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Guide

Shared mailbox vs shared inbox: which does your team need?

Customer email often lands on one shared address, such as contact@. Here is where that email goes in four common setups, and who ends up owning it.

Updated October 13, 2026

Where one customer email goes

  1. Distribution list

    Every member gets a personal copy. Nothing shows who answered.

    Owner: Not built in
    Done: Not built in
    Details and limits
    • Each member receives a personal copy in their own inbox.
    • The list itself does not show who answered.
    • Microsoft recommends them for broadcasting information, such as everyone in one building.

  2. Shared mailbox (Microsoft 365)

    Several people open one mailbox and reply from the shared address. Who answers is a team rule.

    Owner: Team rule, or depends on the product
    Done: Team rule, or depends on the product
    Details and limits
    • Full Access lets a member open the mailbox and manage its messages. Sending also needs Send As or Send on Behalf.
    • It includes a shared calendar for the team.
    • Microsoft says a shared mailbox usually needs no separate license up to 50 GB, but each person who opens it needs their own licensed Exchange Online mailbox. Exceptions include more storage, in-place archiving and litigation hold.
    • Microsoft’s setup guide covers access and sending. It does not describe assigning a message to one member, so teams agree on their own rule.

  3. Collaborative inbox (Google Groups)

    A group owner turns it on. Members with permission assign a conversation and mark it complete.

    Owner: Built in
    Done: Built in
    Details and limits
    • Assign a conversation to yourself or another member. The assignee receives an email notification.
    • Mark a conversation complete, as needing no action, or as a duplicate.
    • Filter by assignee, and show unresolved conversations only.
    • Work and school accounts may need an administrator to turn on Google Groups for Business.

  4. Shared inbox tool

    A separate app. Some bring email, chat and calls into one view. Owner and status depend on the product.

    Owner: Team rule, or depends on the product
    Done: Team rule, or depends on the product
    Details and limits
    • Some bring email, chat and calls into one view.
    • Many add internal notes next to the conversation.
    • Compare assignment, statuses, permissions and supported channels in each vendor’s current documentation.
Built inTeam rule, or depends on the productNot built in

Which one fits

The built-in option is usually enough when

  • One or two people answer and can say who takes what.
  • Requests arrive almost only by email.
  • Most requests end with the reply.

Look at a dedicated tool when

  • Two people answer the same customer, or nobody does.
  • Calls, chat or forms are handled elsewhere and the history is split.
  • The real work starts after the reply: a visit, a quote, a callback.
Compare all four side by side
Distribution listShared mailboxCollaborative inboxShared inbox tool
Named ownerNot built inTeam rule*Assign to a memberDepends on the product
Done statusNot built inTeam rule*Complete, no action needed, duplicateDepends on the product
Set up byMicrosoft 365 adminExchange adminGroup owner or managerThe tool’s administrator
Fits bestAnnouncements and alertsA few people, one address, mostly emailGoogle Workspace teams that want assignment without a new toolSeveral channels, or work that continues after the reply

Scroll horizontally to see every option.

*Not described in Microsoft’s shared mailbox setup guide. Teams usually agree on who answers and how a handled message is marked.

Six questions to answer before you choose
  1. Which channels do requests arrive on today, and roughly how many per week?
  2. Who decides who answers, and how does everyone see that decision?
  3. What counts as done, and who marks it?
  4. Which requests need work after the reply, and where is that work tracked?
  5. Who needs access, and should anyone be kept out of some conversations?
  6. What happens when the owner is away?
Where Bonmoniq fits

Bonmoniq is a Customer Operations Platform with a shared inbox. Queues route conversations, internal notes keep discussion beside them, and tasks carry an owner and a due date for the next step. This guide does not describe a connection between Bonmoniq and Gmail, Outlook, Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.

See the Bonmoniq shared inbox

Sources (official documentation)

Checked on October 13, 2026. These products change, so check the current documentation before you decide.

Already chose a setup? Shared inbox best practices: a team procedure and checklist

Free template: Customer request tracker (Excel and CSV)