Creating Groups in Exchange Online and SharePoint Online
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Exchange Online Groups
Organizations can use Exchange Online admin center to create user groups mainly for email communication and resource access.
Group Types in Exchange Online
| Group Type | Purpose & Features |
| Microsoft 365 | Provides a group email and shared workspace (conversations, files, calendars). In Outlook, called Groups. |
| Distribution | Traditional distribution list; sends email to all members. |
| Mail-enabled Security | Combines security and email features; manages permissions for resources like SharePoint, OneDrive, and admin roles. |
| Dynamic Distribution | A type of distribution list that auto-updates membership every 24 hours based on filters/conditions. |
Key Points
After creation, distribution and mail-enabled security groups appear in Microsoft 365 admin center’s Active teams and groups page.
Groups can be deleted in both locations, but only edited in Exchange admin center.
Dynamic distribution groups do not appear in Microsoft 365 Security groups page.
2️⃣ SharePoint Online Groups
SharePoint Online groups manage site-level permissions.
Default SharePoint Groups
When a site collection is created, SharePoint automatically creates default groups based on the site template:
| Site Template | Default Groups |
| Team Site | Team Site Visitors, Team Site Members, Team Site Owners |
Custom SharePoint Groups
Admins can manually create additional SharePoint groups.
Permissions granted to groups are easier to manage than assigning permissions to individual users.
SharePoint groups can contain individual users or Microsoft 365 security groups.
Permissions
SharePoint groups are linked to permission levels (roles): e.g., Read, Contribute, Full Control.
Makes permission management scalable for site collections.
3️⃣ Security Groups FAQ
Q1: Difference between Microsoft 365 security groups and SharePoint security groups?
Microsoft 365 security groups (Microsoft Entra ID) → global, manage access across multiple Microsoft 365 services.
SharePoint security groups → site-specific, control permissions within SharePoint sites only.
Q2: Are security groups required?
❌ Not required; individual permissions can be used.
✅ Security groups make management easier for large numbers of users.
Q3: Can you send email to a security group?
✅ Only if mail-enabled.
❌ Regular security groups cannot receive email.
✅ Summary Tips
Use Exchange Online groups for email communication and cross-service permissions.
Use SharePoint Online groups to simplify site-level permissions.
Combine Microsoft 365 security groups with SharePoint groups for scalable access management.
