How to Add a Shared Mailbox in Outlook on the Web (OWA)

To add a shared mailbox in Outlook on the web, sign in with an account that has permission to access it, then right-click Folders in the left pane and choose Add shared folder or mailbox. Enter the mailbox name or email address and select Add. If you do not have permission yet, ask your Microsoft 365 administrator or the mailbox owner to grant it first.

A shared mailbox lets several people read and manage messages sent to a common address, such as support@company.com, without sharing a password. The steps below use Outlook on the web, also called OWA. The interface may look a little different depending on your organization’s Outlook layout, but the folder-pane method is the usual way to add it.

What You’ll Need

Your work or school account: Sign in to the Microsoft 365 account you use for work. Shared mailboxes are generally managed through Exchange Online, rather than added as ordinary personal Outlook.com accounts.
The mailbox address or name: Get the exact shared mailbox address from its owner or your administrator. A partial or outdated address can make it hard to find.
Access permission: An administrator or mailbox owner must grant your account permission to open the mailbox. Full Access allows you to read and manage mailbox contents; sending from its address can require separate Send As or Send on behalf permission.
A supported browser and internet connection: Open Outlook on the web in a current browser and sign in. You do not need the shared mailbox’s password, and you should not ask someone to share it.

Step-by-Step

Confirm that you have been granted access. If this is a new request, ask the mailbox owner or your Microsoft 365 administrator to grant your account access to the shared mailbox. Say whether you need only to read and manage messages or also to send as the shared address. Those are different permissions. If access was just granted, allow time for the change to appear before concluding that setup has failed.
Sign in to Outlook on the web. Go to your organization’s Microsoft 365 sign-in page or open Outlook at outlook.office.com, then sign in with your own work or school account. If you have more than one Microsoft account, check the profile at the top of the page to make sure Outlook is using the account that was given permission.
Find the folder pane. The folder pane is the navigation area on the left, where your Inbox, Sent Items, and other folders appear. If it is collapsed, expand it using the navigation or folder-pane control near the upper-left corner. In some layouts, you may first need to select Folders to see the full folder list.
Open the add-mailbox command. Right-click Folders in the folder pane. Select Add shared folder or mailbox from the menu. If you are using a touch device without a right-click, press and hold the folder label or use a mouse or trackpad. The precise wording or location can differ slightly as Microsoft updates Outlook.
Enter the mailbox details. In the dialog box, type the shared mailbox’s email address or name. If Outlook offers suggestions, choose the correct result rather than leaving a similar person or group selected. Check the address with the mailbox owner if several addresses have nearly identical names.
Add the mailbox. Select Add or the equivalent confirmation button in the dialog. Outlook should add the mailbox or its folders to the navigation pane. Depending on the layout, it may appear under a heading such as shared folders, or as an additional mailbox in the folder list. Expand the new entry to see folders such as Inbox and Sent Items.
Open the folder you need and check access. Select the shared mailbox’s Inbox and confirm that its messages load. You can open other folders, such as Drafts or Sent Items, if they are available to you. The mailbox does not replace your personal Inbox; it appears alongside your own folders so you can switch between them.
Send from the shared address only if you have permission. Start a new message and look for the From field. If it is hidden, open the message’s more-options menu and choose the option to show the From field, where available. Select the shared address if it is listed. If it is not listed, use the From selector’s option to enter another address if your Outlook layout provides one. Send a test only when appropriate, and ask the administrator to confirm Send As or Send on behalf permission if Outlook rejects the address. Having the mailbox visible does not by itself prove you have permission to send from it.

Alternative: open the mailbox in a separate window. If you want to work in the shared mailbox as a separate view, select your profile picture or initials in the upper-right corner and choose Open another mailbox, if that option is available. Enter the shared mailbox address and select Open. Outlook opens it in a separate browser window or tab. This route is useful when you want a distinct view, but it does not grant access: the mailbox still has to be shared with your account. If you do not see the option, use the folder-pane method above.

Common Mistakes

Trying to sign in with the shared mailbox address. Use your own account to sign in and open the shared mailbox from within Outlook. Shared mailboxes are not normally intended to be signed into directly, and the mailbox may not have a sign-in password.
Assuming that a visible mailbox includes send permission. Reading mailbox contents and sending from its address are separate capabilities. Ask for Send As or Send on behalf permission if you need to reply as the mailbox.
Adding the wrong address. Shared mailboxes can have similar display names. Verify the full email address, especially if the organization has multiple departments or test mailboxes.
Looking only in your personal Inbox. A shared mailbox is added as a separate entry in the folder pane. Expand the mailbox name and select its Inbox rather than expecting shared messages to appear in your own Inbox automatically.
Repeating the add command before checking the folder list. The mailbox may already be present but collapsed or lower in the pane. Expand the folders and scroll before adding it again.

Tips

Ask for the right access upfront. Tell the owner whether you need to read, organize, and delete messages, or send replies from the shared address. This helps the administrator assign appropriate permissions instead of making you troubleshoot a missing send option later.
Use the mailbox’s own Sent Items when reviewing team replies. Depending on how the mailbox is configured, sent messages may be saved in the shared mailbox’s Sent Items, your personal Sent Items, or both. If a reply is not where you expect, check the shared mailbox’s Sent Items folder and ask the administrator about the organization’s settings.
Keep the folder pane organized. Collapse mailboxes and folder groups you are not using, but note the shared mailbox’s exact display name so you can find it again. A long mailbox list can make a successfully added mailbox easy to overlook.
Use a separate window for distinct work. Opening another mailbox can make it easier to keep shared and personal work separate. Check the address or mailbox name before composing or replying so you do not accidentally send from the wrong account.
Follow your organization’s handling rules. Shared mailboxes can contain customer, employee, or internal information. Use your organization’s policies for access, retention, and handling messages; do not forward mailbox contents to a personal account just to make them easier to find.

Troubleshooting

The add option is missing. Expand the folder pane and right-click the top-level Folders label, not an individual Inbox or subfolder. If the command still is not there, your organization’s Outlook layout may differ, or the feature may be restricted. Try the profile menu’s Open another mailbox option if available. Otherwise, ask your Microsoft 365 administrator for the correct route for your account.

Outlook says the mailbox cannot be found or opened. Check that you entered the full address correctly and are signed in with the account that received access. Then ask the mailbox owner or administrator to verify that the mailbox exists and that permission was assigned to your exact account. A similarly named Microsoft 365 group or distribution list is not necessarily a shared mailbox.

Access was granted, but the mailbox is not visible yet. Sign out of Outlook and sign back in, or refresh the browser, then check the folder pane again. Permission changes can take time to become available across Microsoft 365. If the mailbox still does not open after a reasonable wait, ask the administrator to confirm when access was granted and whether the correct permission was applied.

You can read messages but cannot send as the mailbox. This usually means you have access to open it but not the separate sending permission. Ask the administrator whether you need Send As or Send on behalf rights. If you already have the permission, make sure the From field is displayed and that you selected the shared address rather than your own. An error message when sending is useful to share with your administrator.

The mailbox appears, but a folder is missing or messages do not load. Expand the mailbox entry and check whether the folder is nested beneath another folder. Refresh Outlook, then try opening the mailbox in a separate window. If only a particular folder is unavailable, ask the mailbox owner or administrator whether you have permission to that folder and whether the messages are still in the mailbox.

You see an error after a browser update or account switch. Confirm that you are using the correct work account, then reload Outlook. If needed, close the extra mailbox tab, return to your main Outlook session, and open the shared mailbox again. If the problem persists, provide your administrator with the error text, the mailbox address, and the account you are using; do not send passwords or authentication codes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a separate password for a shared mailbox?
No. Sign in to Outlook using your own work or school account. An administrator grants that account access to the shared mailbox; you should not use or request a shared mailbox password.

Why can I open the mailbox but not send messages from it?
Opening and managing the mailbox does not automatically include permission to send from its address. Ask the administrator whether you need Send As or Send on behalf permission, and confirm that Outlook’s From field is set to the shared address.

Will the shared mailbox show up in Outlook automatically?
It may appear automatically when your organization assigns the relevant access, but this depends on permissions and Outlook configuration. If it does not show, use Folders > Add shared folder or mailbox or ask your administrator whether access is in place.

Can I add a shared mailbox on a phone or tablet?
Outlook’s mobile apps have different navigation from Outlook on the web, and the web instructions here may not match their menus. Your organization may support adding the mailbox through the app’s account or shared-mailbox options. If the option is unavailable, use Outlook on the web or ask your administrator for the supported mobile setup.

Can I remove the shared mailbox later?
Yes. In the folder pane, look for a remove or close option in the menu for the shared mailbox, if your Outlook layout provides one. Removing it from your view does not delete the mailbox or revoke anyone else’s access. If your organization manages mailbox visibility centrally, contact the administrator.

Does adding the mailbox move its messages into my own Inbox?
No. It adds a separate mailbox or folder entry for you to open. Messages remain in the shared mailbox unless someone moves or deletes them, so select its Inbox when you want to read shared mail.

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