com, and gives chosen staff access. It then appears in Outlook next to each person’s own mailbox. Anyone with access can read, file and reply, and with the right permission the reply goes out as info@.
According to Microsoft’s help page:
- It can store up to 50 GB without a license of its own.
- Each person who uses it needs their own licensed Exchange Online mailbox.
- Nobody should sign in to it directly; Microsoft says to keep direct sign-in blocked.
- It supports up to 25 users. Only people in your own organization can use it.
Google Workspace handles shared addresses differently, usually with a Google Group set up as a collaborative inbox.
Why does it matter?
- Customer inquiries get answered even when one person is off.
- Billing and orders stay in one place, not in someone’s personal inbox.
- Staff changes don’t take the history with them.
- Security stays intact, because everyone uses their own login and their own two-step sign-in.
How does it compare with forwarding or a shared login?
- Forwarding copies mail to personal inboxes. Replies come from each person’s own address. Nobody can see what’s been handled.
- A shared password means everyone signs in as one user. You lose two-step sign-in. You can’t tell who sent what. When someone leaves, you must change the password.
- A shared mailbox keeps one address and one inbox. Each person signs in as themselves. In Microsoft 365, replies are saved only in the sender’s own Sent Items unless an admin turns on saving sent items to the shared mailbox, so ask for that setting. When someone leaves, you just remove their access.
What are the common mistakes?
- No agreement on who answers. A shared inbox where everyone assumes someone else will reply is no better than none. Read how fast to reply to a new lead.
- Nothing marked as done. Use categories, flags or folders so people don’t answer the same customer twice.
- Access never reviewed. Remove people when they leave and check the list every few months.
- Giving it a password and logging in directly. That defeats the point. See how to manage business passwords.
What if it doesn’t show up in Outlook?
New access can take a little while to appear. Microsoft notes that send-permission errors right after setup usually clear within about an hour. If it still doesn’t appear, restart Outlook, or open the mailbox in Outlook on the web to check access is in place.
How much does it cost, and how long does it take?
In Microsoft 365 the shared mailbox needs no extra license under 50 GB; users need their own paid mailboxes. Creating one and adding people takes an administrator a few minutes.
How does E-3 handle this?
Business email is one of E-3’s services. If your real goal is not missing leads, our leads and follow-up service can also pull website forms, calls and texts into one leads inbox.
Related questions
Common questions
- Do I have to pay for a shared mailbox?
- In Microsoft 365, a shared mailbox doesn't need its own license up to 50 GB. Each person who opens it still needs their own licensed mailbox.
- Can we all just share one password instead?
- It's not a good idea. You lose proper two-step sign-in, you can't tell who sent what, and you have to change the password whenever someone leaves.
- How many people can use one?
- Microsoft says a shared mailbox supports up to 25 users. For more, it suggests a Microsoft 365 group instead.
Rather talk it through?
Call our team, or send a note and we’ll reply within one business day. No pressure and no jargon.