Forward email and add aliases in Microsoft 365

You can forward all email from a Microsoft 365 mailbox to another address, and you can give a mailbox extra email addresses (aliases). Do both in the IT Solver dashboard. You do not need the Microsoft 365 admin centre.

Before you start

• You must have the Owner or IT manager role for your business in the dashboard. See What each dashboard role can do.
• If your business uses the Microsoft 365 of another business (for example, a branch that gets a separate bill), you must also have the Owner or IT manager role for the business that owns the Microsoft 365. If you do not have this role, Manage aliases does not show. Ask IT Solver for access.
• The dashboard must be connected to your Microsoft 365. If it is not, see Connect the dashboard to your Microsoft 365.
• To add an alias, your domain must be verified in Microsoft 365. See Connect your domain to Microsoft 365 and switch your email.
• To forward email to an address outside your organisation, a Microsoft 365 Global Administrator must approve a setup step one time. The dashboard shows this step when you need it.

Forward email from a mailbox

Forwarding sends every email that arrives in the mailbox to one other address. It works for staff mailboxes and shared mailboxes.

1. Sign in at dashboard.itsolver.net.
2. In the sidebar, select Microsoft 365. If your sidebar shows Microsoft 365 tenant, select that.
3. Open the mailbox:
   • For any mailbox, select the Shared mailbox tab. Find the mailbox, then select Forward email.
   • For a staff member, you can also select the People tab. Select the more actions (...) button on their row, then select Forward email.
4. In Send email to, type the address that must get the email.
5. If the mailbox must keep its own copy of each email, keep Keep a copy in this mailbox selected. If you clear it, the email goes only to the new address.
6. If the address is outside your organisation, a warning shows. Read it, then select I understand email will leave our organisation.
7. Select Save.
8. Make sure that the page says "Email to this mailbox now goes to" and the new address.
9. Send a test email to the mailbox. Make sure that it arrives at the new address. If it does not arrive, contact IT Solver.

On the Shared mailbox tab, a mailbox that forwards shows Forwards to and the address. If the address is outside your organisation, it shows Forwards outside: and the address.

Forward to an address outside your organisation

Microsoft 365 blocks automatic forwarding to outside addresses by default. The dashboard lets only the mailbox that you choose forward outside your organisation. You do not need to change your spam policy in Microsoft 365.

While a mailbox can forward outside your organisation, Outlook inbox rules in that mailbox can also forward to outside addresses.

The first time you forward to an outside address, the dashboard needs the Exchange Administrator role in your Microsoft 365. If the role is not set up, the dashboard opens Finish outside forwarding setup after you select Save.

1. Read the page. Make sure that a Global Administrator for your business is ready to sign in to Microsoft.
2. Select Continue to Microsoft.
3. Sign in with the Global Administrator account and approve the request.
4. Microsoft returns you to the dashboard.
5. Do the steps in Forward email from a mailbox again, and select Save.

If the dashboard says that Exchange access is still finishing, wait a few minutes, then save the forwarding address again.

Stop forwarding

1. Open the mailbox and select Forward email, as in the steps above.
2. Select Stop forwarding.
3. When your browser asks you to confirm, accept the message.

The page then says "Email forwarding is off for this mailbox." When you stop forwarding to an outside address, the dashboard also removes the permission that let this mailbox forward outside your organisation. After this, Outlook inbox rules in this mailbox also cannot forward outside your organisation.

Forward only some messages

The dashboard forwards all email. To forward only some messages, such as invoices from one supplier, the mailbox user can make an inbox rule in Outlook. The rule uses a condition, for example the sender, and a forward action. A rule that forwards to an address inside your organisation works. Microsoft 365 blocks a rule that forwards to an address outside your organisation. For an outside rule, ask IT Solver. Ask IT Solver also if you need help with a rule.

Add or remove an email alias

An alias is an extra email address for a mailbox. Email sent to the alias arrives in the same mailbox. An alias does not make a new mailbox or a new sign-in. For example, if jane@yourbusiness.com.au must also get email sent to accounts@yourbusiness.com.au, add accounts@yourbusiness.com.au as an alias.

If several people must read the same address, such as info@ or sales@, use a shared mailbox. See Create a shared mailbox and give people access.

Add an alias

1. In the sidebar, select Microsoft 365. If your sidebar shows Microsoft 365 tenant, select that.
2. Open the alias list:
   • Select the Shared mailbox tab. Find the mailbox, then select Manage aliases.
   • Or select the People tab. Select the more actions (...) button on the staff member's row, then select Manage aliases.
3. In New alias, type the part of the address before the @ sign.
4. Select the domain from the list next to it.
5. Select Add alias.

The new alias starts to receive email in a few minutes.

Remove an alias

1. Open Manage aliases for the mailbox, as in the steps above.
2. In Aliases, find the address and select Remove.
3. When your browser asks you to confirm, accept the message.

After you remove an alias, email sent to that address does not arrive in the mailbox. The mailbox and its existing email do not change.

You cannot remove the Primary address in Manage aliases. To change a person's main email address, see Rename a Microsoft 365 user or hand their account to someone else.

Google Workspace aliases

If your business uses Google Workspace, see Reset a password, rename a user or add an alias in Google Workspace.

Limits

• You can make up to 20 forwarding changes and 20 alias changes an hour.
• A mailbox can forward to one address.
• An address inside your organisation must belong to a mailbox or group in your Microsoft 365.
• The domain list for aliases shows only your verified custom domains.
• If your staff accounts come from a server in your office, the more actions (...) menu shows Delete in local directory for those staff. For those staff, change aliases on your office server, or ask IT Solver.
• If the user must also send email from an alias, ask IT Solver.

Examples

A staff member goes on leave

Your office manager is away for three weeks. Customers still email them.

To fix it: do the steps in Forward email from a mailbox. Forward their mailbox to a colleague and keep Keep a copy in this mailbox selected. When they come back, select Stop forwarding. If a staff member leaves for good, see When a staff member leaves: offboard them in Microsoft 365.

You want your bookkeeper's Gmail to get supplier invoices

Your bookkeeper uses a Gmail address. You enter it in Send email to and the dashboard shows a warning.

To fix it: select I understand email will leave our organisation, then select Save. If the dashboard opens Finish outside forwarding setup, do the steps in Forward to an address outside your organisation. If only invoices must go to the bookkeeper, do not use an Outlook inbox rule. Microsoft 365 blocks a rule that forwards to an outside address, unless the dashboard already lets that mailbox forward outside your organisation. Contact IT Solver to set up an outside rule.

A staff member changed their name

A staff member's address changed, but clients still use the old address.

To fix it: open Manage aliases for their mailbox and look at the Aliases list. If you changed the address in the dashboard, the old address is usually already there, and email to it already arrives. If it is not in the list, add it. See Add an alias and Rename a Microsoft 365 user or hand their account to someone else.

The mailbox shows "Forwarding managed by IT Solver"

The page says "IT Solver manages forwarding for this mailbox." The dashboard cannot change this forwarding.

To fix it: contact IT Solver and tell us the mailbox and the change you want.

If something goes wrong

• No verified custom domain is available for aliases. Connect your domain to Microsoft 365 first. See Connect your domain to Microsoft 365 and switch your email.
• The alias cannot be added. Each address can belong to only one mailbox, group or user in Microsoft 365. Make sure that no other mailbox uses it.
• Manage aliases does not show. If your business uses the Microsoft 365 of another business, you must also have the Owner or IT manager role for that business. Ask IT Solver for access.
• No mailbox or group in your organisation uses this address. Check the spelling of the address. For a new staff member, add their account first.
• The page shows This mailbox is still allowed to forward outside your organisation. Select Remove permission.
• The dashboard says that the mailbox uses a custom outbound spam policy, or that the IT Solver policy was changed. Contact IT Solver.
• The dashboard asks you to approve Microsoft access or finish Exchange setup. Follow the steps on the page, or see Connect the dashboard to your Microsoft 365.

Still have a problem?

Questions? Email support@itsolver.net or phone 07 3123 6000.