Shared Outlook account

Nicole Wilkinson 0 Reputation points
2026-11-05T20:51:40.15+00:00

I set up tags for emails but when I open it up the next day they have gone grey. How do I set them up so they remain active?

Outlook | Windows | New Outlook for Windows | For business
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  1. Ruby Nguyen 3,640 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-11-05T21:40:15.9133333+00:00

    Good day Nicole, 

    Based on your description, the category tags work initially but appear greyed out when you reopen the shared mailbox later. 

    This behavior can occur when the shared mailbox is added under Shared with me instead of being added as an account. In New Outlook for Windows, Microsoft recommends adding the shared mailbox as an account when you need to manage categories, rules, notifications or automatic replies. 

    Option 1: Add the shared mailbox as an account 

    • Open New Outlook > Select Settings > Accounts > Shared with me. 
    • Find the shared mailbox. 
    • Select Convert or Promote to add it as an account. 
    • Restart Outlook. 
    • Go to Settings > Accounts > Categories. 
    • Select the shared mailbox, create or edit a category and test it on an email. 

    Additional information is available in the following resource: Manage shared mailbox settings in new Outlook | Microsoft Support 

    Option 2: Reconnect the shared mailbox 

    If the mailbox is already added as an account: 

    • Open Settings > Accounts > Shared with me > Remove the shared mailbox. 
    • Restart Outlook. 
    • Add the shared mailbox again. 
    • Wait for synchronization to complete, then test the categories. 

    Option 3: Test in Outlook on the web 

    • Sign in to Outlook on the web > Open the shared mailbox > Apply a category to an email. 
    • Refresh the page and check whether the category remains active. 

    If the category continues to work in Outlook on the web but becomes greyed out only in New Outlook, the issue is related to how New Outlook loads the shared mailbox settings. 

    Option 4: Verify mailbox permissions 

    If the Convert or Promote option is unavailable, or if the issue persists after completing the steps above, I recommend contacting your organization's IT administrator to verify that your account still has Full Access permission to the shared mailbox, that the shared mailbox is still assigned to your account and that no recent permission changes have been made; after any updates are applied, please restart Outlook and test again. 

    Note: In case you do not know who is your IT admin, kindly refer to this article: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support  

    If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time. 

    Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

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  2. AI answer

    2026-11-05T20:52:20.56+00:00

    Add the shared mailbox as an account in new Outlook so its category list remains available instead of accessing it only as a shared folder.

    Add the shared mailbox as an account

    This requires Full Access permission to the shared mailbox.

    1. In new Outlook, open Settings → Accounts → Shared with me.
      Alternatively, select File → Account info.
    2. Expand the shared mailbox.
    3. Select Convert to add an automatically mapped mailbox as an account.
      • If it was not automatically added, select + Add and follow the prompts.
    4. Open Settings → Accounts → Your accounts.
    5. Confirm that the shared mailbox appears there as a separate account.
    6. Open the category settings and select the shared mailbox from the account selector. Create and manage the categories under that mailbox rather than under your personal account.

    Adding the mailbox as an account exposes its own Categories, Rules, Notifications, and Automatic Replies settings in new Outlook.^1^

    If Convert or Add is unavailable

    Ask your Microsoft 365 administrator to grant your account Full Access to the shared mailbox. Restart new Outlook after the permission has taken effect, then repeat the steps above.

    The option to add a shared mailbox as an account might not yet be available in every new Outlook version. If the mailbox does not appear under Your accounts, either the necessary permission is missing or that feature is unavailable in the installed version.^1^

    If the categories still turn grey

    1. Open the shared mailbox in Outlook on the web and assign a category to a test message.
    2. If it works there, return to new Outlook and go to Settings → Accounts → Shared with me.
    3. Remove the affected shared mailbox, close Outlook completely, reopen it, and add the mailbox again.
    4. Allow several minutes for synchronization before testing.
    5. If necessary, create a temporary category in the shared mailbox through Outlook on the web, then reopen new Outlook. This can refresh the shared mailbox’s category metadata.^2^

    If categories also cannot be assigned in Outlook on the web, have the administrator review mailbox access rather than reinstalling Outlook. Category operations in another mailbox depend on the permissions granted for that mailbox and its folders.^3^

    If the problem continues after the mailbox is shown under Your accounts with Full Access, the Microsoft 365 administrator should open Microsoft 365 Admin Center → Support → Help & Support and include the shared-mailbox address, affected users, new Outlook version, and whether Outlook on the web works.

    References

    1. Manage shared mailbox settings in new Outlook | Microsoft Support
    2. Outlook Shared Inbox will no longer let me categorize our emails. my teammates still can but I can no longer as it is now greyed out. - Microsoft Q&A
    3. You cannot change a user's categories when you work as a delegate in Outlook | Microsoft Support
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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