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If you need to automatically forward emails from one user’s mailbox in Office 365 (Microsoft 365) to multiple email addresses, then in this guide you will find two (2) ways to do it through Office 365 Admin Center.*
* Note: If you are not an Office 365 administrator and want to forward your emails to one or more email addresses, you can create a new Outlook rule for all email messages you receive (Apply rule on messages I receive), without selecting a condition, and in the last step choose to “forward it to people or public group” and enter the email addresses you want to forward to.
How to automatically forward emails to multiple internal or external users in Office 365 (Microsoft 365).
Forwarding emails to multiple addresses in Office 365 can be accomplished by two (2) different methods detailed below.
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- Setup automatic email forwarding to multiple addresses using a Distribution List in Office 365 Admin Center.
- Forward emails to one or multiple users using a Mail Flow rule in Office 365 Exchange Center.
Method 1. How to Forward Office 365 Emails to Multiple Addresses using a Distribution List.
Step 1. Create a new Distribution list.
The first step to forward emails to multiple users (internal and external), is to create a new distribution list with the forwarding members (email addresses).
1. Login to Office 365 Admin center.
2a. Expand Teams & groups on the left and then click Active teams & groups.
2b. On the right pane, select the Distribution list tab and then click Add a distribution list.
3. At the next screen, type a recognizable name for the distribution list and click Next.
4. At the next screen click Assign owners and add at least one owner to manage the group. Then click Next to continue.
5. On the ‘Add Members’ screen, click Add Members and add the Internal users* (email accounts), that will receive email messages sent to the group email address. When done, click Next.
* Note: if you want to add External users (email addresses), to the distribution list continue reading below.
6. At ‘Edit settings’ screen, type the email address for the distribution list and click Next.
7. Finally, review your settings and click Create Group to create the distribution list.
8. So far, we have created a new distribution list that includes the internal users who will receive all emails sent to the created group’s email address. In case you want to add some external users (external email addresses) to this distribution list too, proceed to step-2 else go to step-3.
Step 2. Add External Users to the Distribution List.
To forward emails to external users (outside your organization), go ahead and create new Contacts in the Office 365 Admin Center, with the email address of those users and then add them to the distribution list you created in previous step. To create a new contact:
1. In Office 365 Admin Center, go to Users > Contacts and click Add a contact.
2. On the next screen add the details of the external user and their email address and press Add.
3. Repeat the same steps to create any other external users you want, and then open the Distribution list you created in the previous step and add those users as members. When done, proceed to next step.
Step 3. Enable Mail Forwarding on the distribution list’s email address.
After you’ve added both internal and external users to the distribution list you created in step 1 above, you’re ready to forward emails to all the email addresses in that distribution list. To do that:
1. In the Office 365 Admin Center, go to Users > Active Users and click the user whose emails you want to be forwarded to the users included in the Distribution List you created.
2. Select the Mail tab and then click Manage Email Forwarding.
3. Check the Forward all emails sent to this mailbox option and then type below the email address of the distribution list you created in step-1 above. Click Save changes and you’re done! From now on, all emails sent to this user will be forwarded to all email addresses of users on the distribution list you have created.
* Note: To be able to forward emails to external users, you must enable external email forwarding in Office365. For instructions see this article.
Method 2. How to Forward Office 365 Emails to Multiple Addresses using a Mail Flow Rule.
1. Log in to Exchange Admin Center.
2. Expand Mail flow, select Rules and then click Add a rule > Create a new rule
3. On Set rule conditions, type a name from the rule, do the following below and then click Next:
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In the Apply this rule if drop-down, select The recipient > is this person and choose the user whose emails you want to forward.
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In the Do the following drop-down, select Redirect the message to > these recipients* and add the email addresses to which you want to forward the emails.
* Notes:
1. If you have created a distribution list, you can add the distribution’s list email address here.
2. If you want to forward emails to external users, proceed and add these users as new contacts, as instructed on step-2 in method-1 above.
3. To be able to forward emails to external users, you must enable external email forwarding in Office365. For instructions see this article.
4. On Set rule settings, review or modify the settings of the rule and then click Next and then Finish to create the rule.
That’s it! Which method worked for you?
Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.
