Creating a Group in Hosted Exchange
From the Groups tab, click + New Group to display this form.
It contains three fields:
Type
This is where you choose the type of group from the drop-down menu:
Distribution: this is a distribution list, meaning a collective email address. When a message is sent to this address, it is automatically redistributed to all group members. This is the most common use case for teams, departments, or internal mailing lists.
Security: this type of group is used to manage permissions and access to specific resources (shared folders, mailboxes, etc.). It can also be mail-enabled, but its primary purpose is access rights management.
Name
The group name as it will appear in the address book and in the administration interface.
Description
A free-text field used to describe the purpose or members of the group, making daily administration easier.
💡 In summary: if your goal is simply to send an email to multiple people at once, choose Distribution. If you need to manage access rights to resources, choose Security.
Adding Members to a Distribution Group
Once the group has been created, go to the Members tab to add recipients.
The interface is simple and intuitive:
Search and Add a Member
Enter a name or part of a name in the search field.
Autocomplete instantly suggests matching entries.
In this example, typing “Mat Brad” displays Mat Brad with the address example@domain.tld.
You simply need to click the suggestion and then click the Add button to include the user in the group.
💡 Real-World Example — Hybrid Infrastructure:
Mat Brad has the address address@domain.tld, using the same domain name as the other members. However, his mailbox is not hosted in this Exchange environment but on another mail server. Because he was previously created as a contact (see previous step), he appears in the suggestions and can be added to the group just like a native Exchange user.
⚠️ Without being created beforehand as a contact, Kevin Breda would not have been searchable in this list, even by typing his name or email address.