How to forward email sent to Microsoft group to an external email address

Situation: The client would like to forward emails sent to Microsoft group to an external email address. However, Microsoft group doesn’t have forwarding feature.

Resolution 1: Create an internal mailbox using Exchange online license.

1. Created an internal mailbox using Exchange online license, for example username@chicaotech.net with Exchange online license.
2. Added username@chicaotech.net as member of he group, for example accountsreceivables@chicagotech.net group.
3. Setup Forwarding on username@chicaotech.net to chicagotech.net@gmail.com.

With this setup, all emails sent to accountsreceivables@chicagotech.net should be forwarded to chicagotech.net@gmail.com.

Resolution 2: Create a Mail Contact

1. Access Microsoft 365 Admin Center: Log in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center using your administrator credentials.
2. Access Exchange Admin Center (EAC): Once logged in, navigate to the Exchange Admin Center (EAC). This is where you can manage email settings for your organization.
3. Create a Mail Contact: You need to create a mail contact for the external email address to which you want to forward emails. To do this:
   • Go to the Recipients section in the Exchange Admin Center.
   • Choose Contacts and click on the plus sign to add a new mail contact.
   • Fill out the necessary information, including the external email address.
   • Save the changes.
4. Create a Mail Flow Rule: Now, you’ll create a mail flow rule to forward emails sent to the Microsoft Group to the external email address:
   • Go to the Mail Flow section in the Exchange Admin Center.
   • Click on the plus sign to create a new rule.
   • Set up the conditions for the rule. You would typically specify the Microsoft Group as the recipient.
   • Configure the action to forward the emails to the mail contact you created earlier.
   • Save the rule.
5. Testing: Send a test email to the Microsoft Group to ensure that emails are being forwarded to the external email address successfully.

By following these steps, you should be able to forward emails sent to a Microsoft Group to an external email address. Make sure you have the necessary administrative privileges to perform these actions within your Microsoft 365 environment.