Outlook - Delegated/Shared Account Access

This document provides an overview of delegated non-user accounts and how to access them.

Delegated/Shared Accounts

Delegated accounts are non-user accounts that are shared within a departmental or non-user accounts.  An example of a delegated (departmental) account is helpdesk@uwosh.edu.

This article will explain how to:

Request a Delegated Account

To request a new delegated account, contact the Information Technology Help Desk at 920-424-3020 or helpdesk@uwosh.edu. You will need to provide the name of the account and the owner of the account. The account will need to be renewed annually.

Request a Change of Ownership

To request a change of ownership, fill out the Shared Account Owner Update Form.
This form asks:

  1. What is the name of the account?
  2. What is the NetID of the proper owner of this account?

Request Access to a Delegated Account

To request access to a shared account, have the owner of the account fill out the Shared Account Access Update Form.

This form asks:

  1. What is the name of the shared account?
  2. Enter the NetIDs of the users that need to send email as this shared account.
  3. Enter the NetIDs of the users that need to be able to view and manage email sent to this shared account.
Question #2 and Question #3 are asked separately since some users may not need to be able to do both things.

Access a Shared Account

Shared Folder Method

If you want to monitor email from your primary mailbox and the shared mailbox at the same time, use this method.

After you complete this task, the shared mailbox and its folders are displayed in the left navigation pane each time you open Outlook Web App. 

    1. Sign in to your account in Outlook Web App.
    2. Right-click your primary mailbox in the left navigation pane, and then choose Add shared folder. (Your name is on your primary mailbox.)
    3. In the Add shared folder dialog box, type the name of the shared account and select Add.

The shared mailbox displays in your Folder list in Outlook Web App. You can expand or collapse the shared mailbox folders as you can with your primary mailbox. You also can remove the shared mailbox from your Folder list. To remove it, right-click the shared mailbox, and then select Remove shared folder.

Note: Adding a shared account using this method will also allow you to access this shared account via your mobile device. To access the shared account on your mobile device, once you've setup the shared folder from your computer's browser using the above method, go to outlook.office.com using your mobile device's web browser. Login to the your account. You'll find that the shared account shows up as a shared folder just like it does from your computer's browser. (Microsoft is working on adding access to shared folders from the Outlook mobile app.)

More information on this can be found at the Microsoft Help Site, including Receiving notifications, Open in a separate browser window, and Using a shared calendar.

Send Email from a Delegated Account

Shared Folder Method

    1. Select New mail above the folder list. A new message form opens in the reading pane.
    2. A new message form opens in the reading pane.
    3. Select More More or more options icon from the top menu and then select Show From. This option shows you that the people who receive the email message will see that it comes from the shared mailbox and not from your own email account. Note: The first time you use a shared mailbox to send an email, you won't see the name of the shared mailbox account in the Show From drop-down. For your first-time use, delete your name, type the name of the shared mailbox in place of your name, and then send the message. From then on, the name of the shared mailbox will display in the drop-down next to Show From, and you can select it.
    4. To add recipients, type the name of anyone who is in your contacts folder or organization’s address list, or type the email address in the To or Cc box. The first time you enter a person’s name, Outlook Web App searches for that person’s address. From then on, the name is cached so it resolves quickly.
    5. Type a subject.
    6. Type the message you want to send.
    7. When your message is ready to go, select Send .


If you need further assistance please contact the Information Technology Help Desk at 920-424-3020 or helpdesk@uwosh.edu