how to create email distribution group

Question

Hi, I am trying to create an email distribution list that can be used by my mgmt. They tried and it didnt work. Wondering the steps so I can setup.

Thanks,

[Moderator note: personal info removed]

 

Answer 1

Hi @Mark Barlog,

Thank you for getting in touch. I understand you’re trying to set up an email distribution list for your management team, and it hasn’t been working as expected.

If your management team needs one single email address that delivers to multiple recipients (for example, ******@yourdomain.com), the correct solution is to create an distribution group. A personal Outlook contact list won’t work in this scenario because it only exists in the creator’s mailbox and doesn’t appear in the Global Address List (GAL), which is why the previous attempt likely failed.

Reference: Compare types of groups in Microsoft 365 - Microsoft 365 admin

Below are the steps depending on the access level available to you:

Option A: Create a Distribution List in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center (requires admin rights)

1. Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Navigate to Teams & groups > Active teams & groups.
3. Select Add a group > choose Distribution list.
4. Under Set up the basics, enter the group Name and Description > Next.
5. Under Assign owners, select one or more owners (recommended for ongoing management) > Next.
6. Under Add members, add the users who should receive emails > Next.
7. Under Edit settings, configure the group email address and choose whether to allow external senders > Create group.

Note: Make sure you assign at least one owner (preferably more than one) so management can maintain membership without relying on a single person. Owners are explicitly used to manage membership/requests.

Reference: Create distribution groups in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

 

 

Option B: Create the Distribution Group in the Exchange Admin Center (also requires admin rights)

1. Go to https://admin.exchange.microsoft.com
2. Select Recipients > Groups > Add a group.
3. Choose Distribution and proceed.
4. Enter the Name and Description.
5. Add at least one Owner for managing membership.
6. Add Members who should receive group emails.
7. Set the email alias (e.g., ******@yourdomain.com).
8. Create the group.

Note:

• It may take up to an hour for new groups to appear in Outlook and the GAL across the organization.
• If you need a simple broadcast-only list, a Distribution Group is perfect. If you want a shared inbox + calendar + files + Teams tied to the list, consider a Microsoft 365 Group instead.

Reference: Create and manage distribution groups in Exchange Online.

 

 

Option C: No admin rights - create a personal Contact List (works only for your mailbox)

If you just need a list you can send to (and optionally share the contact list file with a few colleagues), create a Contact list (Contact Group) in Outlook:

• Classic Outlook : People > New Contact Group > Add Members > Save
• Outlook on the web / New Outlook: People > New contact list > Name > Add members > Create.

Note:

• A personal contact list is not shared, won’t appear in the GAL, and won’t function as an org‑wide distribution address. Each user would need their own copy: What's the difference between a Microsoft 365 Group and a contact list ...
• For a company‑wide “one address everyone can send to,” use Option A or B.

 

I hope this helps. Please try the steps that apply to your access level and let me know if you run into any issues. I’m happy to continue assisting until everything is working correctly.

As other users will also search for information in this community, your vote can significantly help those with similar inquiries quickly locate the most relevant resources. 

Thank you for your kindness and for contributing to the forum.   

---

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".       

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.