Mail-Enabled Public Folders
Manage public folders that have been mail-enabled to receive email from internal or external senders. Mail-enabled public folders have an email address and appear in the Global Address List, allowing users to send email directly to the folder.
Note: Mail-enabling a public folder assigns it an email address. Messages sent to this address are delivered to the public folder and visible to all users with folder access.
Mail-Enabled Folder List
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Folder Name | Public folder display name |
| Email Address | Assigned SMTP email address |
| Folder Path | Location in the folder hierarchy |
| Folder Type | Mail, Calendar, Contacts, etc. |
| Hidden from GAL | Whether hidden from the address book |
| Accept From | Who can send to this folder |
Mail-Enabling a Public Folder
- Select folder — Choose the public folder to mail-enable.
- Assign email — Set the email address (e.g., support@company.com).
- Configure delivery — Set message restrictions and forwarding options.
- Set visibility — Choose whether to show in the Global Address List.
Email Address Configuration
Primary Address
The main email address used for receiving mail:
- Format: alias@domain.com
- Appears in the Global Address List
- Used as the reply-to address
Additional Aliases
Add secondary email addresses that also deliver to the folder:
- Support multiple domain aliases
- Legacy address compatibility
- Departmental aliases
Delivery Options
Message Restrictions
Control who can send to the mail-enabled folder:
- All senders — Accept from anyone (internal and external)
- Internal only — Accept from organization members only
- Specific senders — Accept from specified users or groups only
- Authenticated senders — Require sender authentication
Forwarding
Configure message forwarding from the public folder:
- Forward copies to additional recipients
- Send on behalf permissions for team responses
- Redirect all messages to another mailbox
Common Use Cases
Shared Support Inbox
Create support@company.com as a mail-enabled public folder accessible by the support team. Team members can view and respond to incoming support requests.
Department Communication
Create department email addresses (hr@, sales@, finance@) that deliver to public folders accessible by department members.
Archive Mailbox
Receive copies of important communications for archival in a public folder accessible to authorized personnel.
Managing Permissions
Users who can access the mail-enabled folder:
| Permission | Can Read | Can Post | Can Manage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Editor | Yes | Yes | No |
| Author | Yes | Own items | No |
| Reviewer | Yes | No | No |
Best Practices
- Consider shared mailboxes — For most scenarios, shared mailboxes provide a better experience than mail-enabled public folders.
- Restrict external senders — Require authentication to prevent spam delivery.
- Monitor folder size — Large mail-enabled folders impact performance.
- Set appropriate permissions — Grant minimum necessary access to folder contents.
API Reference
GET /api/exchange/public-folders/mail-enabled
List mail-enabled public folders
POST /api/exchange/public-folders/:id/mail-enable
Mail-enable a public folder
POST /api/exchange/public-folders/:id/mail-disable
Remove email from public folder
PUT /api/exchange/public-folders/:id/email-settings
Update email address and delivery options