Managing Shared Email Accounts & Distribution Groups in Outlook

What is the difference between a Distribution Group and a Shared Mailbox?

In Outlook, alongside your personal email inbox, you might also have access to distribution groups and shared mailboxes.

Distribution group: A distribution group is a security group created in the BCIT Global Address Book. You should have received an email with the group’s name when the mailbox was created. A distribution group is used to send emails to multiple recipients at once. It acts as a list, allowing you to email everyone in the group with a single message. However, emails sent to the group are delivered to each member’s personal inbox, and members cannot access a shared inbox.
Shared mailbox: A shared mailbox is a central email inbox that multiple users can access and manage collectively. When a shared mailbox is set up, a new security group is automatically created in the BCIT Global Address Book. All members of this group will have full access to the mailbox. You should have received an email with the name of the security group when the mailbox was created. Unlike regular email accounts, shared mailboxes do not require a shared username and password. Instead, users sign in with their existing @bcit.ca email address and password. Unlike a distribution group, emails sent to a shared mailbox stay in the shared inbox, and all members can view, respond to, and manage emails from the same location. It doesn’t deliver emails to individual users’ personal inboxes, but users can reply on behalf of the shared mailbox.

Group Roles and Access Management

Owners manage group membership: Owners have the authority to control who joins the group and who can access the resource.
Members have resource access: Members are given permission to use the resource.
Owners should add themselves as members: If owners need access to the resource, such as receiving emails, they must add themselves to the group like any other member, as only members receive emails. Owners can manage the group, but they don’t automatically receive emails unless they are added as members.

In your browser:

Log in to webmail.bcit.ca with your usual BCIT credentials.
Click the Settings icon in the ribbon, then select View all Outlook settings.
In the Settings menu, select General, then choose Distribution Groups.
Click on the this portal link.
Under Groups I own, select the distribution group or shared mailbox you want to modify from the list.
A side pane will appear on the right side of your screen.
Click on the Members tab.
Then below, under Members, click on the link that says View all and manage members.
The pane view will refresh; then click + Add members.
The pane view will refresh again.
In the Search box, type in the name or email address of the individual you would like to add.
Click the round checkbox next to the name to select it.
Then click on the Add button on the bottom left of the pane.
Repeat the steps for every individual you would like to add.
Once you have added all the members, click the Save button.

Owners of a distribution list or shared mailbox have the ability to manage its members and other owners. Exercise caution when making changes to these settings.

In your browser:

1. Log in to webmail.bcit.ca with your usual BCIT credentials.
2. Click the Settings icon in the ribbon, then select View all Outlook settings.
3. In the Settings menu, select General, then choose Distribution Groups.
4. Click on the this portal link.
5. Under Groups I own, select the distribution group or shared mailbox you want to modify from the list.
6. A side pane will appear on the right side of your screen.
7. Click on the Members tab.
8. Then below, under Owners, click on the link that says View all and manage owners.
9. The pane view will refresh; then click + Add owners.
10. The pane view will refresh again.
11. In the Search box, type in the name or email address of the individual you would like to add.
12. Click the round checkbox next to the name to select it.
13. Then click on the Add button on the bottom left of the pane.
14. Repeat the steps for every individual you would like to add.
15. Once you have added all the members, click the Save button.

Managing Shared Email Accounts & Distribution Groups in Outlook

What is the difference between a Distribution Group and a Shared Mailbox?

Group Roles and Access Management

Managing distribution list or shared mailbox membership

Managing ownership of a distribution list or shared mailbox

More information about using Microsoft Exchange and Outlook