A shared mailbox is a team email address that multiple people can access and send from - like a location inbox, a support address, or a department email. A shared calendar lets a team view and manage the same set of events. This article covers how to access both, how to send email correctly from a shared mailbox, and how to manage calendar sharing - all from Outlook on the Web (OWA) or the PWA.

 

📋  Before you start: You must be granted access to a shared mailbox or calendar by IT or the mailbox owner before any of these steps will work. If you are not sure whether you have access, contact IT with the email address of the shared mailbox or the name of the calendar owner.

 

Part 1: Understanding Shared Mailbox Permissions

Not everyone has the same level of access to a shared mailbox. Your permissions determine what you can do. IT assigns these - you cannot change your own permission level.

 

Permission level	What you can do	Typical use
Full Access	Read, move, delete, and manage all emails in the mailbox. Send on behalf of or as the mailbox.	Location managers, admin staff who own the mailbox
Send As	Send email that appears to come directly from the shared mailbox address - not your name	Staff who reply on behalf of a team or location inbox
Send on Behalf	Send email showing both your name and the shared mailbox - "Your Name on behalf of Store Email"	Staff with occasional need to send from a team address
Read Only	View emails in the mailbox but cannot send, move, or delete	Review or audit access - less common

 

💡  Not sure what access you have? Try opening the shared mailbox and sending a test email. If you can see a From dropdown with the shared address, you have Send As or Send on Behalf. If you can read mail but have no From option, you have Full Access without sending rights. Contact IT if you need a different level.

 

Part 2: Opening a Shared Mailbox in OWA / PWA

Shared mailboxes you have been granted Full Access to will often appear automatically in your left folder panel under your personal inbox. If they do not appear automatically, open them manually.

 

Method 1 - Automatic (appears in your folder list)

If the shared mailbox has been configured to auto-map to your account, it will appear in the left panel of OWA below your own folders. Simply click the shared mailbox name to expand it and view its inbox, sent items, and other folders.

 

💡  Auto-mapping can take up to an hour after IT grants access. If you were just given access and don't see it yet, wait and try signing out and back in.

 

Method 2 - Open manually in OWA

1. In OWA, click your profile picture or initials in the top right corner.
2. Click Open another mailbox.
3. Type the shared mailbox email address (e.g. [email protected]) and press Enter or click Open.
4. The shared mailbox opens in the same OWA window, replacing your current view.
5. To switch back to your own mailbox, click your profile picture again and select your own email address.

 

Method 3 - Open in a separate browser tab or PWA window

1. Copy the shared mailbox URL format: outlook.office.com/mail/[email protected]
2. Paste it into a new browser tab or open it in a separate window.
3. This keeps your personal inbox and the shared mailbox visible at the same time in different tabs - useful if you monitor both throughout the day.

Part 3: Sending Email From a Shared Mailbox

When composing an email from within a shared mailbox, OWA should automatically use the shared mailbox address in the From field. Here is how to make sure you are sending from the right address and what to do if the From field is not visible.

 

Sending from within the shared mailbox view

1. Open the shared mailbox using any method from Part 2.
2. Click New mail or New message to compose.
3. The From field should automatically show the shared mailbox address. If it shows your personal address, click the From field and select the shared mailbox from the dropdown.
4. Compose your message and send normally.
5. Sent emails are saved in the shared mailbox Sent Items folder - not your personal Sent Items - so all team members can see what was sent.

 

Send As vs Send on Behalf - what your recipient sees

This is the most important distinction for shared mailbox users. Make sure you have the right permission for how you want your emails to appear:

 

	Send As	Send on Behalf
From line shows	[email protected] (only the shared address)	Your Name on behalf of [email protected]
Your name visible to recipient?	No - looks like it came directly from the mailbox	Yes - recipient can see who actually sent it
Replies go to	The shared mailbox inbox	The shared mailbox inbox
Best when	You want seamless, branded replies from the team address	You want transparency about who sent the message

 

💡  Which should PFM users use? For location or team inboxes where customers or franchise partners are emailing in, Send As is the professional choice - replies appear to come directly from the store or team address, not from an individual. Ask IT to grant Send As if you only have Send on Behalf.

 

Adding the From field if it is not visible

If you are composing from your personal inbox but want to send from a shared mailbox address:

1. Click New mail from your personal inbox.
2. Click the three dots (...) in the compose toolbar - usually at the bottom of the compose window.
3. Select Show From. A From field will appear above the To field.
4. Click the From field → Other email address and type the shared mailbox address.
5. If the address is accepted, you have Send As or Send on Behalf access. If you get an error, contact IT to confirm your permissions.

 

Part 4: Shared Calendars — Adding and Viewing

A shared calendar lets you see another person's or team's schedule alongside your own. You can add a colleague's calendar, a shared team calendar, or a location resource calendar.

 

Adding a shared calendar in OWA / PWA

1. Click the Calendar icon in the left sidebar of OWA.
2. In the left panel, click Add calendar.
3. Select Add from directory to search for a person or shared mailbox calendar within your organisation.
4. Type the person's name or the shared mailbox address and select them from the results.
5. Click Add. Their calendar will appear in your left panel under Other calendars, colour-coded so you can distinguish it from your own.

 

Viewing and switching between calendars

• All added calendars appear in the left panel - tick or untick the checkbox next to each calendar to show or hide it in the main view.
• Click the colour dot next to any calendar to change its colour - useful when you have several calendars open at once.
• Right-click a calendar in the left panel to access options like Remove, Rename, or change permissions.

 

Part 5: Sharing Your Own Calendar

You can control who can see your calendar and how much detail they can see. This is especially useful for managers, admins, or anyone who needs to coordinate schedules with their team.

 

Calendar permission levels

 

Permission level	What the other person can see / do
Free/Busy only	Can see when you are busy or free - no event details, no titles
Free/Busy + titles and locations	Can see that you have a "Team Meeting at Location X" but not the full description or attendees
Full details	Can see everything about each event - title, description, attendees, attachments
Editor	Can see everything and create, edit, or delete events on your calendar
Delegate	Full editor access plus receives your meeting requests and can respond on your behalf

 

How to share your calendar in OWA / PWA

1. Click the Calendar icon in the left sidebar.
2. Right-click My calendar in the left panel and select Sharing and permissions.
3. In the panel that opens, type the name or email of the person you want to share with.
4. Select the permission level from the dropdown - choose the minimum level that meets your needs.
5. Click Share. They will receive an email notification with a link to add your calendar.

 

💡  Share with care. Full Details and Editor access show everything on your calendar including private appointments. Use Free/Busy only for general availability visibility, and reserve Full Details or Editor for trusted colleagues or assistants.

 

How to stop sharing your calendar

1. Right-click My calendar → Sharing and permissions.
2. Find the person in the sharing list.
3. Click the X next to their name to remove their access.

 

Part 6: Setting Up a Calendar Delegate

A delegate is someone who can receive your meeting requests and respond on your behalf - useful for managers who want an assistant to manage their calendar. Delegates have Editor-level access plus the ability to accept or decline meeting invitations in your name.

 

Adding a delegate in OWA / PWA

1. Click the Settings gear icon in the top right of OWA.
2. Click View all Outlook settings at the bottom of the settings panel.
3. Go to Calendar → Shared calendars.
4. Under Delegation and sharing, click Add a delegate.
5. Search for the person you want to act as your delegate and select them.
6. Choose the permission level - Delegate receives copies of meeting requests is the standard option.
7. Click Save. Your delegate will receive an email confirming the arrangement.

 

🔴  Choose your delegate carefully. A delegate can accept and decline meetings on your behalf without your knowledge if you do not have notifications set up. Only delegate calendar access to someone you fully trust to manage your schedule. You can remove a delegate at any time by returning to Calendar → Shared calendars and clicking Remove next to their name.

 

Part 7: Shared Mailboxes and Calendars on Mobile

OWA on mobile (via the Outlook app or browser) supports shared mailboxes and calendars, with some differences to be aware of.

 

Adding a shared mailbox on mobile (Outlook app)

1. Open the Outlook mobile app.
2. Tap your profile picture or initials in the top left corner.
3. Tap the + icon to add an account.
4. Select Add a Shared Mailbox.
5. Enter the shared mailbox email address and tap Add Account.
6. The shared mailbox appears as a separate inbox in your Outlook app - swipe between accounts using the left panel.

 

Viewing shared calendars on mobile

1. Open the Outlook mobile app and tap the Calendar icon at the bottom.
2. Tap the menu icon (three lines) in the top left to see your calendar list.
3. Shared calendars that are already added in OWA will sync and appear here automatically.
4. Tap the checkbox next to any calendar to show or hide it in the view.

 

💡  Mobile tip: Sending from a shared mailbox on mobile requires the Outlook app — the mobile browser version of OWA does not support the From field as reliably. Use the Outlook app for shared mailbox email on your phone.

 

Part 8: Troubleshooting

 

Problem	Fix
I can see the shared mailbox but can't send from it	You have Full Access but not Send As permission. Contact IT to add Send As rights to your account for that mailbox.
The shared mailbox doesn't appear in my folder list	Open it manually: click your profile picture → Open another mailbox → enter the mailbox address. If it doesn't load, your access may not be fully provisioned yet - wait an hour and try again, or contact IT.
I sent an email from the shared mailbox but it shows my name	You have Send on Behalf, not Send As. If you need the email to appear purely from the shared address, ask IT to grant you Send As permission instead.
I can't find the From field when composing	In OWA, the From field only appears if you have access to at least one shared mailbox or additional account. If you have access but don't see it, click the three dots in the compose window and select Show From.
The shared calendar isn't showing up	Go to Calendar → Add calendar → Add from directory and search for the calendar by name. If it still doesn't appear, confirm with the owner that they have shared it with you.
I can see the shared calendar but can't create events on it	You have view-only access. The calendar owner needs to grant you Editor or Delegate permissions - ask them to update your access level.
Replies to shared mailbox emails are going to my personal inbox	Check that you are replying from within the shared mailbox view, not from your personal inbox. If the reply goes to the wrong place, OWA may have defaulted to your personal address - change the From field before sending.

 

🛟  Still stuck? Contact the IT Help Desk. If you need access to a shared mailbox or calendar, have the mailbox email address ready and ask IT to grant you permissions.