Email Domains - Shared Mailboxes vs Service Accounts

Shared mailboxes are a new account type enabled for use in 2026. Prior to 2026, service accounts were the only option for creating secondary, non-NetID accounts for the purpose of email.

This page is intended to provide information to aid in the appropriate account type selection when creating a new email address, but Technical Support staff will also consult and provide a recommendation based on needs.

Similarities

• Access is controlled by Technical Support using mailbox permissions.
• They can both be added to any Outlook client as a secondary account or accessed directly through Outlook on the web.
• They includes email and calendar.
• They support forwarding.

Differences

• Shared mailboxes do not have their own credentials and cannot access other campus services like Google Drive or Zoom.
• DoIT has defined different lifecycle processes for shared mailboxes and service accounts. A service account must be manually renewed every 6 months, while a shared mailbox will remain active as long as any individual can access it.

Shared Mailbox Use Cases

Shared mailboxes support most general use cases for secondary email accounts:

• Role-based account for an individual.
• Shared account for a group or project.
• Scan-to-email account for a copier.

Service Accounts Use Cases

The primary use case for a service account is the need to access another campus service directly as that account. Please be sure to highlight this need when working with Technical Support to create your account.