Microsoft 365 Group for both Teams and for email distribution

Question

Hi:

Can I create a Microsoft 365 Group to be used as both an email distribution list, so any internal user can send email to the members, and also to be used for a Team, where only members of the Group have access to the Teams channels/conversations?

So, on the Settings page for the Group, I think Privacy should be selected as Private, not Public, since not any user should be able to add themselves to the Team/Group.

The Settings page has a checkbox for “Send copies of team emails and events to team members’ inboxes.“ I guess this should be checked if we want to use the Group as an email distribution list, correct? But we don’t want all Teams conversations/messages going to the members inboxes, as that would result in too many emails. And that begs the question, if the option is unchecked, where do emails go that are sent to the smtp address of the Group?

Thank you!
Bob H.

Answer 1

Hi @BobH-3096

The Settings page has a checkbox for “Send copies of team emails and events to team members’ inboxes.“ I guess this should be checked if we want to use the Group as an email distribution list, correct?

Yes. You may need to enable this option if you want emails sent to the group mailbox to leave a copy in the members' inboxes.

But we don’t want all Teams conversations/messages going to the members inboxes, as that would result in too many emails.

Conversations in the Team channels would not be delivered to the members' inboxes as emails, while emails and meetings would.

And that begs the question, if the option is unchecked, where do emails go that are sent to the smtp address of the Group?

It doesn't really matter whether you check this option or not.
As emails sent to the group email address would always be stored in the corresponding group mailbox. (The difference is whether to have an email copy sent to the members' inboxes)

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