Share Outlook Inbox Subfolder with Users

Following the steps outlined in this guide, you can successfully share a subfolder in Outlook with a colleague. This process enhances collaboration within your team by selectively sharing email content.

Prerequisites / Minimum Requirements

• Microsoft Outlook is installed on your PC.
• You must have owner privileges for the mailbox and the folders you wish to share.
• The recipient must also use Outlook and be part of the same organization or email system (e.g., Microsoft Exchange Server).

End State / Outcome

This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to assign permissions to a subfolder within your Outlook inbox. This allows you to share specific emails or information with colleagues securely. Depending on the level of access you grant, following these steps will enable another user to view or manage emails in the specified subfolder.

 

How to Steps

Part 1: Assigning Permissions to the Subfolder

1. Open Outlook and navigate to your inbox.
2. Locate the subfolder you wish to share. If it does not exist, create a new folder by right-clicking on your inbox, selecting New Folder, naming it, and pressing Enter.
3. Right-click the subfolder and select Properties.
4. Go to the Permissions tab in the Properties window.
5. Click the Add… button to add a user. Type the name or email address of the person you wish to share the folder with, select them from the list, and click Add -> followed by OK.
6. With the user selected in the permissions list, choose the appropriate permission level. For example, Reviewer allows the user to read items, while Editor allows them to read, create, and modify items.
7. Click OK to save the changes and close the Properties window.

Note: If you're sharing a subfolder, ensure that the parent folder(s) are visible to the user. Right-click each parent folder, go to Properties -> Permissions, and add the user with the Folder visible permission. This does not allow them to view the content of the parent folders unless those specific permissions are set.

Part 2: Ensuring Visibility of Parent Folders

To share a subfolder, you must also adjust the visibility of its parent folders up to the root of your mailbox.

1. Right-click on the parent folder of the subfolder you shared.
2. Select Properties and navigate to the Permissions tab.
3. Use the Add… button to add the same user again if they are not already listed.
4. Highlight the user’s name and ensure the Permission Level is set to None, but check the Folder visible option.
5. Click OK to apply. Repeat this step for each parent folder up to the top level of your mailbox.

Part 3: Accessing the Shared Folder (For the Recipient)

The recipient will need to follow these steps to view the shared subfolder:

1. Open Outlook on their computer.
2. Right-click their mailbox root (this could be their email address or Outlook Data File) and choose Add Shared Folder.
3. Enter the email address of the person who shared the folder with them, then select the folder they need access to from the list.
4. The shared folder should now appear in their Outlook sidebar under their mailbox.