Guide
Shared inbox: what a team mailbox must be able to do
info@, orders@, support@: as soon as several people work one mailbox, Outlook alone is not enough. This guide explains what a shared inbox is, how it differs from the shared mailbox in Microsoft 365 and what to look for when choosing one.
Updated: 8 October 2026
What is a shared inbox?
A shared inbox is an email mailbox that a team works on together. Other names for the same thing are shared mailbox, team mailbox, team inbox or collaborative inbox. Typical addresses are info@, orders@, service@, billing@ or jobs@.
The difference to a personal mailbox: nobody “owns” the emails. Every message has to be answered by someone on the team, and that is exactly the problem. Without a tool nobody knows who is on it, whether it is done and what was discussed internally.
Shared inbox software therefore adds a collaboration layer on top of the mailbox: assignment, status, internal notes, snooze and reporting. The email itself stays an email. The customer notices nothing, they receive a normal reply from info@.
Shared inbox or shared mailbox: what is the difference?
The terms are often mixed up. Shared mailbox is Microsoft’s term for a mailbox in Exchange Online without its own password that authorised users access in Outlook. That is the foundation, but not yet collaboration. Outlook shows everyone the same emails but knows no assignment, no status per conversation and no internal notes.
Shared inbox usually means the software on top. It takes the shared mailbox as its source and adds what Exchange lacks. Teamox goes this way: the emails stay in your shared mailbox at Microsoft, Teamox only stores assignment, status and notes and shows everything together in Microsoft Teams.
| Term | Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Shared mailbox | Technical mailbox in Exchange, access for several users | info@company.com in Outlook |
| Shared inbox | Software for collaborative handling with assignment and notes | Teamox, Missive, Front |
| Team inbox | Same as shared inbox, emphasis on the team workflow | Team inbox for customer service |
| Ticketing / help desk | Cases with ticket number and customer portal | Zendesk, Freshdesk |
When does a team need a shared inbox?
Experience from customer service teams: from three people on the same mailbox. Typical signs:
- A customer receives two replies from two colleagues because both saw the email at the same time.
- A complaint sits for three days because everyone thought someone else was on it.
- Coordination runs via forwards with “FYI” and “can you take a look?”.
- When a colleague is on holiday nobody knows which cases are open.
- Management asks how fast the team replies and nobody can say.
In practice: An order arrives at orders@ at 9:12. At 9:40 the customer asks whether the email arrived. In the shared inbox everyone sees it: assigned to Mr Kaya, status open, note “asked the warehouse for a delivery date”. Without a shared inbox she would have asked three people.
Checklist: what a shared inbox must be able to do
01
Assignment
Every email has exactly one owner. Without assignment there is no responsibility.
02
Status
Open or done, visible to everyone. Done emails leave the inbox.
03
Internal notes
Discussion attached to the email, not via forwarding. The customer never sees it.
04
Collision detection
Whoever has the same email open or is typing is shown. No double replies.
05
Snooze
Emails that only matter later disappear until the date and come back.
06
Templates
Replies to recurring questions in seconds, with placeholders for name and customer.
07
Rules
Assign, label or resolve automatically, for example by sender or subject.
08
Search
Full text across all mailboxes, archive and attachments. Find old cases in seconds.
09
Reporting
Response times, open emails per team, volume per week. Otherwise improvement stays a gut feeling.
10
Customer context
Orders, calls and previous emails of the customer next to the current one.
Shared inbox with Microsoft 365: three options
1. Shared mailbox in Outlook, no extra software
Free with your Microsoft 365 plan. Assignment as a workaround via categories or flags, no notes, no reporting. Enough for two people with low volume. The limits in detail.
2. International shared inbox software
Missive, Front, Hiver or Help Scout pull the emails from Exchange into their own interface, often with a copy of the data on servers outside the EU. Separate program, separate login, prices in US dollars. See Missive alternative and Front alternative.
3. Shared inbox inside Microsoft Teams: Teamox
Teamox runs as an app inside Microsoft Teams, signs in with the Microsoft account and leaves the emails in Exchange. Notifications arrive in the Teams activity feed, discussion happens in notes or in Teams chat. Hosted in Germany, data processing agreement included. Set up in four steps.
What to look for when choosing
- Where do the emails live? Do they stay in Exchange or are they copied? This decides privacy and what happens when you cancel.
- Does it fit Outlook? Are folders, archive and read status kept in sync so colleagues can keep using Outlook?
- Where does the team work? If in Teams, the shared inbox should run there, not in yet another window.
- Customer context: do you see orders and calls next to the email or do you have to check three systems?
- Language and support: interface in your language, a real contact person, DPA under GDPR.
- Price: per user, in euros, without hidden tiers for features you actually need.
Frequently asked questions about shared inboxes
What is a shared inbox?
What is the difference between a shared inbox and a shared mailbox?
Do I need a help desk or ticketing system?
Does a shared inbox work with Microsoft 365 and Outlook?
What does shared inbox software cost?
How many people can work a shared inbox?
Your shared inbox, right inside Microsoft Teams.
Teamox connects to your Exchange mailbox. 14 days free, no credit card.