Pop up rule for all users on shared mailbox

Question

Pop up rule for all users on shared mailbox

Ross McNiven 0

I am using outlook 365 classic.

Users have their primary personal account and a shared mailbox which is added as a separate secondary account.

I have created a rule that whenever and email is received into the shared mailbox it should give a desktop notification and also a new message pop up notification (which will remain on outlook until closed).

The problem I am encountering is that when I replicate this rule to other member of staff, only 1 member of staff will receive the pop up notification. This is usually the last member of staff who had added the rule.

The rule is applied the shared mailbox and not the users personal mailbox.

Is there anyway for the pop up to appear for all users who have outlook open and have applied this rule to the shared mailbox?

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Answer 1

JeseminQH 925 Independent Advisor

Hi @Ross McNiven

To better understand how the notification has been configured, could you please confirm the following

What conditions and actions did you select when creating the rule? If possible, could you provide a screenshot of the rule with any personal information hidden.
Did each staff member create the rule separately in their own Outlook, or was the rule created once in the shared mailbox?
Which notification is not appearing for everyone: the small alert in the corner of the Windows screen, the Outlook pop-up that remains open until it is closed, or both?
When a new email arrives, can all staff members see the email in the shared mailbox, even though only one person receives the notification?

With more additional information, I will be able to understand the setup more clearly.

Hope to hear back from you soon.

JeseminQH 925 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-28T05:37:37.1766667+00:00

Hi @Ross McNiven,

It has been a while and I am writing to see how things are going with this issue. Have you had a chance to check the replies provided? Any update would be appreciated.
Ross McNiven 0 Reputation points

2026-09-28T08:38:15.2066667+00:00

I have tried with members creating the rule themselves and adding it to the mailbox.

I don't think either alert appears for all members, only for the last user to have added or amended the rule. It's the pop up that remains that I'm particularly keen to have for all users.

The messages are win the mailbox and viewable for all users.
JeseminQH 925 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-28T11:43:47.55+00:00

Hi @Ross McNiven,

Thank you for providing the details and screenshots.

I am currently testing and reproducing this issue in my environment to verify the exact behavior with shared mailbox rules, and I will follow up with you within 2 business days.
JeseminQH 925 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-30T13:28:27.5+00:00

Hi @Ross McNiven,

I tested this locally by configuring the same rule for two accounts, using settings similar to those shown in your screenshot.

During my testing, I found that Outlook automatically adds “on this computer only” to this rule, and the option cannot be unchecked. This is because the rule uses the New Item Alert and Desktop Alert actions, which must be processed locally by classic Outlook rather than by the mail server. As a result, Outlook treats the rule as a client-only rule, and Outlook must be open on the relevant computer for the notification to appear.

Each time I ran the rule for Account 1, the New Mail Alerts window appeared and remained open. I had to select Close before I could return to Rules and Alerts and run the rule for Account 2. Based on my testing, I was unable to process both rules and display both New Mail Alerts windows simultaneously.

I will continue testing other possible workarounds and reply again if I find a suitable option.
JeseminQH 925 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-01T07:55:43.5+00:00

Hi @Ross McNiven,

I found an alternative that you can try. You can create a local rule on your computer to display a desktop notification. Please note that this will not appear as the New Mail Alerts window shown in your first screenshot. Instead, an Outlook notification will briefly appear on the right side of your screen.

Feel free to give it a try and see if it meets your needs.