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Microsoft 365 Email Alias Explained: When to Use an Email Alias and When a Shared Mailbox Is Better
Learn what a Microsoft 365 email alias is, when to use one, how to create it, and why a shared mailbox may be the better option.
What Is a Microsoft 365 Email Alias?
If you use Microsoft 365 for business email, you may occasionally need a second email address without paying for another mailbox. This is where a Microsoft 365 email alias can help.
An email alias allows a user to receive messages sent to different email addresses, all within the same mailbox. It is a simple feature, but many business owners are unaware that a shared mailbox may sometimes be the better solution.
This guide explains what a Microsoft 365 email alias is, when to use one, how to create it, and when a shared mailbox is the better choice.
How does a Microsoft 365 Email Alias work?
A Microsoft 365 email alias is an additional email address attached to an existing licensed Microsoft 365 user account.
For example, if your primary email address is john@company.co.uk, you could add aliases like:
- sales@company.co.uk
- enquiries@company.co.uk
- john.smith@company.co.uk
Any email sent to these addresses arrives in your main email Inbox.
No additional Microsoft 365 licence is required because the new email alias is attached to an existing licensed mailbox.
Shared Email accounts
Sometimes, multiple users need access to an email alias, like a support department. In this case, use Shared Email accounts. Find out more about shared email accounts in this article.
Email alias: One user, multiple aliases
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When somebody sends an email to an alias, Microsoft 365 delivers the message to the mailbox that additioal aliases are assigned to.
The user signs in with their normal Microsoft 365 account and manages all messages from their mailbox. No additional Microsoft 365 license is required because the alias is attached to an existing mailbox.
No extra licensing, zero training
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To the sender, the process is invisible. They simply send email to the alias they are invited to use.
This makes a Microsoft 365 email alias useful when a person needs additional public-facing email addresses without maintaining multiple mailboxes which require unique user names and passwords.
When Is a Microsoft 365 Email Alias Useful?
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All messages can arrive in a single mailbox, reducing administration.
a Microsoft 365 email alias can be created on additional domains that you own and are pointed to your Microsoft 365 tenancy
NB: when you reply to an incoming alias, your outgoing email will show your principle email address.
Create a Microsoft 365 Email Alias - Overview
Give the staff access to additional aliases so that they can manage incoming messages and replies from their own existing email Inbox.
1
Configure the domain name
If an additional domain name is to be used, an administrator checks that the domain/s is available in Microsoft 365 dashboard. Then, the admin checks whether the alias is already be assigned to another user.
2
Assign the new alias to the user
In Microsoft 365 dashboard, admin navigates to the user, and in email account settings adds the alias to the the user's profile. All email sen to that alias will be directed to that user's Inbox.
3
The user manages incoming email
The user receives all email addressed to the new email alias in their existing Inbox.
When they respond to the email, the outgoing reply will use their principal email address.
How to create an email alias
Click open the accordion sections to learn how to create a Microsoft 365 email alias. A user can have several email aliases. However, the user must have a Microsoft 365 licnense.
Step 1: Sign In to Microsoft 365 Admin Centre
Creating a Microsoft 365 email alias requires administrative permissions. In most organisations, this means a Global Administrator or another authorised Microsoft 365 administrator.
Open:
and sign in using an account with administrative permissions.
Step 2: Open the User Account
In your 365 admin dashboard, click look down the navigation panel at left and click open:
Users → Active Users
Select the user who requires the alias and click open that user to access settings.
Step 3: Manage Username and Email Aliases
Choose the option to manage the user's username and email aliases. This is where an alias is to be added. Remember, if the user has an alias using company.co.uk, and the new alias is going to use another domain like subsidiary.co.uk, subsidiary.co.uk must be listed among available domains. If not, you may need to contact us for help to configure your other domain/s in your Microsoft 365 tenancy.
Step 4: Add the Alias
To create a new alias, click on the domain name that is going to be used, and add the new alias. If the new alias is going to be called curtains and you are going to use domain name subsidiary.co.uk, select the domain name and enter "curtains".
Remember: an email alias cannot exist in multiple user account.
Save the configuration and allow a short period for Microsoft 365 to update. This could take a few minutes, or perhaps an hour or two.
The mailbox can then receive email sent to the new alias.
Email alias account limitations
A Microsoft 365 email alias is useful, but it is important to understand its limitations. Often, a Shared Email account is a better alternative. Like email aliases, shared mailboxes do not require a paid license, but users who need to connect to a shared email account need to have a Microsoft 365 license.
One Person Owns the Mailbox
An alias always belongs to a single user's mailbox.
If several employees need access, an alias is usually not the best solution. If you need to share email among a group, see our article about Shared Email Accounts.
Messages Arrive in One Inbox
All email lands in the user's mailbox.
This can make inbox management more difficult as the business grows.
No Shared Visibility
Other staff cannot automatically view or manage emails sent to the alias.
This can create problems when the mailbox owner is absent or leaves the organisation. If you need to share email among a group, see our article about Shared Email Accounts.
Need Help Choosing a Mailbox Setup?
Microsoft 365 Email Alias - Summary
Check the use case
Determine whether you need a new email alias for one person or whether two or more users need access to the email alias. See this article to decide whether an email alias or a shared mailbox is the best solution.
Plan access and capacity
Check that any additional domain name you want to use is already conguired and registered in your Microsoft 365 tenancy.
Also, review email accounts to check email capacity - users are typically provided 50GB storage. This can be increased.
Set up and test
Login to Microsoft 365 dashboard as Global Administrator, open the target user's account settings, and add the new email alias. The default email address in this profile determines which email alias is applied to ALL outgoing email for this user.
Email aliases are a great zero-cost way for you to assume different roles, or workflows that customers and suppliers can more easily connect with.
Steve Galloway, Comstat
