Distribution groups & lists in Microsoft 365
How to create and manage distribution groups in Microsoft 365 — so you can email your whole team or a specific department with a single address.
A distribution group (also called a distribution list) lets you send one email to multiple people at once. Instead of typing in ten email addresses, you type the group address — like team@yourcompany.com — and everyone in the group receives the message.
Quick summary
A distribution group is a mailing list — email sent to it is forwarded to everyone in the group. It does not have its own inbox. It's great for "all staff" announcements, team newsletters, or departmental communications. Create and manage groups in the Microsoft 365 admin center under Teams & groups.
Distribution group vs shared mailbox
These two features sound similar but work differently:
| Distribution group | Shared mailbox | |
|---|---|---|
| Has its own inbox | No | Yes |
| Recipients receive email in... | Their own inbox | The shared inbox |
| Can reply from the group address | No (by default) | Yes |
| Needs a license | No | No (under 50 GB) |
| Best for | Broadcasting to a team | Managing replies together |
Use a distribution group when you need to send to many people. Use a shared mailbox when a team needs to reply from a shared address.
Creating a distribution group (admin)
Admin access requiredSign in to the admin center at admin.microsoft.com.
Go to Teams & groups → Active teams & groups.
Click Add a group.
Choose Distribution list as the group type. Click Next.
Enter a name for the group — for example, 'All Staff" or "Sales Team". Add an optional description. Click Next.
Set the group email address — for example, allstaff@yourcompany.com. Click Next.
Choose who can send to the group. You can allow anyone (inside and outside your organization) or restrict it to members only. Click Next.
Review the settings and click Create group. Then add members to the group.
Adding members to a group
After creating the group, click on its name in Teams & groups → Active teams & groups.
Go to the Members tab.
Click View all and manage members, then add people by searching for their names or email addresses.
Click Save. Members can also add themselves if the group is configured to allow self-subscription.
Sending to a distribution group
To send an email to the group, just type the group's email address in the To field in Outlook, exactly as you would for a single person. Outlook will recognize it as a group name.
Replies go to the sender, not the whole group (by default)
When a group member replies to an email sent to the distribution group, their reply goes to the original sender — not to the whole group. This is usually what people want. If you need everyone to reply to the group, ask the sender to use "Reply All."
Managing groups
To edit a group, change members, or delete it, go back to Teams & groups → Active teams & groups and click the group name. From there you can:
- Add or remove members
- Change the group email address
- Update who can send to the group
- Delete the group
Microsoft 365 Groups vs distribution lists
You may see Microsoft 365 Groups as an option when creating a group. These are different — they come with a shared inbox, a shared calendar, a SharePoint document library, and a Teams channel. They are more powerful but also more complex. For a simple mailing list, a distribution list is the right choice.
Common questions
Related guides
- Shared mailboxes in Microsoft 365
- Outlook basics for business
- Adding a user in Microsoft 365
- The Microsoft 365 admin center, explained
- Groups & email aliases in Google Workspace
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