Shared inbox management for small teams: how to stop emails being missed
A shared inbox, such as info@ or office@, is where new customers, suppliers and paperwork usually arrive. When everyone can see it, it's easy for everyone to assume someone else has replied. This guide covers how a small team can run one so nothing is missed, and how replies can be prepared for you while you keep the final say.
Why emails get missed in a shared inbox
- No one owns it, so everyone assumes someone else has it.
- Two people reply to the same email, or no one does.
- Nothing shows what's been dealt with and what's waiting.
- Urgent emails sit among newsletters and receipts.
Give it one owner and simple rules
Even in a team of three, one person should own the shared inbox each day: not to answer everything, but to make sure everything is answered or handed on. Then agree:
- Labels or folders for the main types of email: new enquiries, clients, suppliers, invoices, and everything else.
- A response time you'll stick to for each type.
- One way to show an email is taken, such as a label or a flag, so two people don't reply.
- An end-of-day check for anything still waiting.
Our guide to inbox triage explains how to sort an inbox like this.
Set up access properly
If you use Microsoft 365, a shared mailbox lets several people use one address, such as a support or reception address. Microsoft's guidance says:
- you give people access to a shared mailbox through permissions, and only people inside your organisation can use it
- people with the right permissions can send as, or send on behalf of, the shared mailbox
- every shared mailbox has a user account with a system-generated password that you shouldn't use to sign in
- a shared mailbox can store up to 50 GB of data without a licence
Give each person their own access rather than sharing one password. That way you can see who did what, and remove access when someone leaves. The ICO says a key principle of UK GDPR is that you process personal data securely, by means of appropriate technical and organisational measures, and a shared inbox usually holds plenty of personal data.
Replies prepared, sent only when someone approves
For common emails, like a new enquiry or a request for an update, replies can be prepared for the owner to check, change and send. That saves time without losing the final say. For anything going to clients, the simplest rule is that nothing sends until someone approves it. See approving before your assistant sends and responding to customer enquiries.
A weekly check that keeps it working
Once a week, look at:
- anything still waiting from earlier in the week
- any emails that were answered late, and why
- whether the labels still match the emails you get
What a shared inbox setup costs
Our done-for-you service, Grok Bot setup by Your Evenings, can take on jobs like sorting the shared inbox, which labels and files new mail, and replies for your OK, where nothing sends until you approve. It's £750 a month, renews monthly until you cancel, and has no minimum term. You need your own Grok Bot plan, in your own account; the £750 doesn't cover your Grok Bot plan. It's all by email: we reply in writing within 1 working day, and there are no calls.
For more jobs a setup like this can take on, see automating admin tasks.
Questions
What is the best way to manage a shared inbox?
Give it one owner each day, use a few clear labels, agree a response time for each type of email, and mark emails as taken so two people don't reply. Check what's still waiting at the end of each day and once a week.
How do you stop emails being missed in a shared mailbox?
Make one person responsible for it each day, label every email as it arrives, and use one clear way to show an email has been taken. Then check at the end of each day for anything still waiting.
Who should own a shared inbox in a small team?
One person each day, even in a small team. Their job isn't to answer everything, but to make sure every email is answered or handed to the right person.
Can replies be prepared automatically but sent only when someone approves?
Yes. Replies can be prepared for someone to check, change and send. When we set up our service, we set it up to ask for your approval before it sends or pays.
What does a shared inbox setup cost?
Our Grok Bot setup service is £750 a month, renews monthly until you cancel and has no minimum term. You need your own Grok Bot plan, in your own account; the £750 doesn't cover your Grok Bot plan.
Want it set up for you?
Grok Bot setup by Your Evenings is our done-for-you service. Tell us the job by email. We set it up on Grok Bot, test it with dry runs and check it each month. We set it up to ask for your approval before it sends or pays. It's £750 a month and renews monthly until you cancel. There's no minimum term, and you can cancel any time by email. You need your own Grok Bot plan, in your own account; the £750 doesn't cover your Grok Bot plan. Read the terms before you subscribe. Get my admin handled
Your Evenings is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Grok Bot or its maker, SpaceX Super Intelligence LLC (SpaceXSI).
Sources
- Microsoft Learn: About shared mailboxes in Microsoft 365 (read 31 October 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Shared mailboxes in Exchange Online (read 31 October 2026)
- ICO: A guide to data security (read 31 October 2026)
- Your Evenings Ltd, Grok Bot setup service page and terms (read 31 October 2026), for what our service does and costs.
Written with AI assistance by the Your Evenings team at Your Evenings Ltd. Last updated 31 October 2026.