Shared mailbox, forwarding and alias — the difference
Three different setups can serve the same need, and which one you choose directly affects day-to-day work.
| Setup | How it works | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Shared mailbox | Has its own mailbox, accessed by several people | info@, support@ answered as a team |
| Forwarding | Incoming email is copied to one or more people | Distribution for information, temporary situations |
| Alias | A second address for the same mailbox | One person receiving email at more than one address |
The biggest advantage of a shared mailbox is that replies also go out from that address and the conversation history stays in one place. With forwarding, replies go out from a personal address, the customer writes to that person next time, and the work becomes tied to an individual.
A sample setup
For a typical manufacturing or service company, we recommend a structure like this:
- info@ shared mailbox; general inquiries, two people responsible
- sales@ shared mailbox; accessed by the sales team, proposals go out from here
- accounting@ shared mailbox; accessed only by accounting
- kvkk@ a separate address for data protection requests; accessed by the person in charge
- Personal mailboxes in the firstname.lastname@ format, open only to their owner
Who can access which mailbox is kept in a table and updated whenever staff change. This access list is also a record you need for KVKK compliance (KVKK is Türkiye's Personal Data Protection Law).
When an employee leaves
A departing employee's mailbox shouldn't be deleted right away. The order we follow: the password is changed and device connections are cut off, the mailbox is archived or opened to a manager, incoming email is forwarded to the relevant person for a set period or an automatic reply is set up, and the mailbox is closed once the retention period ends.
Spam management
Spam filters score incoming email based on the sending server's reputation, identity checks (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and content. A properly configured filter catches most unwanted email, but no filter is perfect. That's why we recommend:
- Reviewing the spam folder once a week
- Blacklisting senders of persistent unwanted email
- Adding key customers and suppliers to the safe senders list
- Blocking dangerous attachment types (executable files) outright
- Confirming by phone any email that asks for a payment or a change of bank details
Your own emails landing in the recipient's spam folder is a different problem; the fix runs through your SPF, DKIM and DMARC settings.
Checklist
- Are role addresses set up as shared mailboxes?
- Is the access list up to date?
- Is there an offboarding procedure for departing employees?
- Is the spam folder checked regularly?
Frequently asked questions
What if two people reply to the same email?
In a shared mailbox, read and replied messages are marked for everyone. A short rule on responsibilities (who handles which topic) prevents overlaps.
How do we recover an important email that landed in spam?
Move the email to the inbox and add the sender to the safe senders list; their next messages will go straight to the inbox.
For the big picture, go back to the business email page, or get in touch with us about your mailbox setup.