shipmail

How to create a shared inbox in shipmail

A shared inbox lets multiple team members read, reply to, and manage email from a single address. Create one mailbox, share the credentials, and everyone sees the same inbox.

1. Create the shared mailbox

  1. Go to the Mailboxes page in your dashboard.
  2. Click Create mailbox and enter the local part you want (e.g., "support", "hello", "billing").
  3. Select the verified domain.
  4. Set a password. This is the password everyone on the team will use to access the mailbox.
  5. Optionally set a display name (e.g., "Acme Support") that will appear in the From header of outgoing email.

2. Share credentials with your team

  1. Give each team member the full email address and password.
  2. Each person connects the mailbox in their own email client using the standard IMAP/SMTP settings.
  3. All team members see the same inbox, sent folder, and drafts.

3. Connect in email clients

  1. Each team member adds the shared mailbox as a new account in their email client (Apple Mail, Thunderbird, Outlook, etc.).
  2. Use mx1.shipmail.to for both incoming (IMAP, port 993) and outgoing (SMTP, port 465) servers.
  3. The username is the full shared email address.

Common use cases

support@

Customer support inbox. Multiple team members can read and respond to customer issues from the same address.

hello@

General inquiries. A shared front door for your company that anyone on the team can monitor.

billing@

Payment and invoice inquiries. Finance team members can collaborate on billing questions.

jobs@

Hiring inbox. Multiple people involved in recruiting can review applications from one address.

Tips for managing shared inboxes

Use a descriptive display name

Set the display name to something recipients will recognize, like "Acme Support" or "Acme Billing". This appears in the From field and helps recipients identify your team.

Agree on folder conventions

Since all team members share the same folders, establish conventions for how to organize email. For example, move handled emails to a specific folder so others know they have been addressed.

Enable catch-all for flexibility

If you want the shared inbox to also receive email sent to any unmatched address on the domain, enable catch-all on the shared mailbox.

Use Sieve filters for routing

Set up server-side Sieve filters to automatically sort incoming email into folders based on subject line, sender, or keywords. This helps team members find relevant messages faster.

Rotate the password periodically

When a team member leaves, reset the shared mailbox password from the dashboard and share the new password with remaining team members.

Frequently asked questions

Does each team member need their own shipmail account?

No. A shared mailbox is a single mailbox with one set of credentials. Team members connect to it using the shared email address and password in their own email client. They do not need individual shipmail accounts to access a shared mailbox.

Can I see who sent a reply from the shared inbox?

All outgoing email from a shared mailbox uses the same From address. The individual sender is not distinguished in the email headers. If you need to track who sent what, consider using an internal convention like adding initials to the signature.

What happens when two people reply to the same email?

Both replies are sent. IMAP syncs the sent folder across all connected clients, so each team member can see all outgoing messages. To avoid duplicate replies, check the sent folder or agree on a process for claiming emails.

Does a shared mailbox count as one mailbox or multiple?

A shared mailbox counts as one mailbox toward your plan limit, regardless of how many people access it.

Can I set different permissions for different team members?

Shared mailboxes use a single password, so all team members have the same access level. If you need granular permissions, create individual mailboxes and use email forwarding or Sieve filters to route copies of shared email.