Opening and using a shared mailbox in Outlook on the web

A team can benefit by using Outlook on the web, previously known as Outlook Web App (OWA), to work with a shared mailbox. A shared mailbox makes it easy for a specific group of people to monitor and send email from a public email alias like info@contoso.com or contact@contoso.com. When a person in the group replies to a message sent to the shared mailbox, the email appears to be from the shared mailbox, not from the individual user. You can also use the shared mailbox as a shared team calendar. If you have full access permission to a shared mailbox that appears in the address book, you can use Outlook on the web to open that mailbox.

Note:
The administrator for your organisation must first create the shared mailbox, and add you to the group of users, before you can use it.

This article explains how to access Outlook on the web, then open and send email from a shared mailbox. It covers the following topics:

• Opening a shared mailbox
• Sending email from a shared mailbox
• Using a shared calendar

Note:
To open a shared mailbox using Outlook instead of Outlook on the web, please refer to, KB0011033,  Opening and using a shared mailbox in Outlook.

Accessing Outlook on the web

Outlook on the web is the web browser version of Outlook that is used by businesses and organisations. You can use Outlook on the web to access the email, contacts, and calendar in your Office 365 for business or other Microsoft Exchange-based email via a web browser. The web address you'll use to sign in to Outlook on the web depends on the type of account you have. For example, if you're using Office 365 for business, go to the Office 365 sign-in page.

Note:
Outlook on the web can only be used to access Office 365 for business and other accounts that are hosted on a server that's running Microsoft Exchange Server 2013. If your email address ends in @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com, or @msn.com, then you're using the free Outlook.com (formerly Hotmail.com) email service, and not Outlook on the web.

Signing in to your Outlook on the web account

To sign in to your Outlook on the web account, proceed as follows.
Note:
If you don't know your email address and password then contact the person who manages your email account to obtain these details before continuing.

1. Open your web browser or, if it's already open, open a new window.
2. Go to the sign-in page at Office 365 sign-in.

3. Enter the full email address for your Office 365 for business, Office 365 Education, or other Exchange-based email (for example, someone@contoso.com).

Note:
If your email address is already visible on the Office 365 sign-in page, then simply click on the email address.

4.If prompted, enter your password, then click Sign in.

You're now signed into your Outlook on the web account.

Opening a shared mailbox

There are two ways to open a shared mailbox using Outlook on the web. One displays the shared mailbox under your primary mailbox, the other opens the shared mailbox in a separate browser window. You may want to try both methods and see which works best for you.

Adding the shared mailbox so it displays under your primary mailbox in Outlook on the web

This method is recommended if you want to monitor the email from your primary mailbox and the shared mailbox at the same time. In addition, after you complete this task, the shared mailbox and its folders are displayed in the left navigation pane each time you open Outlook on the web.

To add a shared mailbox so it displays under your primary mailbox then proceed as follows from your account in Outlook on the web.

1. Right-click your primary mailbox in the left navigation pane, and then choose add shared folder.

The Add shared folder dialogue box appears.

2. In the Add shared folder dialogue box, type the name or email address of the shared mailbox.

The name and email address appears in the dialogue box.

3. Click Add.

The shared mailbox displays in your Folder list in Outlook on the web. You can expand or collapse the shared mailbox folders as you can with your primary mailbox. You also can remove the shared mailbox from your Folder list. To remove it, right-click the shared mailbox, and then click delete.

Opening the shared mailbox in a separate browser window

We recommend that you use this method if you want to view and manage the email for the shared mailbox in its own browser window.

To open a shared mailbox in a separate browser window then proceed as follows from your account in Outlook on the web.

1. On the Outlook on the web navigation bar, click on the portrait in the top right hand corner.

A list appears.

2. From the list, click Open another mailbox.

The Open another mailbox dialogue box appears.

3. Type the email address of the other mailbox that you want to open.

The mailbox name and email address appears in the dialogue box.

4. Click Open.

Another Outlook on the web session opens in a separate window, allowing access to the other mailbox.

Note:
If you mistype the email address of the mailbox, a second window opens alerting you that the webpage can't be found. Try retyping the email address.

Sending email from a shared mailbox

To send email from the shared mailbox using Outlook on the web, proceed as follows.

1. Click New above the folder list.

A new message form opens in the reading pane.

2. Click the more options icon, and then select, Show from.

The shared mailbox address is inserted into the From field of the message form, indicating that the people who receive the email message will see that it comes from the shared mailbox and not from your own email account.

3. To add recipients, type the name of anyone who is in your contacts folder or your organisation's address list, or type the email address in the To or cc box.

Note:
The first time you enter a person's name, Outlook on the web searches for that person's address. In the future, the name is cached so it resolves quickly.

4. In the Add a subject field, type a subject.
5. In the main body text area, type the message you want to send.
6. When your message is ready to go, click send Send.

Using the shared calendar

One of the great things about using a shared mailbox is that anyone who has access to the shared mailbox also has full access to the calendar. You can create, edit, and delete events in the calendar. Use the shared calendar just as you would use your own calendar. Here's a short list of things you can do with the shared mailbox calendar:

• Let your team know when you're going on vacation or when you'll be out of the office.
• Create a team meeting.
• Edit a calendar event that someone else created.
• Cancel a meeting that someone else created.

To access the shared calendar, from within Outlook on the web, proceed as follows.

1. Click the App Store icon, then click Calendar.

Your Outlook Calendar page appears.

2. In the left hand pane, right-click Other calendars, and then click Open calendar.

The Open calendar dialogue box appears.

3. In From directory, type the name of the shared calendar/mailbox you want to open.

The name appears in the dialogue box.

4. Click Open.

The shared calendar displays in your Calendar folder list.