Getting delegate access to individual Outlook accounts

Overview
Requesting access to the delegator's account
Adding the account in Outlook for Windows
Adding the account in Outlook for Mac
Adding the account in Outlook 365 (online)
Send emails "on behalf of" the delegator

Overview

To send emails on another staff member's behalf, or manage their calendar, you will need delegate access to their Outlook account. This gives you the ability to perform actions in Outlook on behalf of the staff member, or delegator, from within your own USC account.

Requesting access to the delegator's account

Request access

Before you follow the steps below, the delegator must grant you with delegate access to their Outlook account. If they do not know how, you can send them the following guide or ask them to contact DTS for assistance:

Granting delegate access to your Outlook account

Confirm access was granted

Not sure if access was granted? You can view the list of accounts that you have access to:

Quick guide

Go to https://usc.edu/office365.
In the upper right, click the Settings icon.
In the left menu, click Account.
Select Shared with me.
The list of accounts you have access to appears. To view access details for an account, click the Expand icon for the account.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Go to https://usc.edu/office365.
In the upper right, click the Settings icon.
In the left menu, click Account.
Select Shared with me.
The list of accounts you have access to appears. To view access details for an account, click the Expand icon for the account.

Adding the account in Outlook for Windows

Once the delegator grants you access, you can add their account in Outlook:

Outlook inbox

Outlook for Windows

Quick guide

Quit and reopen Outlook for Windows.
The delegator's account should appear underneath your own folders in the left panel. You may need to scroll down.
If the account does not appear, you can manually add it:
1. Right-click your account name, and select Add shared folder or mailbox.
2. Type the delegator's name in the search bar. Select the account, and click Continue.
3. The mailbox is added. Click Restart Outlook.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Quit and reopen Outlook for Windows.
The delegator's account should appear underneath your own folders in the left panel. You may need to scroll down.
If the account does not appear, you can manually add it:
1. Right-click your account name, and select Add shared folder or mailbox.
2. Type the delegator's name in the search bar. Select the account, and click Continue.
3. The mailbox is added. Click Restart Outlook.

Classic Outlook

Quick guide

Quit and reopen Outlook for Windows.
The delegator's mailbox should appear below your own folders. If it does, you are all set and do not need to continue to the steps below.
If the delegator's mailbox does not appear, you must add it manually:
1. Click the File tab.
2. Click Account Settings and select Account Settings.
3. Select your account and click Change.
4. Click More Settings.
5. Click the Advanced tab.
6. Click Add.
7. Type the delegator's exact email address, and click OK.
8. Click OK.
9. Close the windows and return to Outlook. The delegator's mailbox now appears below your own folders (may take a moment to update).

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Quit and reopen Outlook for Windows.
The delegator's mailbox should appear below your own folders. If it does, you are all set and do not need to continue to the steps below.
If the delegator's mailbox does not appear, you must add it manually:
1. Click the File tab.
2. Click Account Settings and select Account Settings.
3. Select your account and click Change.
4. Click More Settings.
5. Click the Advanced tab.
6. Click Add.
7. Type the delegator's exact email address, and click OK.
8. Click OK.
9. Close the windows and return to Outlook. The delegator's mailbox now appears below your own folders (may take a moment to update).

Outlook calendar

Once you add the delegator's account to Outlook inbox, it automatically appears in Outlook calendar below your own account. If it does not appear, you can manually add it:

Outlook for Windows

Quick guide

Open Outlook calendar.
Click Add calendar.
Click Add from directory.
Select your account.
Type the delegator's name in the search bar and select it.
Select a category and click Add.
Close the window. The delegator's calendar now appears below your own account. If you do not see it, click the category you selected in step 6.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Open Outlook calendar.
Click Add calendar.
Click Add from directory.
Select your account.
Type the delegator's name in the search bar and select it.
Select a category and click Add.
Close the window. The delegator's calendar now appears below your own account. If you do not see it, click the category you selected in step 6.

Classic Outlook

Quick guide

Open Outlook calendar.
Click Open Calendar and select Open Shared Calendar.
Click Name.
Type the delegator's name in the search bar. Select it, and click OK.
Click OK.
Click OK.
The delegator's calendar now appears below your own account. If it does not, click the Shared Calendars category.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Open Outlook calendar.
Click Open Calendar and select Open Shared Calendar.
Click Name.
Type the delegator's name in the search bar. Select it, and click OK.
Click OK.
The delegator's calendar now appears below your own account. If it does not, click the Shared Calendars category.

Adding the account in Outlook for Mac

Once the delegator grants you access, you can add their account in Outlook:

Outlook inbox

Outlook for Mac

Quick guide

Quit and reopen Outlook for Mac.
In the menu bar, click Outlook and select Settings.
Click Accounts.
Select your account.
Select Delegates & Sharing.
Click the Shared With Me tab.
Click the Add icon.
Type the delegator's name in the search bar. Select it, and click Add. After a few seconds, the delegator is added.
Close the Accounts window.
The delegator's mailbox now appears below your own folders.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Quit and reopen Outlook for Mac.
In the menu bar, click Outlook and select Settings.
Click Accounts.
Select your account.
Select Delegates & Sharing.
Click the Shared With Me tab.
Click the Add icon.
Type the delegator's name in the search bar. Select it, and click Add. After a few seconds, the delegator is added.
Close the Accounts window.
The delegator's mailbox now appears below your own folders.

Legacy Outlook

Legacy Outlook for Mac retires Oct 2025: Microsoft will be retiring Legacy Outlook this October. If you currently use Legacy Outlook for Mac, be prepared to switch to the latest version of Outlook. For more information, refer to the Microsoft article, "End of support for legacy Outlook for Mac."

Quick guide

Quit and reopen Outlook for Mac.
In the menu bar, click Microsoft Outlook and select Settings.
Click Accounts.
Click Advanced.
Click the Delegates tab.
Under "Open these additional mailboxes," click the + icon.
Type the delegator's name in the search bar. Select it, and click Add. After a few seconds, the delegator is added.
Click OK and close the Accounts window.
The delegator's mailbox now appears below your own folders.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Quit and reopen Outlook for Mac.
In the menu bar, click Microsoft Outlook and select Settings.
Click Accounts.
Click Advanced.
Click the Delegates tab.
Under "Open these additional mailboxes," click the + icon.
Type the delegator's name in the search bar. Select it, and click Add. After a few seconds, the delegator is added.
Click OK and close the Accounts window.
The delegator's mailbox now appears below your own folders.

Outlook calendar

Once you add the delegator's account to Outlook inbox, it automatically appears in Outlook calendar below your own account. If it does not appear, you can manually add it:

Outlook for Mac

Quick guide

Open Outlook calendar.
Click + Add Calendar and select Add Shared Calendar.
Type the delegator's name in the search bar. Select it, and click Open.
The delegator's calendar now appears below your own account. If you do not see it, click Other Calendars.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Open Outlook calendar.
Click + Add Calendar and select Add Shared Calendar.
Type the delegator's name in the search bar. Select it, and click Open.
The delegator's calendar now appears below your own account. If you do not see it, click Other Calendars.

Legacy Outlook

Quick guide

Open Outlook calendar.
Click Open Shared Calendar.
Type the delegator's name in the search bar. Select it, and click Open.
The delegator's calendar now appears below your own account or as a calendar within your account.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Open Outlook calendar.
Click Open Shared Calendar.
Type the delegator's name in the search bar. Select it, and click Open.
The delegator's calendar now appears below your own account or as a calendar within your account.

Adding the account in Outlook on the web

Once the delegator grants you access, you can add their account in Outlook:

Outlook inbox

Quick guide

Go to https://usc.edu/office365.
Right-click your account name, and select Add shared folder or mailbox.
Type the delegator's name in the search bar. Select the account, and click Continue.
The mailbox is added. Click Close.
The delegator's mailbox now appears below your own folders in the left panel.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Go to https://usc.edu/office365.
Right-click your account name, and select Add shared folder or mailbox.
Type the delegator's name in the search bar. Select the account, and click Continue.
The mailbox is added. Click Close.
The delegator's mailbox now appears below your own folders in the left panel.

Outlook calendar

Once you add the delegator's account to Outlook inbox, it automatically appears in Outlook calendar below your own account. If it does not appear, you can manually add it:

Quick guide

Go to https://usc.edu/office365 and select the Calendar tab.
Click Add calendar.
Click Add from directory.
Select your account.
Type the delegator's name in the search bar and select it.
Select a category and click Add.
Close the window. The delegator's calendar now appears below your own account. If you do not see it, click the category you selected in step 6.

Detailed guide (with screenshots)

Go to https://usc.edu/office365 and select the Calendar tab.
Click Add calendar.
Click Add from directory.
Select your account.
Type the delegator's name in the search bar and select it.
Select a category and click Add.
Close the window. The delegator's calendar now appears below your own account. If you do not see it, click the category you selected in step 6.

Send emails "on behalf of" the delegator

If the delegator granted you the ability to send emails on their behalf, you can change the sender address from your own email address to the delegator's when you compose and send new emails.

The sender address will be formatted in the following manner, depending on which version of Outlook your recipient uses:

Classic Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac, and Legacy Outlook for Mac: your name on behalf of delegator's name
Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the web: delegator's name

Change the sender in Outlook for Windows

Click the From field and select the delegator. If they do not appear in the list, click Other email address and search for them.

If you do not see the From field, click the Options tab and select the checkbox Show From.

Change the sender in Classic Outlook

Click the From field and select the delegator. If they do not appear in the list, click Other E-mail Address and search for them.

If you do not see the From field, click the Options tab and select From.

Change the sender in Outlook for Mac

Click your name in the From field and select the delegator. If they do not appear in the list, click Other email address and search for them.

Change the sender in Legacy Outlook

Click your name in the From field and select the delegator.

Change the sender in Outlook on the web

Click the From field and select the delegator. If they do not appear in the list, click Other email address and search for them.

If you do not see the From field, click the Options tab and select the checkbox Show From.

Contributors: Chris Huntley, Albert Rodriguez.