Does Permanently Deleting a Microsoft 365 Group Remove Its Reassigned SMTP Address?
Question details
The user wants to confirm if permanently deleting a soft-deleted Microsoft 365 group will remove its former SMTP address, which is now actively used by a new shared mailbox.
- Product
- Microsoft 365
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- A soft-deleted Microsoft 365 group's former SMTP address has been successfully assigned to a new shared mailbox. The administrator is anticipating the group's permanent deletion after the 30-day retention period.
- Observed behavior
- The shared mailbox is currently functioning correctly with the reassigned address, but there is concern that the pending permanent deletion of the original group might detach or delete the SMTP address from the new mailbox.
Before manually forcing a permanent deletion of the group, verify the proxy addresses of your new shared mailbox in the Exchange admin center to ensure the SMTP address is correctly bound to the new recipient.
Confirm SMTP Reassignment and Safely Delete the Group
Once an SMTP address is successfully assigned to a new mailbox, permanently deleting the original Microsoft 365 group will not remove the address from its new location.
When a Microsoft 365 group is soft-deleted, its SMTP address is freed up and becomes available. If you have already assigned this former SMTP address to a new shared mailbox, that address is now associated with the new recipient object in Exchange Online.
Because the address is no longer bound to the original group, the permanent deletion of the group (either manually or automatically after the 30-day retention period) will only purge the group's internal contents and properties. It will not strip the reassigned SMTP address from your shared mailbox.
Navigate to the Microsoft 365 admin portal and open the Exchange admin center using your administrator credentials.
Go to 'Recipients' in the left-hand navigation menu, then select 'Mailboxes'. Find and click on the new shared mailbox you created.
In the mailbox settings panel, click on 'Manage email address types' or 'Email addresses'. Confirm that the former group's SMTP address is listed as an active proxy address (or primary address) for the shared mailbox.
If the address is correctly listed on the shared mailbox, you can safely wait for the 30-day soft-deletion period to expire, or you can manually purge the deleted group without affecting the shared mailbox.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to a Microsoft 365 group after 30 days of being deleted?
After the 30-day soft-deletion period, the Microsoft 365 group, along with its associated contents, SharePoint site, Planner tasks, and properties, is permanently deleted and cannot be restored.
Can I reuse the email address of a deleted Microsoft 365 group?
Yes. Once a Microsoft 365 group is deleted, its primary SMTP address becomes available. You can assign this address as a primary or proxy email address to another recipient, such as a shared mailbox, distribution list, or individual user.
How do I check if an SMTP address is properly assigned to a shared mailbox?
Log in to the Exchange admin center, navigate to Recipients > Mailboxes, select your shared mailbox, and click on 'Manage email address types' to view all assigned primary and secondary SMTP addresses.
