You need to allow a colleague to manage your email and calendar while you are away. Email delegation in Outlook lets you grant specific permissions to other users. This article explains how to set up a delegate who can send emails on your behalf and manage your folders.
Key Takeaways: Setting Up an Outlook Delegate
- File > Account Settings > Delegate Access: The primary menu path for adding a delegate and setting their permission levels.
- Editor permission with ‘Delegate receives copies’ option: Allows a delegate to send messages for you and receive meeting-related emails.
- Automatic processing rules and Out of Office replies: Configure these before delegating to ensure the delegate can manage your inbox effectively.
Understanding Outlook Delegation Permissions
Delegation is a feature for Microsoft 365 and Exchange Server accounts. It allows another person, known as a delegate, to act on your behalf. The delegate can send email messages, respond to meeting requests, and manage tasks from your mailbox.
You control which folders the delegate can access and what actions they can perform. Common permissions include Reviewer, Author, and Editor. Only the Editor permission allows a user to send items directly from your account. The delegate’s name will appear in the ‘From’ field as ‘Sent on behalf of’ followed by your name.
Prerequisites for Setting a Delegate
You must use Outlook with a Microsoft 365 work or school account or an on-premises Exchange account. Personal accounts like Outlook.com or IMAP accounts do not support this type of delegation. Both you and the delegate must be on the same Exchange system. Ensure you know the exact email address of the person you want to assign as your delegate.
Steps to Add a Delegate in Outlook
Use these steps to grant send-on-behalf permissions to another user. The process is the same in Outlook for Windows and Mac.
- Open the Delegation Settings
In Outlook, go to File > Account Settings > Delegate Access. A dialog box titled ‘Delegates’ will open. - Add a New Delegate
Click the Add button. This opens the Global Address List. Search for and select the name of your colleague. Click Add and then OK to proceed to the permission settings. - Set Folder Permissions
In the ‘Delegate Permissions’ dialog, you will see a list of your default folders. For the Inbox and Calendar, use the dropdown menu to set permissions to ‘Editor’. This grants full create, read, modify, and delete access. - Configure Delegate Options
Below the permissions, check the box for ‘Delegate receives copies of meeting-related messages sent to me’. This ensures they see invites. Also, check ‘Automatically send a message to delegate summarizing these permissions’. Click OK to save. - Apply and Verify
You will return to the main Delegates window. Your delegate’s name will appear in the list. Click OK to close the window. The delegate may need to restart Outlook for the permissions to take full effect on their side.
Common Mistakes and Limitations
Delegate Cannot See All Folders
The default delegation settings only apply to core folders like Inbox, Calendar, Tasks, Notes, and Contacts. If you have created subfolders under your Inbox, the delegate does not automatically get access to them. You must manually set permissions on each subfolder. Right-click the folder, select Properties, go to the Permissions tab, and add your delegate with the appropriate access level.
Sending Email Shows ‘On Behalf Of’
This is the standard and correct behavior. Emails sent by a delegate will show ‘Your Name on behalf of Delegate Name’ in the ‘From’ field. Recipients can see both names. If you need the delegate to send email that appears to come directly from you without the ‘on behalf of’ text, you must grant them ‘Send As’ permission. This is a higher-level permission typically set by an Exchange administrator, not through the Outlook client interface.
Delegation Settings Seem to Disappear
If you switch from using a cached Exchange mode profile to online mode, or if your Outlook profile is corrupted, delegation settings can be lost. Always verify delegate permissions after major profile changes or Outlook updates. You can check them by returning to File > Account Settings > Delegate Access.
Delegate Permissions vs Send As Permissions
| Item | Delegate Access (Send on Behalf) | Send As Permission |
|---|---|---|
| How to Grant | Set by user in Outlook via File > Account Settings | Set by Exchange Administrator using admin center |
| Visibility in Sent Mail | Shows ‘on behalf of’ in the From field | Shows only the mailbox owner’s name |
| Access to Folders | User controls folder-level permissions | Implies full mailbox access |
| Common Use Case | Assistant managing a manager’s calendar and email | Shared departmental mailbox or service account |
You have now configured email delegation in Outlook. Your delegate can send messages and manage meetings for you. For more control, review the permissions on your individual mail folders. An advanced tip is to create a rule that forwards specific high-priority emails to both you and your delegate for immediate attention.