How to create a group in Outlook with shared email, files, calendar and OneNote
Create a Microsoft 365 group in Outlook so your team gets one shared email address, file library, calendar, OneNote notebook and Planner board without forwarding things to each person.
By Nur Islam- 7:26 video
- 8 steps
Jump to a step (8)
Small teams often share project files by email attachment, invite every person to every meeting one by one, and keep notes in separate places. Someone always misses the latest version or the latest invite.
An Outlook group (a Microsoft 365 group) is different from a contact group, which used to be called a distribution list. A contact group only sends email to a list of people. A group also gives the members a shared mailbox address, a file library, a calendar, a OneNote notebook and a Planner board.
You can create groups in the Outlook app, but Outlook on the web shows every feature, so the video uses the browser for most of the walkthrough.
What you need
- A Microsoft 365 business account (the option does not appear in free Outlook.com accounts)
- Outlook on the web, for access to all group features
- The email addresses of the people you want to add
Step by step
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01
Create the group
Open the contacts (People) section of Outlook and select New group. Enter a name, for example
Dynamic Marketers. Outlook creates an email address from the name. You can edit it, for example adding a hyphen, as long as it does not clash with another address on your domain. Add a description.Under privacy, choose Private so only members can see the group's activity, or Public so anyone in the organization can. In the video the option to send group conversations and events to members' personal inboxes is unchecked, to keep their inboxes clear. Select Create.
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02
Add members
Type each member's email address, press Enter and select the contact. You can add internal users and external people, such as a Gmail address. Select Add members. Each member gets a welcome email about the group. You can add more people later.
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03
Send an email to the group
In Outlook on the web, groups appear under Groups in the folder pane. Create a new email and type the group's address in the To box. Members see the message in the group, not in their own inbox, because the inbox option was turned off.
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04
Share files with the group
Open the group's Files tab and upload a file. Every member sees the same file from their own account, so you no longer need to email attachments to each person.
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05
Co-edit Office files in the browser
Upload a Word or Excel file to the group's files. It opens in Office for the web, and several members can edit at the same time. In the video, both accounts edit the same Word document and see each other's changes live.
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06
Create a group event
Open the group's Events tab and select New event. Pick the date and time, and turn on Teams meeting if you want an online meeting. Save it. The event appears in every member's group calendar, so you do not have to invite people one by one.
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07
Create a shared notebook
Select Notebook in the group. Outlook creates a blank OneNote notebook for the group. Add a section and some notes. Every member can open the same notebook and see notes added by anyone.
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08
Plan work with Planner
Open Planner from the group. A plan for the group is created automatically. Add a task, set a due date and assign it to a member. The member sees the task when they open the plan. To see who owns what, use Group by bucket and change it to Assigned to.
Tips and common problems
- An Outlook group is not the same as a contact group (distribution list). A contact group only sends email; a Microsoft 365 group adds files, a calendar, a notebook and a plan.
- The group email address has no password and you cannot sign in to it. In the video it adds no licence cost.
- External members (for example Gmail users) get limited access, so it is better to use company addresses for people who need everything.
- Some options, such as the sensitivity label, may be greyed out because your admin has not enabled them.
- Use Outlook on the web for the full set of group features. The desktop app shows fewer of them.
Only need to email a fixed list of people? See how to create a contact group (distribution list) in Outlook.
Questions
What is the difference between an Outlook group and a contact group?
A contact group (formerly a distribution list) is just a list of addresses for sending email. An Outlook group, also called a Microsoft 365 group, gives members a shared address plus shared files, a calendar, a OneNote notebook and a Planner plan.
Can I create a group in free Outlook.com?
No. The New group option appears with a Microsoft 365 business subscription. Free Outlook.com accounts do not have it.
Can I add people outside my company to an Outlook group?
Yes, you can add external addresses as members, but they get limited access compared to internal users. Your admin can also turn off guest access for the organization.
Do group emails go to members' inboxes?
Only if you leave the option to send group conversations and events to members' inboxes turned on. With it off, messages stay in the group.
