How to Grant Full Access Permission in Microsoft 365
Full Access permission in Microsoft 365 allows a user to open and manage another mailbox based on the permissions assigned by an administrator. This permission is commonly used for shared mailbox access, delegated mailbox management, and preparing mailbox access for migration activities.
What is Full Access Permission in Microsoft 365?
Full Access permission allows users to access mailbox contents, create and manage folders, and work with mailbox data from another account. It does not automatically provide permission to send messages from that mailbox.
Full Access vs Send As vs Send on Behalf Permissions
| Permission | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Full Access | Allows a user to open and manage another mailbox. |
| Send As | Allows a user to send emails using another mailbox identity. |
| Send on Behalf | Allows a user to send messages that show they are sending on behalf of another mailbox. |
Why Full Access Permission Matters During Microsoft 365 Migration
Depending on the migration method and configuration, mailbox permissions may be required to allow migration applications or administrators to access mailbox data. Before starting a migration, verify that the required mailbox permissions, authentication settings, and account access are correctly configured.
- PowerShell commands to set full access rights
Execute the below commands in PowerShell (Run as Administrator)
Click on the Windows Start button.
Search for Windows PowerShell (PowerShell should already be installed).
Start PowerShell under an administrator context (right-click -> run as administrator)
Step 1:
Command: Copy & Paste it on PowerShellSet-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted
Result:
Step 2:
Command: Copy & Paste it on PowerShell$LiveCred = Get-Credential
Enter the User Name (SMTP) and Password of Office 365 account having Global Admin credentials.
Result:
Step 3:
Command: Copy & Paste it on PowerShell$Session = New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri https://ps.outlook.com/powershell/ -Credential $LiveCred -Authentication Basic -AllowRedirection
Result:
Step 4:
Command: Copy & Paste it on PowerShellImport-PSSession $Session
Result:
Result:
Step 5:
Assign Full Access permission to single user mailbox.
Command: Copy & Paste it on PowerShell$shared = read-host "Enter Shared Mailbox Name"
$User = read-host "Enter Full Name of User";
Add-MailboxPermission "$Shared" -User "$User" -AccessRights FullAccess -InheritanceType all
- Set full access rights with Office 365 GUI
1. Login to the Office 365 account
2. In Office 365 account, go to Admin
3. In the menu bar select Users option
4. Under users menu, select Active users
5. After selecting the active users, you’ll be displayed with the list of users where you can select the users to assign full access permission.
6. In the user profile, select the Mail option
7. Under Mail, click the Manage mailbox permissions option
8. To edit the mailbox permissions, click the Edit option in the Read and manage row.
9. Next click the button Add permissions to add permissions to the user
10. In the next window, list of users will be displayed where you need to select the user(s) to set permissions and click Save button to set full access permissions
11. After assigning the full access permission. Click the Close button.
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