Set up a moderated distribution group

What is a Moderated Distribution Group?

A moderated distribution group allows messages sent to the group to be reviewed and approved by one or more moderators before being delivered to all members. This is useful for controlling communication to large or sensitive groups.

Prerequisites

• You must be assigned the Exchange Administrator role.
• You must use the Exchange Admin Center (EAC), not Outlook settings, to configure moderation.

Steps to Configure Moderation in the EAC

1. Sign in to the Exchange Admin Center
   Go to https://admin.exchange.microsoft.com

2. Navigate to Groups

   • In the left-hand menu, select Recipients > Groups.
   • Choose Distribution list from the group types.

3. Select the Distribution Group

   • Click on the group you want to moderate (e.g., "All Employees").
   • In the group details pane, click Settings.

4. Edit Message Approval Settings

   • Click Edit next to Message approval.
   • Check the box: Require moderator approval for messages sent to this group.

5. Add Moderators

   • Under Group moderators, search for and add the users who should approve messages.

6. Add Senders Who Bypass Moderation (Optional)

   • Under Senders who don’t require message approval, add any users or groups who can send messages without approval.

7. Set Notification Preferences

   • Choose whether to notify senders if their message is rejected:
     • Never
     • Always
     • Internal only

8. Save Changes

   • Click Save to apply the moderation settings.

How to Verify It Works

• Send a test message to the group.
• Confirm that the moderator receives an approval request.
• Once approved, the message should be delivered to all group members.