How to Create and Manage Inbox Rules for Shared Mailboxes in Outlook

Shared mailboxes support collaboration, but high email volume can be overwhelming. Organizing emails with inbox rules helps teams manage this more efficiently and reduce manual effort. This blog explains how to create, configure, and manage inbox rules for shared mailboxes, including common scenarios like auto-sorting emails, anti-spam cleanup, etc.

2025 Recap: Updates, Automation & Smarter Mangement

Review key Microsoft 365 developments from 2025 including Teams meeting verification checks, sensitive content detection during screen sharing, and security configurations. Explore PowerShell automation solutions, tenant management improvements, and productivity enhancements that helped administrators streamline their daily operations and strengthen organizational security posture.

Limit Application Permissions to Specific Mailboxes

Restrict Entra application permissions to specific Exchange Online mailboxes instead of granting tenant-wide access. Configure application access policies or RBAC for applications using Exchange Online PowerShell to limit Mail.Read and Mail.ReadWrite permissions. Reduce security risks from compromised applications by enforcing scoped mailbox access.

How to Create and Manage Address Book Policies in Exchange Online

Create Address Book Policies in Exchange Online to segment the Global Address List for different departments or companies sharing a tenant. Configure custom address lists, room lists, and offline address books to provide users with relevant contacts only. Enhance privacy and prevent accidental data exposure through proper directory segmentation.

How to Manage Mail Users in Exchange Online

Create and manage mail users in Exchange Online to enable secure external collaboration with vendors and partners. Configure mail-enabled user accounts through Exchange admin center or PowerShell, set external email addresses, and control access permissions. Monitor inactive accounts to prevent security risks from unauthorized access attempts.

Receive Emails on Unlicensed Admin Accounts Using Mail Flow Rules

Configure Exchange Online mail flow rules to redirect emails sent to unlicensed admin accounts to shared mailboxes. Create mail contacts using the admin UPN as the external address, then set up transport rules to ensure important alerts and service notifications reach administrators without requiring additional licenses.

How to Add/Remove Users in Existing BookInPolicy and ResourceDelegates

Manage Exchange Online room mailbox BookInPolicy and ResourceDelegates using PowerShell without overwriting existing settings. Add or remove users from booking policies by retrieving current lists first, then appending new entries. Perform bulk operations using CSV files for efficient conference room access management.

Add External Users to a Distribution Group in Exchange Online

Add external users to Exchange Online distribution groups by first creating mail contacts with external email addresses. Understand the differences between MailContact, MailUser, and GuestMailUser types to determine when contacts are needed versus direct group membership for external collaboration.

Manage User Role Assignment Policies in Exchange Online

Configure Exchange Online role assignment policies to control user self-service actions on mailboxes and distribution groups. Create custom policies with specific permissions like MyDistributionGroups or MyContactInformation, then assign to users for granular control over mailbox feature access and security compliance.

Filter Spam Using Mail Flow Rules in Exchange Online

Create Exchange Online mail flow rules to filter spam emails based on keywords, sender patterns, and Spam Confidence Level scores. Configure transport rules to move suspicious messages to junk folders or quarantine, adding customized spam protection beyond built-in anti-spam policies.