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Shared mailboxes

Request a shared mailbox - refer to the naming conventions listed in the table below before requesting a shared mailbox. This service is available to all staff and students, but bear in mind that all those that want to use the shared mailbox must have their accounts on the same server.

Shared mailboxes are used where it is inappropriate for mail to be sent to a specific person (for subsequent sharing in personal folder) or for mail to end up in multiple people's inboxes. Instead, a better model is for that mail to be sent to a single mailbox (for example service-desk@bristol.ac.uk), which can then be accessed by any of a defined group of people.

If all you need to do is share access to a mail folder in your University email account, do not request a shared mailbox, but give others permissions to access the folder(s) in question - see Changing permissions on shared mailboxes in Mulberry (PDF, 429 KB) for advice on this.

Question Answer
Can I convert an existing mailing list to a shared mailbox? You cannot give the mailing list and the shared mailbox the same name. If you create a mailbox with the same name as a mailing list then the shared mailbox will receive the messages instead of the mailing list. If you have a mailing list and now want a mailbox with the same name you will need to delete the existing mailing list before requesting a mailbox.
What is the usual quota for a shared mailbox? Shared mailboxes are initially allocated 25 MB. You can check quota usage by using the check quota on an imap server web form. You will receive an automated message when you have 5MB of space left and you will receive this message every time you open your inbox or any other folder. When this happens, either free up space in your shared mailbox (perhaps by moving mail to your archive folder) or contact the IT Service Desk to request increased quota. Note that an increased quota may not be available.
What naming conventions must I follow?

The local convention for naming generic shared mailbox email addresses is as follows:

  • The name must start with a letter
  • There must be at least one hyphen ("-")
  • Only alpha-numeric characters can be used
  • All alpha characters must be lower case

Please note: there may be further instructions, which must also be followed, on the Shared Mailbox Request Form.
How do I see shared mailboxes in Mulberry? Shared mailboxes are listed in the 'user.' section, which is below the 'INBOX' section of the 'Folder pane'. If you cannot see something that says 'shared-mailboxes' or similar, then seek advice from the IT Service Desk.
How do I control access to my shared mailboxes in Mulberry? Shared mailbox folders are set up without 'create' access set (to avoid accidental deletion). If you need to create subfolders then you should first set create access on the parent folder, create the subfolder(s) as required, and then remove 'create' access again. Only users with admin access to a folder are able to set themselves create access. See Changing permissions on shared mailboxes in Mulberry (PDF, 429 KB) for advice on how to give others access to your shared mailbox folder, once it has been set up for you.