Creating Office 365 Distribution Lists

A distribution list provides an easy way to send email messages to a group of people within the Dartmouth Community. Distribution lists are sometimes called "distribution groups", "group lists" or "blitz group lists". 

Requests for distribution lists are typically generated from the "Request a mailing list" service. 

Distribution List requests should be presented the option to use self-service o365 groups prior to having the Distribution List request approved.

Each list much have two owners.  One owner can be a Departmental account associated with the owner's department. The additional owner must be active Faculty or Staff.

Sponsored accounts cannot be owners of a Distribution List. 

Students should be directed to use self-service o365 groups if they request a distribution list.

Distribution list names should not be the same as existing o365 entities (mailboxes, resources, o365 groups), should not contain acronyms that are not widely understood, need to be descriptive enough for its purpose, can contain only socially acceptable words. 

*Creating distribution lists requires access to the Exchange admin center

Step-by-Step

1. Open a web browser an navigate to Microsoft 365 Admin Center
2. Log in using your CyberArk credentials
3. Open the Exchange Admin Center
4. Click on Groups under the Recipients section
5. Click the Distribution List tab
6. Click Add a group
7. In the Choose a group type window, select Distribution, click Next
8. In the Set up the basics window, enter the Name and Description for the list, click Next
   • Name cannot have spaces or special characters
9. In the Assign owners window, use the + Assign owners link to search for and assign list owners, then click Next
10. In the Add members window, click Next, as list owners will be adding the members.
11. In the Edit settings window, enter the Group email address name, and change the domain field to @cloud.dartmouth.edu
    • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Email address name should match list name
12. Set settings as requested by owner
13. Click Save
14. After list is created you can go back to the list settings to set delivery management, moderator, and delegate settings if needed

If the distribution list needs to allow email addresses from outside the domain:

1. Open a web browser an navigate to Microsoft 365 Admin Center
2. Log in using your CyberArk credentials
3. Open the Exchange Admin Center
4. Click on Groups under the Recipients section
5. Click the Distribution List tab
6. Find your Distribution List
7. Click on the name
8. Settings in right pane
9. Edit Delivery Management
10. Select radial for Allow messages from people inside and outside my organization