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Creating Groups in Exchange Online and SharePoint Online A Unified Collaboration Experience

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Modern workplaces thrive on collaboration, and Microsoft 365 offers powerful tools to foster it. One of the foundational pillars of this collaboration is Microsoft 365 Groups, which seamlessly integrates Exchange Online and SharePoint Online to deliver a unified experience across communication and content sharing.

In this blog, we’ll explore how to create groups in Exchange Online and SharePoint Online, how they interconnect, and best practices to manage them efficiently.

🔹 What Are Microsoft 365 Groups?

Microsoft 365 Groups is a service that enables teamwork by creating a shared identity and associated resources for group members. When you create a group, you’re essentially provisioning:

  • A shared mailbox and calendar in Exchange Online
  • A document library in SharePoint Online
  • A Planner instance
  • A OneNote notebook
  • A Team in Microsoft Teams (if created from Teams)

This unified experience means users don’t have to jump between apps to collaborate—they get a consistent, integrated set of tools.

🔧 How to Create a Group in Exchange Online

You can create a group in Exchange Online using the Microsoft 365 admin center, Exchange admin center, Outlook, or PowerShell.

1. Via Microsoft 365 Admin Center:

  1. Go to admin.microsoft.com.
  2. Navigate to Teams & Groups > Active teams & groups.
  3. Click Add a group.
  4. Choose Microsoft 365 as the group type.
  5. Fill in the group name, description, owners, and members.
  6. Click Create group.

2. Via Exchange Admin Center (EAC):

  1. Go to Exchange Admin Center: https://admin.exchange.microsoft.com
  2. Under Recipients > Groups, click Add a group.
  3. Select Microsoft 365 group.
  4. Follow the prompts to name your group, set the email address, and configure privacy.

3. Using PowerShell:

powershellCopyEditConnect-ExchangeOnline
New-UnifiedGroup -DisplayName "Project Team Alpha" -Alias "projteamalpha" -EmailAddresses "projteamalpha@contoso.com" -AccessType Private

🏢 Creating a Group in SharePoint Online

While SharePoint Online doesn’t have a “group” feature in the traditional sense, site creation and permissions are deeply integrated with Microsoft 365 Groups.

Option 1: Create a Group-Connected Site

  1. Go to https://portal.office.com.
  2. Click SharePoint > Create site.
  3. Choose Team site (not Communication site).
  4. Provide a site name — this will also create a Microsoft 365 Group behind the scenes.
  5. Set the privacy level (Public or Private).
  6. Assign additional owners and members.

📌 Tip: Every modern Team site in SharePoint is connected to a Microsoft 365 Group, which includes a mailbox, calendar, Planner, and more.

🔁 Relationship Between Exchange and SharePoint Groups

  • Creating a Microsoft 365 Group from Exchange Online or SharePoint Online results in the same underlying object in Azure AD.
  • The shared mailbox (Exchange) and site (SharePoint) are just different resource facets of the same group.
  • Changes made in one location (e.g., adding a member in Exchange) reflect everywhere.

✅ Best Practices for Group Management

  1. Standardize Naming Conventions: Helps with governance and discoverability.
  2. Use Sensitivity Labels: Apply security and compliance controls to groups.
  3. Audit and Review Group Memberships Regularly.
  4. Enable Expiration Policies for inactive groups to reduce clutter.
  5. Delegate Group Creation using Azure AD group creation restrictions if needed.

Microsoft 365 Groups serve as a backbone for collaboration across Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Teams, and beyond. By understanding how these services tie together, you can empower your organization with efficient, connected, and secure collaboration experiences.

Whether you’re an IT admin or a power user, mastering the creation and management of these groups ensures your teams can focus on what matters—working together effectively.