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Shared mailboxes explained

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Shared mailboxes explained

Shared mailboxes are mailboxes multiple people can monitor. Here's how they differ from groups, distribution lists, and personal mailboxes.

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01

What a shared mailbox is

A shared mailbox:

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/shared-mailboxes-explained

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Shared mailboxes vs Microsoft 365 Groups

A Microsoft 365 Group is much more than an email address — it also has a SharePoint site, a OneNote, a Planner plan, and can be the basis of a Teams team. Mail to a group can land in members' inboxes or in the group's o…

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/shared-mailboxes-explained

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03

Shared mailboxes vs distribution lists

A distribution list (or distribution group) is a fan-out address: mail sent to it is delivered to each member's personal inbox. There's no shared storage. Compared to a shared mailbox, this means no collaborative read/r…

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/shared-mailboxes-explained

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04

Operational tips

Shared mailboxes are a great low-cost starting point for team-based email. They're a stop-gap for serious workflow, not a destination.

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/shared-mailboxes-explained

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05

Licensing edge cases worth knowing

The "no licence needed" rule has real limits that catch tenants out. A shared mailbox growing past 50 GB needs a licence assigned to it (any Exchange Online plan) purely to unlock the larger quota — the mailbox still ca…

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/shared-mailboxes-explained

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