Shared distribution list cannot be expanded

Question

Hi,

Someone shared a distribution list with me and assigned me as an owner. When I added more members to the list, saved & closed it, it showed as below:

When I tried to expand the list, there was an error message as seen below:

However, when I opened the list, I could see all of the members. I have 2 questions regarding this:

(1) Even if I can't expand the list, can everyone from the list receive the email if I use the distribution list?

(2) If not, is there any way to fix this issue? If I remove a few members, then the issue is fixed. However, I only have 11x members in the list - it should not exceed the max number in a DL?

Answer 1

Hello Le Thao,

Many thanks for the response. After testing this on my end, it appears to be currently not possible to expand DL in outlook, despite am owner, am still having the same issue.

I will keep investigating this and will get back to you as soon as I get more useful information.

Thank you for your time and have a great day.

Best Regards,

De Paul | Microsoft Community Moderator

Answer 2

Hi,

I'm using Office 365 64-bit. The DL is just a normal distribution list, and I can't expand the list when I add the group to new email.

Answer 3

Dear Le Thao,

Good day! Thank you for posting to Microsoft Community. We are happy to help you.

Based on your description, I understand that you have a query "Shared distribution list cannot be expanded". Before we proceed, we need more detailed information about the situation you are experiencing.

Please help us in isolating the issue by providing the following information:

1. What version of Outlook are you using? See What version of Outlook do I have? (microsoft.com)
2. May I know if this is the normal Distribution List or a Dynamic Distribution List? You can't use the Exchange admin center (EAC) to view the members of a dynamic distribution group. You can only use the Exchange Management Shell.
3. May I know if you are able to expand it with no error when you add the Group to the new email? select New Email > choose the To button to add recipients from the Address Book control > Locate the Contact Group and double-click it to add it to the email. Refer to Error expanding Contact Group in Outlook Desktop - Microsoft Support.
4. To answer these questions: Yes, if I use the distribution lis to send emails, everyone in the Distribution the list will receive the email.

We look forward to hearing from you; Please understand that our initial reply may not always immediately resolve the issue. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution. Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

De Paul | Microsoft Community Moderator