How to Set Up Delegate Access in Outlook

To set up delegate access in Outlook, select Share Calendar and choose Delegate in new Outlook or the web, or use File > Info > Account Settings > Delegate Access in classic Outlook for mail and folder access. These routes require an organizational Exchange account. On a Mac, assign delegates through your account’s sharing permissions.

Assign a calendar delegate in new Outlook or the web

Calendar delegation in new Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web requires a Microsoft 365 work or school account with Exchange Online. It applies to your primary calendar, and the delegate must belong to the same organization. To share your Outlook calendar, open Calendar, select Home, then choose Share Calendar.

In Sharing and permissions, enter the person’s name or email address, then choose Delegate beside their name. To include private calendar events, select Let delegate view private events. In new Outlook, you can also select Let delegate manage categories.

Select Share to send the invitation, then have the recipient select Accept in that invitation. Under Delegates, find Send invitations and responses to. Choose Delegate only, choose Delegate and send me a copy, or choose Both my delegate and me to control meeting-message delivery.

Grant mail and folder access in classic Outlook

Microsoft directs you to classic Outlook for the initial mail delegation setup, including when the recipient will use new Outlook or Outlook on the web afterward. In classic Outlook for Windows, including Microsoft 365 and Outlook 2024, you need an organizational Exchange account. Select File > Info > Account Settings > Delegate Access.

Select Add, enter the person’s name, and press Enter. Select the matching result, choose Add, then select OK. In Delegate Permissions, choose access separately for Calendar, Tasks, Inbox, Contacts, and Notes.

For folder access, choose the required Reviewer, Author, or Editor permissions. If the person only needs permission to send on your behalf, choose None for all five items. You can also select Automatically send a message to delegate summarizing these permissions to notify the person. Select OK to finish.

Set up a delegate in Outlook for Mac

Both you and the delegate need Exchange accounts for these Mac setup routes. In Outlook for Mac, open Mail or Calendar, right-click your account in the navigation pane, then select Sharing Permissions.... You can also select the account’s ellipsis button and choose Sharing Permissions....

Select +, enter the person’s name or email address, and select the matching result. In Permissions, choose the delegate permission level, then select Add and Done. Open Delegate notification settings, then choose Delegate only or choose Both my delegate and me.

The account settings route applies to Outlook for Microsoft 365 for Mac, Outlook 2024 for Mac, and Outlook 2021 for Mac. Select Tools > Accounts, select your Exchange account, then choose Delegates & Sharing. Under Delegates who can act on my behalf, select Add, search for the person, select the result, and choose Add again. In Permissions, choose access for each item type.

Open the delegated mailbox on your device

After the owner grants mail delegation, you can add the mailbox in Outlook using that access. In new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web, go to the Mail folder list and select Shared with me, then choose Add shared folder or mailbox. Enter the owner’s name, select the matching result, and select Add. Adding the mailbox opens existing access; it does not grant permissions.

In classic Outlook for Microsoft 365 or Outlook 2024, select File > Account Settings > Account Settings. On Email, select your Exchange account, then choose Change > More Settings > Advanced. These steps also require previously granted permissions.

Under Open these additional mailboxes, select Add and enter the owner’s mailbox name. Select OK, then select OK again. Restart Outlook to complete the mailbox setup.

To send on the owner’s behalf in classic Outlook, compose a message and select From, then choose the owner’s mailbox. If the message does not show From, select Options > From to reveal it. Then choose the owner’s mailbox.

On iPhone, iPad, or Android, both mailboxes must be in Exchange Online, and you need administrator-granted Full Access. In Outlook’s left navigation pane, tap Add Account > Add a Shared Mailbox, then enter the owner’s email address.

The alternate mobile route starts with your avatar: tap it, tap the gear icon, then choose Mail Accounts > Add Mail Account > Add a Shared Mailbox. Enter the owner’s email address to connect the existing access.

Grant mailbox permissions through an admin center

If you are an authorized Microsoft 365 administrator, you can grant mailbox permissions to another user within the same organization. Sign in only through Microsoft’s own app or website, and never share a code, password, or remote access with someone who contacts you. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, open Users > Active users, select the mailbox owner, then select Mail. Choose Read and manage permissions, Send as permissions, or Send on behalf of permissions. Select Add permissions, select the delegate, then select Add.

Read and manage permissions grants Full Access, which does not itself permit sending. Grant reading and sending permissions separately when the delegate needs both.

As an Exchange Online administrator, you can instead open the Exchange admin center and select Recipients > Mailboxes. Select the mailbox, then select Mailbox Delegation. Under Send as, Send on behalf, or Read and manage (Full Access), select Edit > Add members. Select the delegate, select Save, then select Confirm.

For bulk assignment, select multiple mailboxes, then select Mailbox delegation. Enter the person under Add a delegate, choose Select permission types, then select Save. The Exchange admin center does not offer Send on behalf for shared mailboxes; use the PowerShell method below for that case.

Grant mailbox permissions with PowerShell

As an Exchange Online administrator, run these commands in an authorized Exchange Online PowerShell session for a user or shared mailbox. Substitute the actual owner and delegate identities, and choose only the permissions needed. To grant Full Access, run:

Add-MailboxPermission -Identity [email protected] -User [email protected] -AccessRights FullAccess -InheritanceType All

Full Access and sending rights are independent. To grant Send As permission, run:

Add-RecipientPermission -Identity [email protected] -Trustee [email protected] -AccessRights SendAs

For Send on behalf permission, use the following command instead. This also covers shared mailboxes that need that permission:

Set-Mailbox -Identity [email protected] -GrantSendOnBehalfTo @{Add="[email protected]"}

Create or update calendar delegation with PowerShell

For a new calendar permission entry in Exchange Online, use an authorized Exchange Online PowerShell session. Substitute the actual addresses and the mailbox’s calendar folder name in this command:

Add-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity [email protected]:\Calendar -User [email protected] -AccessRights Editor -SharingPermissionFlags Delegate

To include private appointments, use -SharingPermissionFlags Delegate,CanViewPrivateItems. If the person already has a calendar permission entry, use the following command to convert that access into delegation, substituting the actual identities and calendar folder name:

Set-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity [email protected]:\Calendar -User [email protected] -AccessRights Editor -SharingPermissionFlags Delegate -SendNotificationToUser $true

You can also use Delegate,CanViewPrivateItems for the sharing permission flags when updating an existing entry. Removing delegate status with the following option retains Editor access. To make that change, use -SharingPermissionFlags None in the update command.

Change permissions or remove a delegate

In classic Outlook, select File > Account Settings > Delegate Access, select the delegate, then choose Permissions. Adjust the folder permissions you want to change. To send meeting-related messages to the delegate, assign Editor permission for Calendar, then select Delegate receives copies of meeting-related messages sent to me.

To allow access to private items, select Delegate can see my private items. Select OK to save your changes.

Removing a delegate in classic Outlook revokes their delegation. Return to Delegate Access, select the person, then select Remove. Removing a calendar delegate in new Outlook or Outlook on the web revokes that calendar delegation. Return to Sharing and permissions and select Remove beside the delegate.

On a Mac using the account settings route, return to the delegate list, select the person, then select Edit to change permissions. Deleting the person from this list revokes their delegated access. To do that, select the person and choose Delete.

Removing a delegate through the Mac sharing permissions route revokes their delegated access. Select the person in Mailbox Properties or Calendar Properties and select the minus button.

Deleting a delegate from an Exchange admin center permission removes that assigned permission. Under the relevant permission in Mailbox Delegation, select its delegate, select Delete, then select Confirm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does private-item access in classic Outlook apply only to the calendar?

No, private-item permission in classic Outlook affects all Exchange folders. Select Delegate can see my private items only when you want to grant that broader access.

How long can administrator-granted mailbox permissions take?

Permissions assigned through the Microsoft 365 admin center can take up to 60 minutes to apply. Allow that time for changes made through this route.

Can you use SharingPermissionFlags outside Exchange Online?

The SharingPermissionFlags parameter is cloud-only. Use it for Exchange Online calendar delegation.

Can you switch to legacy Outlook for Mac to set up Exchange Online delegation?

Microsoft says legacy Outlook for Mac stops working with Exchange Online starting October 2026. Switching to that client is not a current delegation workaround for Exchange Online.