Topics in this Article:

Overview

Benefits of Using a Delegated (Shared) Mailbox

How to Access Your Gmail Delegated (Shared) Mailbox

Membership Management Instructions for Mailbox Managers

How to Search for Specific Members

How to Add New Members

How to Download a List of Group Mailbox Members

How to Change Member Roles

Overview

Gmail Delegated (Shared) Mailboxes are a collaborative feature within the Gmail email service. These delegated (shared) mailboxes are designed to help you communicate and collaborate among groups of users within Rice University.

Benefits of Using a Delegated (Shared) Mailbox

Here are a few ways you can use your Gmail Delegated (Shared) mailbox:

Collaborative Email Management

Gmail Delegated (Shared) Mailboxes enable multiple Rice users to access, manage, and respond to emails sent to a specific email address or mailbox. This delegated (shared) mailbox can be used for various purposes, such as committee collaboration, managing a departmental email account, or collaborating on a project.

Delegated (Shared) Access

Rice University users with access to a delegated (shared) mailbox can view, send, receive, and organize emails just like they would with their personal Gmail accounts. This feature allows teams to work together without the need to forward emails or share login credentials.

Consolidated Inbox

Each member of a delegated (shared) mailbox can see emails from the delegated (shared) mailbox alongside your own personal emails in the Gmail interface. This consolidated view makes it easy to manage both personal and delegated (shared) correspondence efficiently.

Email Organization

Members of a delegated (shared) mailbox can apply labels and filters to categorize and organize emails within the delegated (shared) mailbox, making it easier to sort, search, and prioritize messages. This feature helps streamline workflow and ensures that important emails are addressed promptly.

How to Access Your Gmail Delegated (Shared) Mailbox

Step 1: Open a web browser and navigate to https://mail.google.com and sign in with your own NetID@rice.edu email address (you will be redirected to Rice NetID login if you aren't already authenticated).

Step 2: Select your profile picture in the upper right corner. Click to select the mailbox that you would like to access from the options in the drop-down menu.

Selecting a mailbox will open a new browser tab, showing the selected delegated (shared) mailbox. Once logged in, you may manage, write, and send emails on behalf of the delegated (shared) mailbox. The key icon in the account chooser in the upper right corner of the browser window indicates that you are accessing a delegated mailbox.

Please note that there is no "From:" field in emails that are sent from a delegated (shared) mailbox because the email is being sent on behalf of the delegated mailbox or as the delegated mailbox.

Membership Management Instructions for Delegated (Shared) Mailbox Managers

Use the steps below to manage access to your delegated (shared) mailbox through a Google group:

Step 1: Open a web browser and navigate to https://groups.google.com. Sign in with your NetID, if prompted.

Step 2: Select the group of your delegated (shared) mailbox for which you would like to update permissions. You can search for the group by name or by email address.

Step 3: Click on the group, navigate to People, and then to Members. You can then view, search, add, and manage permissions for group members.

How to Search for Specific Members

You can search for members by name, email, or role type on the dialog box shown below.

How to Add New Members

Complete each box to add a new member by name or NetID to the delegated (shared) mailbox group.

How to Download a List of Group Mailbox Members

Select the area shown below to download a list of members. The downloaded list of members will appear in your Downloads folder or wherever your browser is set to save downloaded files.

How to Change Member Roles

You can set the permissions for any member by changing their assigned role.

 Owner Permissions

• Delete the group.
• Add additional owners, managers, and members.
• Change settings for another owner.

 Manager Permissions

• Add additional members or make another member a manager.

 Member Permissions

• Access, respond to, and delegate email messages.

 To change member roles:

1. Select the triangle next to a member’s current role.
2. Choose one of the permissions described above.