PowerShell: add permissions to a public folder in Exchange Online

19 July 2021

To give someone access to a particular public folder in Exchange Online, PowerShell is the quickest and most reliable way.

Connect to Exchange Online first (install the ExchangeOnlineManagement module if you have not already):

Connect-ExchangeOnline -UserPrincipalName This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you are not sure of the folder's path, list them:

Get-PublicFolder -Recurse | Select-Object Identity

Then grant the permission:

Add-PublicFolderClientPermission -Identity "\Sales\Quotes" -User This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. -AccessRights PublishingEditor

Change -AccessRights to suit the person:

Reviewer: read only.
Author: read, create items and edit their own.
Editor: read, create, edit and delete any item.
PublishingEditor: everything an Editor can do, plus create subfolders.

To check what is set on a folder, use Get-PublicFolderClientPermission -Identity "\Sales\Quotes".