Changing the email address associated with your Company Portal account typically involves updating your organization's Microsoft 365 user profile. For most users, this process requires administrative action within your company's Microsoft 365 environment. A common way to update or add an alternative email address is by creating an email alias for your existing account.
Understanding Your Company Portal Email Identity
Your Company Portal email address is usually tied to your primary user account within your organization's Microsoft 365 or Azure Active Directory (now Microsoft Entra ID) environment. This primary email is used for login, identification, and communication across various Microsoft services, including Company Portal, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint.
The Role of Email Aliases
An email alias is an alternative email address associated with your primary mailbox. When someone sends an email to your alias, it arrives in your primary inbox. This allows you to have multiple email addresses pointing to a single mailbox without needing to create separate accounts. For example, if your primary email is [email protected], an alias could be [email protected] or [email protected].
Adding an email alias is a way to "change" or expand the email addresses linked to your account, allowing you to receive emails at a new address. While it doesn't typically change your primary login name (User Principal Name), it provides an additional, recognized email identity for your account.
How an Administrator Adds an Email Alias in Microsoft 365 Business
Modifying user email addresses and adding aliases are administrative tasks performed within the Microsoft 365 admin center. If you need to change or add an email alias, you will need to contact your organization's IT administrator.
Here are the steps an administrator would follow to add an email alias:
| Step | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Access Admin Center | An administrator logs into the Microsoft 365 admin center. |
| 2. | Select User | From the Users section, the administrator selects the specific user whose email aliases need to be managed. |
| 3. | Manage Email Aliases | The administrator navigates to the user's details and finds the option to manage email aliases or similar settings related to email addresses. |
| 4. | Add New Alias | A new email alias is entered into the designated field. For instance, if the user's name is Jennifer, and the new alias needed is jenna, the alias [email protected] would be entered. |
| 5. | Verify & Save | The administrator verifies that the correct domain is selected for the new alias (e.g., contoso.com) and then selects Save Changes. |
Once these steps are completed, the user (e.g., Jennifer) will be able to receive emails sent to their new alias (e.g., [email protected]) directly in their primary Microsoft 365 inbox.
When to Contact Your IT Administrator
Since these changes are made at the administrative level, you should always contact your organization's IT support or administrator if you need to:
- Add a new email alias to your account.
- Change your primary email address (User Principal Name) for login purposes.
- Remove an existing email alias.
Your IT administrator can assess the best approach based on your organization's policies and technical requirements.
Important Considerations
While adding an email alias allows you to receive mail at a new address, it's important to understand the distinction between an alias and your primary login identity:
- Primary Email (User Principal Name - UPN): This is typically the email address you use to sign in to Company Portal and other Microsoft services (e.g.,
[email protected]). Changing your UPN is a more significant administrative task that affects your core identity and may require reconfiguring other services. - Email Alias: This is an alternative address that directs mail to your primary inbox. You generally cannot use an alias as your primary login name unless an administrator specifically designates it as such and makes other corresponding changes to your UPN.
Therefore, while adding an alias expands your email receiving capabilities, any changes to your core login email should always be discussed with your IT department to ensure a smooth transition and avoid service disruptions.
