# Microsoft 365 shared mailboxes

Identify Exchange shared mailboxes, prepare delegate access, and understand the current Bow Chat connection limitation.

The current Bow Chat Outlook connector connects the **signed-in user's mailbox**. It does not yet let a licensed delegate select a separate Exchange shared-mailbox address. Giving the delegate access in Microsoft 365 does not add that missing selection to Bow Chat.

## Identify the mailbox

An Exchange administrator can check its type:

```powershell
Connect-ExchangeOnline -UserPrincipalName <ADMIN_UPN>
Get-Mailbox -Identity support@example.com | Format-List PrimarySmtpAddress,RecipientTypeDetails
```

| Result | What to do |
|---|---|
| `UserMailbox` with an Exchange Online licence | Use [Connect Microsoft 365](https://docs.bow.chat/email/microsoft365). Multiple Bow Chat teammates can work in that inbox. |
| `SharedMailbox` | Keep the delegate-based Microsoft configuration. A separate shared-mailbox connection is not currently available in Bow Chat. |

Do not connect a delegate's account expecting Bow Chat to import support@example.com: that connects the delegate's own mailbox instead. Do not enable direct sign-in or distribute a shared-mailbox password to work around the limitation.

## What the Microsoft administrator should prepare

Confirm the shared address and an authorized licensed delegate. In **Microsoft 365 admin center → Teams & groups → Shared mailboxes → selected mailbox**, review membership and mailbox permissions. The delegate needs **Full Access** to read the shared mailbox and **Send As** to reply as its address; membership and sending permission must be checked separately. Verify the delegate can open the shared mailbox and send as it in Outlook. Follow [Microsoft's shared-mailbox guidance](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/email/create-a-shared-mailbox?view=o365-worldwide).

These are Microsoft prerequisites, not a working Bow Chat connection procedure. Microsoft supports delegated OAuth shared-mailbox access by using a delegate's token with the shared address as the protocol username; the current Bow Chat connection does not supply that separate address. [Microsoft OAuth protocol guidance](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/client-developer/legacy-protocols/how-to-authenticate-an-imap-pop-smtp-application-by-using-oauth).

## Before planning a Bow Chat rollout

Give Bow Chat support the mailbox type and the requested shared address, without passwords, tokens, or MFA codes. Request confirmation of a supported shared-mailbox connection before granting additional access or moving service traffic. Acceptance must prove that only the intended shared mailbox is imported, replies use its address, token renewal works, and removal of delegate/app access stops the connection.

If your organization instead chooses a licensed user mailbox for the service address, its administrator must approve that mailbox design and migration first. Follow the [licensed-mailbox administrator checklist](https://docs.bow.chat/email/microsoft365-admin) for that mailbox. No mailbox conversion is required or performed by this guide.

Canonical: https://docs.bow.chat/email/microsoft365-shared
Version: 3
Updated: 2026-10-17T13:47:08.692Z