How to Delegate Distribution List Management in Exchange Online
Learn how to delegate distribution list management in Exchange Online. Covers assigning owners via ManagedBy, enabling the MyDistributionGroups role, and configuring Send As / Send on Behalf permissions. Includes EAC and PowerShell methods.
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Time required
- 10 minutes
- Steps
- 5
- Platform
- Exchange Online
- Last tested
- July 19, 2026
Table of contents
Quick Answer
Go to the stepsIn the Exchange Admin Center, open the distribution list, go to the Ownership section, and add the delegate as an owner. Ensure the user has the MyDistributionGroups role. For Send As or Send on Behalf, configure these separately under the group's delegation settings as an administrator.
- Open EAC > Recipients > Groups.
- Select the distribution list.
- In the Ownership section, add the delegate as an owner.
- Verify the MyDistributionGroups role is assigned to the user.
- For Send As/Send on Behalf, configure delegates separately as admin.
EAC > Recipients > Groups > [Distribution list] > Settings > OwnershipSet-DistributionGroup -Identity "Sales Team" -ManagedBy @{Add="jdoe@contoso.com"}Expected result: The delegated user can add and remove members. If configured, they can also send as the list.
Key takeaways
- You'll learn how to delegate distribution list management in Exchange Online: assigning owners to manage membership, and configuring Send As / Send on Behalf permissions.
- Delegating distribution list management reduces IT workload. Business owners manage their own team lists directly. Per Microsoft Learn, owners are defined by the ManagedBy property and can add or remove members.
- Add owners via the ManagedBy property and ensure the MyDistributionGroups role is assigned so they can manage membership. Send As/Send on Behalf require admin configuration.
Introduction
Distribution lists (distribution groups) route email to multiple recipients. As organizations grow, IT teams delegate list management to business users so they can add and remove members without opening a ticket.
Per Microsoft Learn, delegation happens through the ManagedBy property, which defines the group owners. Owners can manage membership, but they also need the MyDistributionGroups role assignment policy. Per Microsoft Q&A, this is the most common reason delegated owners can't manage their lists.
Send As and Send on Behalf permissions are separate. These let a user send email as the distribution list, and per Microsoft, they can only be configured by an Exchange administrator. This tutorial covers both ownership delegation and send permissions.
Who this is for: Exchange Online administrators delegating distribution list management to business users.
Before you start
- Access
- Exchange Admin Center (admin.exchange.microsoft.com) or Exchange Online PowerShell.
- Required roles
- Exchange Administrator
- Required licenses
- Exchange Online (any plan)
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Last tested
- Administrator permissions required
10 minutes
Note: Owners need the MyDistributionGroups role
Per Microsoft Q&A, adding an owner isn't enough if the MyDistributionGroups role isn't assigned. Owners also need the role assignment policy that includes MyDistributionGroups to manage membership.
1Open the Distribution List in EAC
Open the distribution list you want to delegate.
admin.exchange.microsoft.com > Recipients > GroupsSign in to the Exchange Admin Center (admin.exchange.microsoft.com). Go to Recipients > Groups. Select the Distribution list tab. Click the distribution list you want to delegate to open its properties.
Expected result: The distribution list properties page opens showing membership, ownership, and delegation settings.
Note
Each distribution list must have at least one owner. The default owner is whoever created the group.
2Add the Delegate as an Owner
Add the delegate as an owner to allow membership management.
In the distribution list properties, go to the Settings tab (or Members tab depending on the EAC view). Find the Ownership section. Click Edit and Add the user you want to delegate to. Click Save changes.
Owners defined here (the ManagedBy property) can manage the group's membership.
Expected result: The delegate appears in the Owners list.
Note
You can add multiple owners. Per Microsoft, Outlook for Windows may not show all owners correctly with multiple owners; use Outlook on the web instead.
3Verify the MyDistributionGroups Role
Ensure owners have the role needed to manage membership.
EAC > Roles > User rolesIn EAC, go to Roles > User roles. Open the Default Role Assignment Policy (or the policy applied to your users). Verify that MyDistributionGroups and MyDistributionGroupMembership are checked.
If they aren't, check them and save. This policy must be applied to the delegate's mailbox.
Expected result: The default role assignment policy includes MyDistributionGroups.
Note
Per Microsoft Q&A, this is the most common reason delegated owners can't manage membership. By default, these roles are enabled, but they may have been removed.
4Delegate Ownership via PowerShell (Alternative)
Alternatively, delegate ownership using PowerShell.
Connect to Exchange Online PowerShell and add the owner:
Connect-ExchangeOnline
Set-DistributionGroup -Identity "Sales Team" -ManagedBy @{Add="jdoe@contoso.com"}Verify the change:
Get-DistributionGroup "Sales Team" | Format-List ManagedBySet-DistributionGroup -Identity "Sales Team" -ManagedBy @{Add="jdoe@contoso.com"}Expected result: The command completes with no errors. Get-DistributionGroup shows the new owner in ManagedBy.
Note
Use @{Add=...} to add an owner without replacing existing owners. Use -ManagedBy "user1","user2" to set the complete owner list (replaces existing).
5Configure Send As / Send on Behalf (Admin Only)
Configure send permissions for the distribution list.
Per Microsoft, Send As and Send on Behalf must be configured by an administrator. In the distribution list properties, go to the Delegation section (EAC) and add users under:
- Send As: the user sends email that appears to come directly from the list.
- Send on Behalf: email shows 'user on behalf of list'.
Alternatively, use PowerShell: Add-RecipientPermission "Sales Team" -Trustee jdoe@contoso.com -AccessRights SendAs.
Expected result: The delegate can send email as the distribution list (Send As) or on its behalf (Send on Behalf).
Note
Per Microsoft Q&A, DL owners can't grant these permissions themselves. Only administrators can configure Send As/Send on Behalf.
Verify the Delegation Works
Confirm configuration
After adding an owner, the delegated user can manage the distribution list membership. Per Microsoft Learn, they access it through the group management portal (outlook.office.com > Groups I own) where they see all lists they own.
If the owner can see the list but can't modify members, the MyDistributionGroups role assignment policy isn't applied. Per Microsoft Q&A, verify this in EAC under Roles > User roles, ensure the policy includes MyDistributionGroups and MyDistributionGroupMembership, and confirm it's assigned to the user's mailbox.
For Send As/Send on Behalf, verify the delegates in the group's delegation settings. These are admin-configured and let users send email as the distribution list.
Normal result: The owner can add and remove members. Send As delegates can send email as the list.
Abnormal result: The owner sees the list but can't add/remove members. The MyDistributionGroups role is likely not assigned.
Working delegation
Owner adds/removes members via portal
Owner successfully manages membership.
Owner can't modify
Owner sees list but can't change members
Role assignment policy missing MyDistributionGroups.
Troubleshooting
Owner can't add or remove members
Warning
Cause: The MyDistributionGroups role assignment policy isn't applied to the user's mailbox.
In EAC > Roles > User roles, verify the role assignment policy includes MyDistributionGroups and MyDistributionGroupMembership. Confirm the policy is applied to the owner's mailbox under Mailbox Features.
Owner can't find the list to manage
Note
Cause: The delegate is trying to use Outlook on the web, where distribution group management was removed.
Per Microsoft, direct the owner to the group management portal (outlook.office.com > Groups I own) rather than Outlook on the web's people section.
Owner can't set up Send As delegation
Note
Cause: The owner is trying to grant Send As permission, which only admins can configure.
Per Microsoft Q&A, Send As and Send on Behalf must be configured by an Exchange administrator. The DL owner should request this from IT.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't my distribution list owner manage members?
Per Microsoft Q&A, adding an owner isn't enough. The user also needs the MyDistributionGroups role assignment policy. Verify it's enabled in EAC under Roles > User roles, and applied to the user's mailbox.
Where do owners manage the distribution list?
Owners can manage membership by signing in at the group management portal (outlook.office.com > Groups I own) or, for admins, via EAC and PowerShell.
Can owners grant Send As permission themselves?
No. Per Microsoft Q&A, Send As and Send on Behalf are mailbox/group-level permissions that must be configured by an Exchange administrator. DL owners can't self-assign them.
How do I add an owner via PowerShell?
Use Set-DistributionGroup -Identity "GroupName" -ManagedBy @{Add="user@domain.com"} to add an owner, or -ManagedBy "user1","user2" to set the full owner list.
Conclusion
Delegating a distribution list has two parts. First, assign owners (ManagedBy property) in EAC or via Set-DistributionGroup so they can manage membership. Owners also need the MyDistributionGroups role assignment policy.
Second, Send As and Send on Behalf permissions are separate and must be configured by an Exchange administrator. Per Microsoft Q&A, DL owners can't self-assign these send permissions.
Add owners via the ManagedBy property and ensure the MyDistributionGroups role is assigned so they can manage membership. Send As/Send on Behalf require admin configuration.
EAC > Recipients > Groups > [DL] > Ownership, or Set-DistributionGroup -ManagedBySources2
