A shared mailbox lets a team read and reply to email sent to one address, such as a service or departmental address, using their own KAUST accounts. This guide shows you how to get access and how to open the mailbox on the web, on your computer, and on your phone.
About this guide
Microsoft updates Microsoft 365 regularly. Features, settings, names, and screen layouts can change without notice, and many of these changes are outside the control of KAUST IT. KAUST IT may also limit, change, or turn off features to meet KAUST requirements and Saudi data privacy regulations. We update this guide as changes are identified. If your screen does not match these steps, the linked Microsoft articles reflect Microsoft's latest instructions. For help, contact IT.
A shared mailbox has its own email address and its own inbox, and several people can open it. At KAUST these are often used for service or team addresses, so that messages do not sit in one person's inbox and nothing is lost when someone is away.
You open it with your own KAUST account. Once access is granted, the mailbox appears alongside your own, and you do not sign in separately.
| If you need to... | Use |
|---|---|
| Let a team read and reply to email sent to one address | A shared mailbox |
| Send one email to a group of people | A distribution list. See Manage Your Distribution Lists and Security Groups |
| Share a calendar, files, and chat as well as email | A Microsoft Team. See Manage Shared Team Calendars and Schedules with Microsoft 365 |
If the mailbox already exists, ask its owner to request access for you. The owner submits the request and names you as a delegate.
If you are the owner, or you need a new shared mailbox for your team, use the Generic / Service Account Request. Choose Generic Account as the request type, and provide:
Request a generic account or delegate access
This service is available to faculty, staff, and researchers, free of charge.
Access can take a little while to apply after it is granted. If the mailbox has not appeared after a few hours, see Troubleshooting.
Choose the section for the app you use. You only need to do this once per app.
This is the simplest option. Nothing to install, and it works on any device.
The mailbox appears in your folder list. You can return to Shared with me at any time to see what you can access.
After access is granted, restart Outlook. The shared mailbox usually appears on its own.
If it does not:
It appears under Shared with me. You may need to expand that folder to see it.
After access is granted, restart Outlook. The shared mailbox usually appears on its own.
If it does not:
Shared mailboxes do not appear automatically on macOS. Add it yourself:
Microsoft notes that Outlook for Mac supports only full access to a shared mailbox, so if you have been given access to particular folders only, use Outlook on the web instead.
In the Outlook mobile app, add the shared mailbox as an additional account in the app's settings. Sign in with your own KAUST account when prompted, not with the shared mailbox address.
Microsoft's guide: Open and use a shared mailbox in Outlook.
To send as the shared mailbox, you need permission to send from it. Ask the mailbox owner to include this when requesting your access.
Check where your sent messages are saved
Depending on how the mailbox is set up, a message you send from the shared address may be saved in your own Sent Items rather than the shared mailbox's. Send one test message and check both places, so the team knows where to look for a record of what was sent.
Removing a mailbox from your view does not remove your access. Ask the owner to request that if you no longer need it.
The mailbox has not appeared
Close Outlook completely and reopen it. Access can take a few minutes to apply. If it still does not appear, add it manually using the steps for your app above.
I can open the mailbox but cannot send from it
Reading and sending are separate permissions. Ask the mailbox owner to request permission for you to send from the address.
My KAUST email is on Gmail
Shared mailboxes are part of Microsoft 365 and need an Outlook mailbox. If your team needs a shared address that everyone can reach, contact IT and explain what you are trying to do.
I no longer need access, or someone has left the team
Ask the mailbox owner to request the change. Review who has access regularly, and remove people who no longer need it.
For anything else, contact IT.
