How to Create and Share a Contact List in Microsoft 365
Purpose
This guide explains how to create a shared contact list in Microsoft 365 Outlook so multiple team members can access and manage the same set of contacts.
Requirements
A Microsoft 365 subscription with Outlook access
Permissions to create and manage shared mailboxes or contact folders (admin role may be required for some steps)
Option 1: Create a Shared Contact List Using a Shared Mailbox (Recommended)
🛠️ Step 1: Create a Shared Mailbox (Admin Only)
Go to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
Navigate to Groups > Shared mailboxes.
Click + Add a shared mailbox.
Give it a name and email address (e.g.,
contacts@company.com).Click Create.
After creation, click the mailbox and assign Members who should have access.
✅ Step 2: Add the Shared Mailbox to Outlook
In Outlook Desktop App, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
Select your account and click Change > More Settings > Advanced.
Under Open these additional mailboxes, click Add and enter the name of the shared mailbox.
Restart Outlook. The shared mailbox will now appear in the folder pane.
👥 Step 3: Create the Shared Contact List
Expand the shared mailbox in Outlook.
Right-click Contacts under the shared mailbox.
Select New Folder, name it (e.g., "Client Contacts"), and set the folder type to Contact Items.
Click OK. This folder can now be used as a shared contact list.
Option 2: Share a Personal Contact Folder (Not Ideal for Larger Teams)
👣 Step 1: Create a Contact Folder
In Outlook, go to People.
Right-click My Contacts and choose New Folder.
Name the folder and press Enter.
📤 Step 2: Share the Folder
Right-click the contact folder and choose Properties.
Go to the Permissions tab.
Click Add, choose the person you want to share with, and assign the permission level (e.g., Reviewer, Editor).
Click OK.
Note: This method only works within the same Microsoft 365 organization and isn't as robust or centrally managed as a shared mailbox.Best Practices
Use shared mailboxes for organization-wide contact lists.
Use clear naming conventions (e.g., "Sales Contacts – East Region").
Restrict permissions to prevent accidental deletions.
Train users on how to add/edit contacts in shared folders.
Related Articles
How to Send as Alias in Outlook
BMIT or your Microsoft Office 365 administrator will need to add an alias to your account first before you can use this feature. Users can’t create aliases themself. Outlook on the web and Outlook for iOS and Android now support sending from aliases. ...How to send and receive encrypted emails in Outlook Web Access (OWA)
Sending an encrypted email: Login to Outlook Web Access (OWA). When composing an email, click on the Encrypt icon at the top of the email window. Compose your message and send. Receiving an encrypted email: Click on "Read the message" to open and ...How to use Microsoft Quarantine to check and release emails
We understand that sometimes legitimate emails may be quarantined by mistake due to various security reasons. This is known as a false positive, and it can happen when an email matches certain criteria that are used to identify spam, phishing, ...Access Scheduling Poll
Scheduling Poll helps minimize the back-and-forth emails in scheduling by letting you send a poll to attendees inside and outside your organization, so they can vote on which meeting times work best for them. Scheduling Poll can be accessed through ...How to Install Microsoft Office Apps
Summary This article will guide you through installing Microsoft Office apps on your computer. Follow these step-by-step instructions to install applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Step 1: Sign in to Office 365 Open your web ...