Adding a new email address? Here are your options!


When you need to add an email address to your organization and are not looking to pay for a new named account (such as when a new employee starts) you can do so by adding an Alias, a Distribution List, or a Shared Mailbox.  Each serves a unique purpose, so how do they differ, and what are some common use cases for each?


Email Alias

What is an Alias? 

An alias is an additional email address that directs mail to a primary email account. It doesn’t have its own inbox; instead, all emails sent to the alias are received in the primary account’s inbox. This allows a user to manage multiple email addresses from a single account. 

Common Use Cases: 

  1. Branding and Professionalism: Small businesses often use aliases to create professional-looking email addresses for different functions (e.g., [email protected], [email protected]) without needing separate accounts for each. 
  1. Privacy: Individuals can use aliases to sign up for newsletters or online services, keeping their primary email address private. 
  1. Organization: Users can create aliases for different projects or roles, helping to organize incoming emails more effectively. 

Distribution List 

What is a Distribution List? 

A distribution list, also known as a distribution group, is a collection of email accounts grouped under a single email address. When an email is sent to this ID, it is automatically forwarded to all the addresses in the group. This facilitates one-to-many communication. 

Common Use Cases: 

  1. Company Announcements: Organizations use distribution lists to send updates or announcements to all employees simultaneously. 
  1. Project Teams: Project managers can create distribution lists for team members to streamline communication and ensure everyone receives the same information. 
  1. Event Invitations: Event organizers can use distribution lists to send invitations and updates to all attendees at once. 

Shared Mailbox 

What is a Shared Mailbox? 

A shared mailbox is a single email inbox that multiple authorized users can access and manage. Unlike a distribution list, a shared mailbox allows for collaborative email management, where users can read, respond to, and organize emails collectively. 

Common Use Cases: 

  1. Customer Support: Shared mailboxes are ideal for customer support teams, allowing multiple agents to manage and respond to customer inquiries from a single inbox. 
  1. General Inquiries: Businesses often use shared mailboxes for general inquiries (e.g., [email protected]), ensuring that multiple team members can handle incoming emails. 
  1. Team Collaboration: Teams working on shared projects can use a shared mailbox to keep all related communications in one place, making it easier to track and respond to emails. 

Key Differences

  1. Purpose and Usage: 

Alias: Simplifies email management by forwarding emails to a primary account. 

Distribution List: Facilitates one-to-many communication by forwarding emails to multiple recipients.  

Shared Mailbox: Enables collaborative email management with a shared inbox accessible by multiple users. 

  1. Management and Accessibility: 

Alias: Managed by the primary account holder; no separate login required. 

Distribution List: Managed by an administrator; recipients receive emails in their own inboxes. 

Shared Mailbox: Managed by multiple users with permissions; requires access rights to view and respond to emails. Membership is managed by an administrator. 

  1. Storage and Archiving: 

Alias: Emails are stored in the primary account’s inbox. 

Distribution List: Emails are stored in each recipient’s inbox. 

Shared Mailbox: Emails are stored in the shared mailbox, accessible by all authorized users.


So you can see there are a number of ways to add additional email addresses besides adding a new license, and each of these methods is best suited to a particular application. So next time you need to add an email address to your organizations, remember your options and choose appropriately for the need!


About Genieall

Incorporated in 2012, Genieall Corporation is a privately-owned Canadian IT Services and Consulting company.  Being an ISO 27001 certified organization, Genieall provides managed and IT consulting services to companies in the Energy, Manufacturing, Construction, Health Care, and Finance verticals.

Genieall understands that IT infrastructure is fundamental to your business. For that reason, Genieall typically establishes trust with our clients by demonstrating our capabilities.

This is usually accomplished through a small engagement, urgent support requirement or consultation.

From there, our customers look to expand the support service to include both project and operational support using our Rightsourcing Model. (using the right balance of internal and external resources)

Throughout the process, Genieall’s culture of transparency, Customer-First approach along with our service model help us to establish and maintain trust.

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