Shared mailboxes (like support@) explained
A shared mailbox lets your whole team read, reply to, and manage a single inbox without sharing a password.
Many businesses want a single address — like support@yourbusiness.com or orders@yourbusiness.com — that the whole team can monitor. A shared mailbox is the right way to do this. It's safer and more organized than sharing a password.
Quick summary
A shared mailbox is one inbox that multiple people can access using their own individual logins. Everyone sees the same emails, can reply from the shared address, and can track what's been handled — without ever sharing a password.
What is a shared mailbox?
A shared mailbox is an email inbox that belongs to the organization, not a single person. Any team member you authorize can:
- Read all incoming messages
- Reply as the shared address (e.g., from
support@yourbusiness.com) - See when a colleague has already replied
- Mark messages as handled
Each person accesses the shared mailbox using their own personal login. Nobody needs to know a shared password.
Shared mailbox vs alias
These two things look similar but work differently:
| Shared mailbox | Alias | |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple people can access it | Yes | No |
| Has its own storage | Yes (in Microsoft 365) / depends in Google | No |
| Needs its own license | Not always (Microsoft 365 often doesn't charge) | Never |
| Can reply as the address | Yes | Yes (from your own account) |
If only one person needs to receive email at an address, an alias is simpler. If a team needs to share the inbox, use a shared mailbox.
Google Workspace: delegated inboxes and groups
Google Workspace doesn't use the term "shared mailbox" — but it provides two equivalent features:
Option 1: Inbox delegation
One person "owns" the inbox (e.g., support@yourbusiness.com is its own user), and other users are granted delegate access to it. They can read and reply as that address.
Option 2: Google Group as a collaborative inbox
You create a Google Group (e.g., support@yourbusiness.com) and add team members. All members receive the group's email, can reply from it, and can assign or resolve conversations. This is the more powerful option for teams.
See the full guide: Delegating an inbox in Google Workspace
Microsoft 365: shared mailboxes
Microsoft 365 has a built-in shared mailbox feature.
Key facts:
- Shared mailboxes in Microsoft 365 don't require a separate paid license for most team sizes (up to 50 GB storage)
- Each team member accesses it through Outlook using their own account
- You can set up automatic replies from the shared address
- There is a full audit trail of who read and replied to each message
See the full guide: Shared mailboxes in Microsoft 365
Setting up a shared mailbox
Decide on the address. Choose a clear, professional address like support@yourbusiness.com, orders@, or hello@.
Create the shared mailbox in your admin console (Microsoft 365 admin center or Google Admin console).
Add the team members who should have access.
Each person adds the shared mailbox to their own email client. In most cases, it appears automatically within a few minutes.
Agree on a workflow with your team — who responds to what, how to mark messages as handled, and how to avoid replying to the same email twice.
Tips for managing a shared inbox well
- Agree on response ownership. Who handles new messages? Do you assign them, or does anyone respond?
- Use folders or labels. Organize messages so nothing falls through the cracks.
- Set a shared signature. Replies from the shared inbox should have a consistent signature rather than personal ones.
- Review regularly. Check that messages aren't sitting unanswered.
Easy to miss
If everyone can reply but nobody is assigned responsibility, messages can be ignored or replied to twice. A simple team agreement about ownership goes a long way.
Common questions
Related guides
- Email aliases & forwarding explained
- Setting up a new email address
- Group & distribution lists explained
- Delegating an inbox (Google Workspace)
- Shared mailboxes in Microsoft 365
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