What you get
Three objects handle shared addresses. They look alike from the outside; they do not behave the same way.
Alias: another address delivered to an existing mailbox. Distribution list: an address that delivers a copy to several mailboxes. Shared mailbox: a common mailbox, with its own address, that several people open with their own account, according to the rights they are given.
| Need | Object | Example |
|---|
| Only one person handles the address | Alias | management@ delivered to the managing director |
| Everyone must receive their own copy | Distribution list | sales-team@ to inform all salespeople |
| A team handles the messages, and everyone must see what has been done | Shared mailbox | contact@, invoices@, the accounting department’s mailbox |
The practical rule: if two people might reply to the same client without knowing it, you need a shared mailbox rather than a list. In a shared mailbox, a message read, filed or handled is so for everyone.
Who can do it
- Your account administrator, in the administration console: creating mailboxes, aliases and lists, choosing domains, rights on shared mailboxes, quotas.
- Each user, in their webmail: their auto-replies, their filters, and sharing their own folders and calendars with colleagues.
- Klytic support: adding a domain, the SPF, DKIM and DMARC records for that domain, and requests that go beyond the console, such as a change of hosting mode.
A user does not create an alias or a mailbox for themselves, unless explicitly delegated by the administrator. This rule avoids addresses nobody monitors.
Setting up a shared mailbox
- Create the mailbox. The administrator creates a mailbox with the shared address, for example invoices@. It is a mailbox in its own right, with its own storage space.
- Grant rights, person by person. For each staff member, the administrator chooses a level: view only; manage content (read, file, create folders, delete); or administer, meaning also manage others’ rights on this mailbox. Reserve this last level for the department head.
- Set up sending. There are two distinct rights. “Send as”: the recipient sees only the shared mailbox’s address. “Send on behalf of”: they see the mailbox and the name of the person who wrote. For invoices@, the first is generally preferable; for an assistant writing for a partner, the second is more transparent.
- Check on workstations. Authorized people find the shared mailbox in their webmail, next to their own. Display may differ in Outlook and on phones: test on one device of each type before announcing it to the whole team.
Never share the password of a shared mailbox. Everyone opens it with their own account: removing a right is then enough when someone leaves, and every action remains attributed to someone.
Several domains in the same console
A group that keeps a single operation can bring all its domains together in one administration console: group.com, brand-a.com, subsidiary-b.com. Each domain has its own addresses, and its own SPF, DKIM and DMARC records.
A person who works for two companies has two options. Either a mailbox in each domain, if the two activities must remain separate. Or a single mailbox, with an alias in the other domain, if they need to handle everything in the same place. In the second case, check that the address chosen to reply is indeed that of the right company.
At setup, tell Klytic whether the companies should see each other in the company address book or remain separate.
Separating entities
There are three levels of separation, from lightest to strongest.
- Separate domains on the same platform: addresses are separate, but a single administrator, or a single team, manages everything.
- Administration rights limited to one domain: the platform supports this principle, which allows a subsidiary manager to manage the mailboxes of their domain without seeing the others. Whether it is set up is decided with Klytic, depending on your hosting mode; do not take it for granted before written confirmation.
- A dedicated instance or server per entity: when administrators must not see each other at all, or when a company may be sold tomorrow, this is the right level. It is set up on quotation.
The reasoning is the same for documents: see several companies on the platform.
Calendars, rooms and company address book
Calendars and the address book are shared objects distinct from mailboxes. Klytic Mail includes personal and shared calendars, free/busy lookup, meeting room booking and the company’s global address book. Giving access to a shared mailbox does not necessarily give access to its calendar: each object has its own rights. For an assistant who manages an executive’s calendar, set up both.
Service limits
- Klytic does not promise “per subsidiary” delegation beyond what has been confirmed for your account.
- Migrating an existing organization (aliases, lists, shared mailboxes from another email system) is part of a migration, carried out on quotation.
- The features to expect from an email system in general are described in the guide what a business email system must do.
Frequently asked questions
Can a user create an alias themselves?
No, the account administrator creates it in the console. Users can, however, share their own folders and calendars.
What happens to the address of a departing employee?
It can stay active, become an alias or be closed with an auto-reply. See mailbox of a departing employee.
Can two subsidiaries be completely isolated?
Yes, with a dedicated instance or server per entity. The options are described on the hosting and sovereignty page.
Is a message deleted in a shared mailbox lost?
No. It can first be recovered from the dumpster folder, at no cost. Beyond that, support restores it from the backups of the last 30 days, through an intervention that is included or billed depending on the cause. See restoring a message or a mailbox.
