Mailbox folder permissions control who can see and use another person’s Calendar, Inbox, and Contacts. This matters a lot in busy teams. It matters even more in the legal sector. Law firms often work on cases together. Paralegals, associates, and partners need shared access to schedules and case files. Default folder permissions need to change often to support this kind of teamwork. This blog walks through two ways to manage default folder permissions in Exchange Online.
Why Default Exchange Online Folder Permissions Matter
Every mailbox in Exchange Online comes with default folders. These include Inbox, Calendar, and Contacts. Each folder has a built-in permission level. This level applies to everyone in the organization unless it gets changed.
By default, most users can only see free or busy time on a colleague’s calendar. They cannot see full details. They cannot see Inbox messages at all. Contacts are private too. This is fine for most staff. But it is not fine for teams that need to work closely together. Let’s see how to manage default folder permissions in Exchange Online using PowerShell now.
Why Not Change the Folder Permissions Using Exchange Admin Center
Many admins expect to find this in the Exchange Admin Center (EAC). But EAC only offers mailbox delegation, things like Full Access, Send As, and Send on Behalf. It does not let an admin manage another user’s Calendar, Inbox, or Contacts permissions directly. Users can set these themselves in Outlook, but there is no admin screen for it.
This gap is why PowerShell becomes the go-to method for admins.
How to Change Default Folder Permissions in Exchange Online Using PowerShell
PowerShell gives full, direct control over folder permissions. Firstly, connect to the Exchange Online PowerShell module with an account that has administrative privileges.
1. How to View the Default Folder Permissions in Exchange Online
To see the current default permission level for every user’s Calendar across your entire organization, you must loop through all mailboxes and extract the permissions specifically assigned to the identity Default.
Run this command to compile and export a complete baseline audit.
Get-Mailbox -ResultSize Unlimited -RecipientTypeDetails UserMailbox | ForEach-Object {
Get-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity "$($_.UserPrincipalName):\Calendar" -User Default
} | Select-Object Identity, User, AccessRights | Export-Csv -Path ".\Current_Default_Calendar_Permissions.csv" -NoTypeInformation Note: Simply substitute :\Calendar with :\Inbox or :\Contacts to pull reports for those respective folders.
2. How to Modify the Default Folder Permissions in Exchange Online
To change the default permission of a specific folder (like the Calendar or Inbox) for a single mailbox, target the folder identity using the format Mailbox:\Folder.
For example, to set default calendar permission to Reviewer:
Set-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity "user@yourdomain.com:\Calendar" -User Default -AccessRights Reviewer This command grants the Default user Reviewer access to the specified mailbox’s Calendar folder.
To set default inbox permission to None:
Set-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity "user@yourdomain.com:\Inbox" -User Default -AccessRights None This command removes the Default user’s access to the specified mailbox’s Inbox by setting the permission to None.
3. How to Bulk Update Default Calendar Permissions for All Users
Administrators frequently need to change the default calendar permissions across the entire organization so colleagues can see each other’s schedules. You can loop through all user mailboxes with this script.
$Mailboxes = Get-Mailbox -RecipientTypeDetails UserMailbox -ResultSize Unlimited
foreach ($Mailbox in $Mailboxes) {
$CalendarIdentity = "$($Mailbox.UserPrincipalName):\Calendar"
Set-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity $CalendarIdentity -User Default -AccessRights LimitedDetails
} This script loops through every user mailbox and sets the default Calendar permission to LimitedDetails across the entire organization.
To verify that the permissions were applied successfully, run the following command:
Get-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity "user@yourdomain.com:\Calendar" -User Default This command displays the current default permission configured for the specified Calendar folder.
To remove a user’s permissions on a specific mailbox folder in Exchange or Exchange Online, use the Remove-MailboxFolderPermission cmdlet.
How to Modify Default Outlook Folder Permissions Using EasyEntra
While PowerShell is incredibly powerful for automating tasks, using it to change folder permissions comes with significant drawbacks, like:
- Commands require precise formatting (e.g., “user@domain.com:\Calendar”). A single missing colon, quote, or misspelled folder name will cause the entire script to fail.
- PowerShell provides no real-time visual feedback. To see if your change actually worked, you must manually run a completely separate command (Get-MailboxFolderPermission).
EasyEntra eliminates the need for coding, scripting, and session management by providing a centralized, secure graphical interface directly within your admin portal. Instead of typing complex strings, you can modify default folder permissions globally or individually in just a few clicks:
- Double-click the user to open their profile and click the Mailbox tab.
- Click the Folder Delegation button to bring up a clear, readable list of all active delegates and default accounts.
- Select your folder type (like Calendar or Inbox), click Default, and cleanly pick your desired Permission level from a straightforward dropdown menu.
- You can immediately see the updated status of the Default and Anonymous permission rows right on your screen before committing the changes.
Unlike PowerShell, EasyEntra presents all folder permissions in a single, easy-to-understand interface. Administrators can instantly view the current Default and Anonymous permission settings, make changes to Calendar, Inbox, and Contacts folders, add or remove delegates, and verify the resulting configuration before saving it!
