SOP: New Users, Mailboxes & Groups

Step-by-step procedures for the two most common provisioning tasks in the Microsoft 365 admin center. These are performed by IT admin (or trained office staff with admin rights).

Admin portal: admin.microsoft.com — sign in with your @sandiahomeowners.org admin account.

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SOP: Add a New Licensed User

Use this when you need to create a personal mailbox (first.last@sandiahomeowners.org) — typically for a new staff member or IT admin. Most volunteers do not need this; they are added as external guests instead (see the separate procedure below).

Steps

1. Go to admin.microsoft.com → Users → Active users.
2. Click Add a user.
3. Fill in:
   • First name / Last name
   • Display name — typically "First Last"
   • Username — use first.last (domain will be @sandiahomeowners.org)
4. Password: Choose "Auto-generate password" and check "Require this user to change their password when they first sign in." Copy and securely share the temporary password with the new user.
5. Click Next.
6. Assign a license: Select the appropriate M365 license (e.g., Microsoft 365 Business Basic). Click Next.
7. Optional settings: For most new users, leave as defaults. If the person needs admin privileges, you can set roles here — but for a regular staff member, skip it. Click Next.
8. Review and click Finish adding.
9. Post-creation steps:
   • Add the new user to the appropriate mailing lists (Microsoft Groups) — see M365 Email Groups, Role Inboxes & Responsibilities SOP 1.
   • If the user holds a role (chair, officer), grant shared mailbox access — see the shared mailbox SOP below.
   • Send the new user their login credentials and a link to outlook.com.
   • Add itadmin@sandiahomeowners.org to any new groups created for this person.

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SOP: Add an External Guest (Volunteer)

Use this when a volunteer needs committee access but does not need a licensed @sandiahomeowners.org account. This is the most common scenario.

Steps

1. Go to admin.microsoft.com → Users → Guest users (or use entra.microsoft.com → Users → All users → New user → Invite external user).
2. Click Invite user (or Add a guest user).
3. Enter the volunteer's personal email address (Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, etc.).
4. Optionally add a personal message explaining that SHHA is inviting them to access committee resources.
5. Click Invite. Microsoft sends the invitation email.
6. Post-invitation steps:
   • Tell the volunteer to check their inbox (including Spam/Junk) for the Microsoft invitation and accept it.
   • Once accepted, add them to the appropriate committee mailing list(s) — see M365 Email Groups SOP 1.
   • Grant access to the committee's SharePoint site if needed.
   • Verify they are receiving group emails (send a test).

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SOP: Create a New Shared Mailbox

Use this when you need a role-based inbox (e.g., a new chair mailbox, a special-purpose address with its own inbox and history). Shared mailboxes do not require a license.

Steps

1. Go to admin.microsoft.com → Teams & groups → Shared mailboxes.
2. Click Add a shared mailbox.
3. Fill in:
   • Name — a descriptive name, e.g., "ESC Chair" or "Wildfire Preparedness Chair"
   • Email address — e.g., escchair or wpcchair (domain will be @sandiahomeowners.org)
4. Click Save changes. The shared mailbox is created.
5. Add members (the people who can open and send from this mailbox):
   • On the shared mailbox detail page, click Members → Edit.
   • Click Add members and search for the licensed user(s) who should have access (e.g., the current chair's first.last@sandiahomeowners.org account).
   • Select and click Save.
6. Set "Send As" permission (so members can send email that appears to come from the shared mailbox):
   • Still on the shared mailbox detail page, scroll to or click Send as (or Delegation).
   • Click Add permissions and add the same user(s).
   • Click Save.
7. Verify:
   • Have the member sign in at outlook.com with their personal SHHA account.
   • The shared mailbox should appear under "Shared with me" in the left pane (it may take up to an hour to propagate).
   • If it does not appear automatically, the user can add it manually: right-click their account name → "Add shared folder or mailbox" → type the shared mailbox address.
   • Send a test email to the shared mailbox and confirm it arrives.
   • Send a test email from the shared mailbox and confirm the "From" address is correct.

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SOP: Create a New Mailing List (Microsoft Group)

Use this when you need a new distribution group — typically for a new committee or task force.

Steps

1. Go to admin.microsoft.com → Teams & groups → Active teams & groups.
2. Click Add a group.
3. Select group type: Microsoft 365. Click Next.
4. Fill in:
   • Name — full committee name, e.g., "Wildfire Preparedness Committee"
   • Description — brief purpose
   Click Next.
5. Owners: Add at least one licensed user as group owner (typically Anna / office staff). Click Next.
6. Settings:
   • Group email address — e.g., WPC (domain will be @sandiahomeowners.org)
   • Privacy — typically Private
   • Uncheck "Create a team for this group" (unless Teams is needed)
   Click Next, then Create group.
7. Add members:
   • Open the newly created group → Members → Add members.
   • Add all committee members (internal licensed users and external guests).
   • Add itadmin@sandiahomeowners.org — required for archiving.
8. Verify:
   • Send a test email to the new group address.
   • Confirm all members (including externals) receive it.
   • Check that the Power Automate membership-change notification fires.
9. Record the new group in the Quick Links & Directory page and the group inventory.

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SOP: Add an Alias to an Existing Mailbox or Group

Use this for one-off or friendly addresses (e.g., wildfire@sandiahomeowners.org) that route to an existing mailbox or group.

Steps

1. Go to admin.microsoft.com.
2. For a shared mailbox or user mailbox:
   • Navigate to Users → Active users (or Shared mailboxes).
   • Select the mailbox → click Manage email aliases (under the username/email section).
   • Type the new alias (e.g., wildfire) and click Add → Save changes.
3. For a Microsoft Group:
   • Navigate to Teams & groups → Active teams & groups.
   • Select the group → Settings tab → Edit next to "Email address."
   • Click Add, enter the alias address, and save.
4. Verify: Send a test email to the new alias and confirm it arrives in the expected mailbox or group.
5. Record the alias in the Quick Links & Directory or relevant documentation so people know it exists.

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Full Setup Checklist for a New Committee or Role

When standing up a completely new committee or task force, work through this checklist:

#	Task	Pattern	Done?
1	Create the committee mailing list	Microsoft Group	☐
2	Add itadmin@ to the group	Archive rule	☐
3	Add all initial members (internal + external guests)	Group membership	☐
4	Create a chair shared mailbox (if this committee has a chair)	Shared mailbox	☐
5	Grant the chair access to the shared mailbox	Mailbox delegation	☐
6	Add any friendly aliases (optional)	Alias	☐
7	Create a SharePoint site for the committee (if needed)	SharePoint	☐
8	Grant members access to the SharePoint site	SharePoint permissions	☐
9	Verify: test email delivery to group, send-as from shared mailbox, SharePoint access	Testing	☐
10	Update Quick Links & Directory page with new addresses and SharePoint URL	Documentation	☐
11	Notify the committee chair that everything is ready	Communication	☐

Related Pages

• M365 Email Building Blocks — understand the four patterns before you build
• M365 Email Groups, Role Inboxes & Responsibilities — governance rules, responsibility matrix, and handoff checklist
• Quick Links & Directory — the address/URL directory to update when you create something new