How To Assign Permissions on a Shared Mailbox
When creating a Shared Mailbox with Exchange, you’ll need to assign Permissions to all the users with whom the Mailbox will be shared. These Permissions allow you to control the level of access your users have on the Shared Mailbox.
NOTE: Creating a Shared Mailbox, as well as assigning Permissions to users, needs to be done by your Organisation’s Exchange Administrator. If you simply want to learn how to share your Mailbox folders, calendars, and contacts on Outlook with other users, please visit the guides below:
What Permissions Can Be Managed
The Exchange Administrator will be able to grant the following Permissions to each Shared Mailbox User:
- Full Access – This allows users to open the Shared Mailbox, create & manage Tasks, view, draft, manage, and delete emails, but not be able to send emails from the said Mailbox.
- Send As – This allows users to send emails from the Shared Mailbox and appear as though they’re sending the message from the original Mailbox. For example, if Jane Smith sends an email from the Accounting Shared Mailbox, the email sent will appear as sent from the Accounting Department with no traces of it coming from Jane Smith.
- Send on Behalf – This allows users to send emails from the Shared Mailbox but with an “on behalf of” phrase appearing in the From address. For example, if Jane Smith sends an email from the Accounting Shared Mailbox, the email will appear as sent from “Jane Smith on behalf of the Accounting Department”.
- Calendar access & Contacts access – This allows users to access the Shared Mailbox’s Calendar and Contacts, depending on the Folder Permission level set:
Permission Levels: View Create Edit/Delete Others Reviewer Yes No No This is the default setting. Use this for those you only need informed. Contributor No Yes No Use this to get contributions without having to disclose confidential information. Author Yes Yes Limited Can only edit/delete those they added.
Use this for contributors within your organisation, but outside your team.Publishing Author Yes Yes Limited Same as Author, except user can also add subfolders. Editor Yes Yes Yes User has full read & write access.
Use this for contributors within your team.Publishing Editor Yes Yes Yes Same as Editor, except user can also add subfolders. Owner Yes Yes Yes User can function as you would.
For Shared Mailboxes, Permissions can only be granted to users created within the same Exchange Organisation. If a user does not exist, you can create a new Mailbox for that user first, then assign Permissions to them when done.
If you do not have access to the Exchange Manager, you can still share your specific folders, calendars, contacts via Outlook.
How To Assign Shared Mailbox Permissions
To assign Permissions on a Shared Mailbox, please follow the instructions below:
- Log in to your Exchange Manager.
- Under Hosted Organisation – Exchange, click Mailboxes.
- Click the Display Name of the Shared Mailbox that you wish to manage.
- On the Edit User page, click the Permissions tab.
- Click the Add button under the corresponding permission type that you wish to grant, then search for and select the email account/s and click Add Accounts.
For Calendar access and Contacts access, set the Folder Permission level for each user. - Once done, click on the Save Changes button at the bottom-right section of the page.
Or click on the Save Changes and Exit button to go back to the Mailboxes page.
Learn more about the Shared Mailbox and how to access it via Outlook, OWA, and mobile in this linked guide. Please let us know if you need further assistance or if you have any questions. We’d love to help!