Adding Another User to an Exchange Mailbox

Mailbox permissions in Exchange are very important for the efficiency of communication, interaction, and teamwork within companies. Thanks to these permissions users can manage and work with different mailboxes that do not belong to them, which is a common need in the majority of workplaces. 

For example, an Assistant to the Executives usually has to log into the Executive’s mailbox to manage emails, appointments, and any other activities.

The right mailbox permissions can raise the organizational culture of the company since members will be able to work together towards a common goal while respecting each other’s security and privacy. 

In such a scenario, this appreciation would mean about adding a user to an Exchange mailbox where a summary is provided on how to permit a user full Access permissions using the Exchange Admin Center alternatively, PowerShell can be utilized in cases where basic configurations are not adequate. 

When it comes to sharing a department’s mailbox or when some responsibilities need to be assigned to the individual, these permissions are important for consideration to ensure effective teamwork.

Understanding Mailbox Permissions

In Exchange, mailbox permissions offer organizational control over email accounts since only specifically designated individuals or working members will be able to accomplish certain actions to ensure work security. These permissions control who reads, manages and sends email messages stored in this particular mailbox, thus the use of hierarchy in an organization is crucial for efficient email management in organizations.

Types of Permissions Available.

1. Full Access: With this permission, the specified users can read, manage, and even delete the emails present in the mailbox. This is especially helpful in cases where an executive’s assistant needs to deal with email correspondence so that no significant emails remain unattended and can be acted on if necessary.
2. Send As: In situations like this one, there is no need for the Secretary to be alerted to another substitute email message. With this permission, a user can send emails that will appear to have been sent by the owner of the mailbox.
3. Send on Behalf: An administrator name can send emails as another name (the owner of the mailbox). Its format includes both the name of the person sending the email and that of the owner of the mailbox, such as: (Assistant Name on behalf of Manager Name/Other User Name). Using this technique, it is possible to communicate properly while permitting designated individuals to make decisions as other people.

Granting Full Access Permissions via the EAC

So let us see how we can use the Exchange Admin Center to grant Full Access permissions. The following steps should be taken to do so:

1. Accessing the EAC: First log into the Exchange Admin Center provided. You can access the interface by visiting admin.exchange.microsoft.com then login as administrator with your credentials.
2. Managing Mailboxes: Once you have logged in, move to the “Recipients” section on the left navigation pane. This is the section where all user mailboxes and all shared mailboxes are used and managed.
3. Changing Shared Mailboxes: Search for the shared mailbox that you would want to change. Click it and its properties will appear for you to make changes to them.
4. Delegating Mailbox Rights: Look for “Mailbox Delegation” in the properties box. There are managing permissions options that will be there for every user. Use the “+” sign to include more users or groups into the Full Access list which is meant for users who will be able to manage the mailbox whenever necessary

Granting Send Permissions

In Microsoft Exchange, send permissions are essential so that users are able to manage communication on behalf of the other users for effective management. This is important in cases when, for example, an assistant is required to send emails from or on behalf of the manager. There are two main ways you are able to grant these permissions; through Outlook and PowerShell.

To enable the send permissions using outlook, do the following steps. 

1. First go to Delegate Access:

• Open Outlook and click on File in the top left corner.
• Select Info, then click on Account Settings and choose Delegate Access.

2. Add a Delegate:

From the Delegate Access window click on Add.

Enter the name of the person you wish to add as a delegate and select their name from the list.

3. Setting Permissions: 

• When you add the delegate, there will be check boxes to set permissions for items such as Calendar, Tasks, Inbox, Contacts, and Notes. 
• Click on all of these options and set it to None so that those items are secured while send permissions are allowed. 

4. Confirm Settings:

• To finalize the configurations, click the OK button to save changes made and close the window. 

This procedure enables the delegate selected to be able to send emails in the name of the owner of that mailbox without giving them the ability to access other items in the mailbox. 

Read also: How To Setup Open-Xchange Email Server

PowerShell for Delegation of More Advanced Permissions 

However, for the administrators who wish to have a bit more leverage or intend to set boundaries which are more wide, PowerShell comes as a wonderful alternative. The following is a description of how to execute a PowerShell command for mailbox permission settings: 

1. The first step: connect to Exchange Online PowerShell: Assure that you have connected to Exchange Online PowerShell as the first step. This also calls for admin credentials.

2. Granting Permissions for Full Access and Send As: 

• In case you want to provide a user with Full Access permission, use the command given below. 

Add-MailboxPermission -Identity “[email protected]” -User “[email protected]” -AccessRights FullAccess

• In case of sending an email as another user, use the following command. 

Add-RecipientPermission -Identity “[email protected]” -Trustee “[email protected]” -AccessRights SendAs

• The command for sending on behalf of another user is: 

Set-Mailbox -Identity “[email protected]” -GrantSendOnBehalfTo “[email protected]”

Managing a mailbox even on multiple users with many breaches is done effectively owing to these commands. 

Important Considerations 

In view of those who have been granted permissions, it should be noted that there are some key areas to consider: 

• Timing changes: Changes may take an estimated 60 minutes top to be effective. Changes are not expected to be visible immediately to users logged into Outlook accounts. 
• Inter-Organization Constraints: It is also useful to remember that some of the permissions may have cross-organizational scenarios. If permission settings are implemented across organizations be sure that both organizations are in compliance.

Read also: Managing Open Exchange Mailbox as an Administrator

Conclusion

Finally, this blog provided the important steps involved in granting mailbox access in Microsoft Exchange. The step which we began with was that of defining mailbox permissions and where we identified the various kinds of mailbox permission for example Full Access Followed by Send As and Send on Behalf types of permissions. It is very important to understand these permissions for collaboration as they allow users to manage emails effectively and securely.

Next, we walked through the steps of assigning Full Access permission on Exchange Admin Center (EAC) and the steps on how to configure delegate send permissions using Outlook. Last, we focused on the integral features of PowerShell for complex permission configurations, which enable administrators to optimize the functioning of their business processes and manage permissions in bulk.

Read also: How to Open Microsoft Exchange Email

Call to Action

We have certainly learned enough in this article to be able to safely recommend that our readers explore more of what is available with Microsoft 365 mailbox management. There are certain best practices that if mastered on how the mailbox permissions are used can be beneficial in improving team communication and productivity. Please follow our blog where we share recommendations and always provide new information regarding Microsoft Exchange management. Be up to date with the best practices, suggestions, and additional features that will help you make the most of Exchange and improve your Microsoft Exchange Email management in your company.