You need to let a colleague manage your email while you are away or overloaded. Outlook’s delegate feature grants another person access to your mailbox. This article explains how to set up a delegate who can read and send messages on your behalf.
You will learn the steps to add a delegate in Outlook for Microsoft 365. The process involves setting permissions for specific folders like your Inbox and Calendar. We will also cover how the delegate uses these permissions from their own account.
Key Takeaways: Setting Up an Outlook Delegate
- File > Account Settings > Delegate Access: The primary menu path to open the delegation management window in Outlook.
- Editor permission level: Allows a delegate to read, create, and modify items in a folder, which is required for replying to emails.
- Send on Behalf permission: An additional setting that lets the delegate’s sent messages show “Sent on behalf of [Your Name]” to recipients.
Understanding Outlook Delegation and Permissions
A delegate is a trusted person who can act for you within your Outlook mailbox. This feature is commonly used by executives who assign an assistant to manage their schedule and communications. The delegate accesses your folders from their own Outlook profile without needing your password.
You control access by setting permission levels on individual folders, such as your Inbox, Calendar, or Tasks. The most common permission for email management is “Editor.” This level lets the person read items, create new ones, and modify or delete existing items. Without this, they cannot reply to your emails.
A related setting is “Send on Behalf.” When you grant this, emails sent by the delegate will indicate they are from you but sent by the other person. This provides transparency to the email recipient. Delegation requires both you and the delegate to use a Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365 account.
Steps to Add a Delegate in Outlook
Follow these steps to grant another person access to read and reply to your emails. You must complete this process from your own Outlook application.
- Open the Delegates Window
In Outlook, go to the File tab. Select Account Settings and then choose Delegate Access from the dropdown menu. This opens the main management window. - Add a New Delegate
Click the Add button in the Delegates window. This opens the Global Address List. Search for and select the name of the person you want to add. Click Add and then OK to proceed to permissions. - Set Folder Permissions
A Delegate Permissions dialog box will appear. For the Inbox folder, use the dropdown menu to set the permission level to Editor. This grants read, write, and delete rights. - Configure Send Permissions
In the same dialog, check the box for “Delegate receives copies of meeting-related messages sent to me.” More importantly, check the box that says “Automatically send a message to delegate summarizing these permissions.” Click OK. - Apply and Close
You will return to the Delegates window where the person’s name is now listed. Click OK to close the window and save all changes. The delegate will receive an email notification about their new access.
How the Delegate Accesses Your Mailbox
After you set up permissions, the delegate must add your mailbox to their own Outlook profile.
- Open Account Settings
The delegate opens Outlook and goes to File > Account Settings > Account Settings. - Add Your Mailbox
They select their email account and click Change. In the next window, they click More Settings > Advanced > Add. They then type your name or email address and click OK repeatedly to close all dialogs. - Send an Email on Your Behalf
To reply to an email, the delegate opens your shared Inbox from their folder list. They open an email and click Reply. When they click Send, a “From” field will appear. They click it and select your name to send the message on your behalf.
Common Delegation Mistakes and Limitations
Delegate Cannot See the Shared Inbox Folder
If the delegate cannot find your mailbox, they may need to close and restart Outlook. If it still does not appear, verify the delegate added the mailbox correctly in their Advanced account settings. The folder should appear in their navigation pane after a few moments.
Sent Emails Do Not Show “On Behalf Of”
This happens if the “Send on Behalf” permission was not set. The person who sets up the delegate must return to File > Account Settings > Delegate Access. They double-click the delegate’s name and ensure the option “Delegate can send on behalf of me” is checked in the permissions summary.
Cannot Set Delegate Permissions for Specific Folders
The Delegate Access dialog only shows default folders like Inbox, Calendar, and Tasks. You cannot delegate a custom subfolder created under your Inbox through this central menu. For subfolders, you must right-click the folder, select Properties > Permissions, and add the person manually with Editor rights.
Delegate Permissions vs Folder-Level Permissions
| Item | Delegate Access | Folder-Level Permissions |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Location | File > Account Settings > Delegate Access | Right-click folder > Properties > Permissions |
| Scope | Applies to default folders like Inbox, Calendar, Tasks | Applies only to the single selected folder |
| Send on Behalf | Can be granted centrally | Cannot be granted here |
| Common Use Case | Full mailbox management for an assistant | Sharing a single project folder with a team member |
You can now assign a delegate to manage your email communications. Use the Editor permission level to allow reading and replying to messages. For advanced control, review individual folder permissions if the delegate needs access to specific subfolders beyond the main Inbox.