Microsoft Group Inbox vs. Shared Mailboxes - Revision history

Wbff4076 at 22:32, 25 February 2026

2026-02-25T22:32:54Z

Greenea at 22:14, 15 December 2025

2025-12-15T22:14:15Z

Greenea at 22:12, 15 December 2025

2025-12-15T22:12:24Z

Greenea at 15:56, 8 October 2025

2025-10-08T15:56:41Z

Greenea: Greenea moved page Getting Started with Microsoft 365 Group Inbox to Microsoft Group Inbox vs. Shared Mailboxes

2025-10-03T22:59:57Z

Greenea moved page Getting Started with Microsoft 365 Group Inbox to Microsoft Group Inbox vs. Shared Mailboxes

Greenea at 22:59, 3 October 2025

2025-10-03T22:59:29Z

Greenea at 22:53, 3 October 2025

2025-10-03T22:53:01Z

Greenea at 22:25, 3 October 2025

2025-10-03T22:25:51Z

Greenea at 22:20, 3 October 2025

2025-10-03T22:20:31Z

Greenea at 22:16, 3 October 2025

2025-10-03T22:16:45Z

@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 *Send As (emails come from the Group address)
 *Send on Behalf (emails show you sent on behalf of the Group)
 *All sent messages automatically appear in the Group's Inbox for all members to see

@@ Line 81: / Line 81: @@
 *The separate Sent Items, Drafts, and other folders are essential to your workflow
 *You need a standalone email solution without other collaboration tools
-*You're managing customer inquiries, support tickets, or general information requests
+*You're managing a high volume customer inquiries, support tickets, or general information requests
 ==== Receiving External Emails ====

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 *May be hidden if the Group was created as a Team first (but can be made visible if needed)
 *No manual setup required
-*Work best in Outlook Web access
+*Work best in Outlook Web access (web browser or progressive web app PWA)
 ==== Folder Structure ====

@@ Line 68: / Line 68: @@
 === When to Use Each Type ===
-==== Use a Shared Mailbox When: ====
+==== Use a Group Inbox When: ====
 *You need to manage high volumes of incoming emails from various sources
 *The separate Sent Items, Drafts, and other folders are essential to your workflow
 *You need a standalone email solution without other collaboration tools
 *You're managing customer inquiries, support tickets, or general information requests
 ==== Receiving External Emails ====

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 |content=
-=== Understanding Microsoft Group Mailboxes vs. Shared Mailboxes  ===
+=== Understanding Microsoft Group Inbox vs. Shared Mailboxes  ===
 As organizations use Microsoft 365, you may encounter different ways to share email access with team members. Two common options are Shared Mailboxes and Microsoft 365 Group Inboxes. While both allow multiple people to access the same email address, they work differently and serve different purposes. This guide will help you understand which option is best for your team's needs.
 === What Are These Mailboxes? ===
 '''Shared Mailboxes''' have been available in Microsoft Exchange for many years. They're typically used when multiple people need to monitor and respond to emails from a common address, such as info@company.com or support@company.com.
-'''Microsoft 365 Group Mailboxes''' are part of a larger set of collaborative tools. When you create a Microsoft 365 Group or a Team, you automatically get a mailbox along with a SharePoint site, shared calendar, OneNote notebook, and other resources—all connected together.
+'''Microsoft 365 Group Inboxes''' are part of a larger set of collaborative tools. When you create a Microsoft 365 Group or a Team, you automatically get a mailbox along with a SharePoint site, shared calendar, OneNote notebook, and other resources—all connected together.
 === Key Differences at a Glance ===
 ==== Access and Visibility ====
 '''Shared Mailboxes:'''
-Appear in a separate section of your Outlook
+*Appear in a separate section of your Outlook
-Must be manually added to your Outlook profile
+*Must be manually added to your Outlook profile
-Always visible once added
+*Always visible once added
-'''Group Mailboxes:'''
+'''Group Inboxes:'''
-Automatically appear under the "Groups" section in Outlook when you're a member
+*Automatically appear under the "Groups" section in Outlook when you're a member
-May be hidden if the Group was created as a Team first (but can be made visible if needed)
+*May be hidden if the Group was created as a Team first (but can be made visible if needed)
-No manual setup required
+*No manual setup required
 ==== Folder Structure ====
 '''Shared Mailboxes''' include the familiar folder structure you're used to:
-Inbox
+*Inbox
-Drafts
+*Drafts
-Sent Items
+*Sent Items
-Deleted Items
+*Deleted Items
-Junk Email
+*Junk Email
-Archive
+*Archive
-Notes
+*Notes
-'''Group Mailboxes''' have a simplified structure:
+'''Group Inboxes''' have a simplified structure:
-Inbox (where you can create subfolders if needed)
+*Inbox (where you can create subfolders if needed)
-Deleted Items
+*Deleted Items
-No separate Sent Items folder—sent messages appear as conversation threads in the Inbox
+*No separate Sent Items folder—sent messages appear as conversation threads in the Inbox
 ==== Sending Emails ====
@@ Line 43: / Line 44: @@
 '''Shared Mailboxes''' offer:
-Send As (emails appear to come directly from the shared mailbox)
+*Send As (emails appear to come directly from the shared mailbox)
-Send on Behalf (emails show you sent on behalf of the mailbox)
+*Send on Behalf (emails show you sent on behalf of the mailbox)
-'''Group Mailboxes''' offer:
+'''Group Inboxes''' offer:
-Send As (emails come from the Group address)
+*Send As (emails come from the Group address)
-Send on Behalf (emails show you sent on behalf of the Group)
+*Send on Behalf (emails show you sent on behalf of the Group)
-All sent messages automatically appear in the Group's Inbox for all members to see
+*All sent messages automatically appear in the Group's Inbox for all members to see
 ==== Connected Resources ====
 '''Shared Mailboxes:'''
-Stand alone—just an email inbox
+*Stand alone—just an email inbox
-Not connected to other collaboration tools
+*Not connected to other collaboration tools
-Emails must be manually moved if you want to store them with related documents
+*Emails must be manually moved if you want to store them with related documents
-'''Group Mailboxes:'''
+'''Group Inboxes:'''
-Directly connected to a SharePoint site for file sharing
+*Directly connected to a SharePoint site for file sharing
-Linked to a shared calendar
+*Linked to a shared calendar
-Connected to Teams (if your Group has a Team)
+*Connected to Teams (if your Group has a Team)
-Easier to keep emails and related documents together
+*Easier to keep emails and related documents together
 === When to Use Each Type ===
 ==== Use a Shared Mailbox When: ====
-You need to manage high volumes of incoming emails from various sources
+*You need to manage high volumes of incoming emails from various sources
-The separate Sent Items, Drafts, and other folders are essential to your workflow
+*The separate Sent Items, Drafts, and other folders are essential to your workflow
-You need a standalone email solution without other collaboration tools
+*You need a standalone email solution without other collaboration tools
-You're managing customer inquiries, support tickets, or general information requests
+*You're managing customer inquiries, support tickets, or general information requests
-==== Use a Group Mailbox When: ====
+==== Use a Group Inbox When: ====
-Your team already has a Microsoft 365 Group or Team
+*Your team already has a Microsoft 365 Group or Team
-You want emails connected to shared files and other team resources
+*You want emails connected to shared files and other team resources
-Multiple people need to collaborate on the same topics
+*Multiple people need to collaborate on the same topics
-You prefer automatic access (no manual setup required)
+*You prefer automatic access (no manual setup required)
-Your team wants a unified place for communication and collaboration
+*Your team wants a unified place for communication and collaboration
 ==== Receiving External Emails ====
@@ Line 85: / Line 86: @@
 '''Shared Mailboxes''' accept external emails by default
-'''Group Mailboxes''' require this setting to be enabled (your IT team can help with this)
+'''Group Inboxes''' require this setting to be enabled (your IT team can help with this)
 === Making the Right Choice ===
-Before requesting a new Shared Mailbox, consider whether your team already has a Microsoft 365 Group or Team. If you do, the Group Mailbox might already meet your needs—you may just need to make it visible in Outlook.
+Before requesting a new Shared Mailbox, consider whether your team already has a Microsoft 365 Group or Team. If you do, the Group Inbox might already meet your needs—you may just need to make it visible in Outlook.
 If you're unsure which option is right for your team, contact IT support. We can help you determine whether a Group Mailbox will work for your needs or if a traditional Shared Mailbox is more appropriate.
 === Tips for Success ===
-'''For Group Mailboxes:'''
+'''For Group Inboxes:'''
-Get comfortable with threaded conversations, since sent and received messages appear together
+*Get comfortable with threaded conversations, since sent and received messages appear together
-Take advantage of the connected SharePoint site to store related documents
+*Take advantage of the connected SharePoint site to store related documents
-Remember that all Group members can see sent messages automatically
+*Remember that all Group members can see sent messages automatically
 '''For Shared Mailboxes:'''
-Use folders to organize incoming messages
+*Use folders to organize incoming messages
-Establish team protocols for who handles which emails
+*Establish team protocols for who handles which emails
-Remember to check the Sent Items folder regularly
+*Remember to check the Sent Items folder regularly
 ====Feature comparison====
 {{InboxComparisonTable}}

← Older revision	Revision as of 22:59, 3 October 2025
(No difference)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{TwoColumn|lead=
+[[File:Microsoft Office Outlook x256.png|50px|left]]Learn about the key differences between Microsoft 365 Group Inboxes and Shared Mailboxes.
-About Microsoft 365 Group Inboxes...
 |content=
-===Comparing a Shared Mailbox with Microsoft 365 Group Inbox===
+Appear in a separate section of your Outlook
 ====Feature comparison====
 {{InboxComparisonTable}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:25, 3 October 2025
Line 10:		Line 10:
	====Feature comparison====		====Feature comparison====
	{{InboxComparisonTable}}		{{InboxComparisonTable}}
−
−	~~'''Shared Inbox and calendar accessible by multiple users'''~~
−	*Microsoft 365 Group Inbox: Yes
−	*Shared Mailbox: Yes
−	~~<br />~~
−	~~'''Ability to create subfolders and move email to organize/sort'''~~
−	*Microsoft 365 Group Inbox: Yes (require using Outlook web client)
−	*Shared Mailbox: Yes
−	~~<br />~~
−	~~'''Category labels'''~~
−	*Microsoft 365 Group Inbox: No
−	*Shared Mailbox: Yes
−	~~<br />~~
−	~~'''Can function as a Distribution List (DL)'''~~
−	*Microsoft 365 Group Inbox: Yes (following a Group Inbox allows you to get notified of emails in your primary Inbox)
−	*Shared Mailbox: No
−	~~<br />~~
−	~~'''Users can have 'Send As' or 'Send on Behalf of' delegate privileges'''~~
−	*Microsoft 365 Group Inbox: Yes
−	*Shared Mailbox: Yes
−	~~<br />~~
−	~~'''Wokspace to share files'''~~
−	*Microsoft 365 Group Inbox: Yes
−	*Shared Mailbox: No
−	~~<br />~~
−	~~'''Team owners can manage membership without a Tech support request'''~~
−	*Microsoft 365 Group Inbox: Yes
−	*Shared Mailbox: No

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 ===Comparing a Shared Mailbox with Microsoft 365 Group Inbox===
 ====Feature comparison====
+{{InboxComparisonTable}}
-{| class="wikitable sortable"
-|+ Example Table
-! Feature !! Group Inbox !! Shared Mailbox
-|-
-| Shared Inbox and calendar accessible by multiple users || Yes || Yes
-|-
-| Ability to create subfolders and move email to organize/sort || Yes || Yes
-|}
-−
 '''Shared Inbox and calendar accessible by multiple users'''