# Connections

Add a mailbox by connecting it to Microsoft Outlook.

Every mailbox in TeamEmail, personal or shared, is backed by a real Outlook mailbox connected through Microsoft.

![The Connections screen in TeamEmail Settings, headed with the instruction to connect the channels your team works from and pick a channel to set it up, listing the available providers to connect.](https://www.sorviai.com/help/teamemail/settings/connections.png)

*Connections is where a real mailbox gets attached to TeamEmail.*

> **Before you start:**
>
> A Microsoft account with access to the mailbox you're connecting.

- Go to **Settings > Connections**.
- Select **Connect**.
- Sign in to Microsoft in the window that opens, and grant TeamEmail access when asked.
- Wait for the connection to finish importing. This can take a few minutes for a mailbox with a long history.

A newly connected mailbox becomes an individual inbox, visible only to you. To turn it into a shared inbox other people can work from, see Inboxes.