Email remains a key tool for collaboration, and it’s essential to understand how your mailboxes are being used in Microsoft 365. Plus, analysing this data, whether for a sales inbox or internal correspondence, can provide strategic insights.

Where to Find Mailbox Usage Stats

Microsoft 365 provides built-in tools to monitor both user and shared mailbox storage and activity.

Admin Centre Reports: Navigate to Reports > Usage in the Microsoft 365 admin centre. Select Exchange > Mailbox usage to view:
– Email activity (send, read, meeting actions)
– Storage consumption
– Quota status. You can switch between User and Shared mailboxes using the dropdown menu.

Exchange Admin Centre:
– For shared mailboxes, go to Recipients > Shared, select a mailbox, and click Edit > Mailbox Usage to view last logon time and storage details.
– For user mailboxes, go to Recipients > Mailboxes, select a mailbox, and look for “Mailbox Usage”.

Why Monitoring Mailbox Usage is Beneficial

Keeping an eye on mailbox usage isn’t just about avoiding storage overflows. Here’s why it’s worth your time:

Clean-Up & Optimisation: Identify inactive or bloated mailboxes to archive or delete unnecessary data, freeing up resources.

Security & Compliance: Monitor access patterns and permissions to ensure only authorised users have access, which is crucial for GDPR and other data protection regulations.

Performance & Planning: Track growth trends to predict future storage needs and avoid hitting limits unexpectedly.

Accountability & Collaboration: Understand how shared mailboxes are being used to improve team workflows and customer service responsiveness.

Keeping with a “Keep Green” Policy: Many companies are now trying to adhere to ‘green’ policies by minimising their cloud footprint and data usage. Less data stored in the cloud means less power and resources are being used in data centres. Analysing mailbox usage helps companies show that they are actively trying to reduce their digital footprint.