How to Search in Outlook (Desktop, Web, Mac & Mobile)
- The search box is at the top of the window in every desktop and web version of Outlook; in the mobile app it is the Search tab
- Jump to it with Ctrl+E or F3 in classic Outlook for Windows, Alt+Q in Outlook on the web, or Option+Command+F in Outlook for Mac
- Widen or narrow the search with Filters (new Outlook, web) or the Search tab (classic Outlook, Mac)
- For full-mailbox search by meaning, Inbox Search is an add-in with on-device AI
To search in Outlook, click the search box at the top of the window, type a name, word or phrase, and press Enter. In classic Outlook for Windows, Ctrl+E (or F3) puts the cursor straight in the box; in Outlook on the web the shortcut is Alt+Q, on a Mac Option+Command+F, and in the Outlook mobile app you open the Search tab. Below, each version gets its own section: where search lives, how to search all folders, which filters you get and which shortcuts work.
Which Outlook do you have?
Outlook search looks and behaves differently in each version, so check which one you are using first. On Windows, Microsoft's rule of thumb is to look for Settings on the ribbon: if it is there, you have new Outlook; if it is not, you have classic Outlook. In a browser you are using Outlook on the web, on a Mac Outlook for Mac, and on a phone the Outlook mobile app.
How to search in new Outlook for Windows
The Search box sits in the title bar at the top of the window. Click it, type a contact, a subject, part of a message or a file name, and press Enter. If you click into the box before typing, new Outlook shows Suggested Searches based on what you have searched before.
To narrow the results, select the Filters button at the right end of the search box, fill in your criteria and select Search. Press Esc to cancel a search.
Microsoft's list of shortcuts for new Outlook does not give a key for the mail search box (Ctrl+E is listed only for searching contacts in People). Press ? in new Outlook to open the full list of shortcuts your copy supports.
New Outlook searches your mailbox online rather than through a Windows index on your PC. If it misses messages you know are there, see Outlook search not finding emails.
How to search in classic Outlook for Windows
The Search box is at the top of the window, with either the Simplified or the Classic Ribbon. Press Ctrl+E or F3 to jump to it, type a keyword and press Enter. As soon as you search, a Search tab opens on the ribbon.
On the Search tab, Scope decides where Outlook looks: Current Folder, Current Mailbox or All Outlook Items. If a message you expect is missing, widen the scope before trying anything else. From the keyboard, Ctrl+Alt+K limits the search to the current folder, Ctrl+Alt+Z adds subfolders and Ctrl+Alt+A expands it to all mail items.
The Refine group on the same tab filters by sender, attachments or categories, and the filter button at the right end of the search box opens Advanced Search. Ctrl+Shift+F opens the older Advanced Find dialog. Esc clears the results.
Classic Outlook uses a local Windows Search index on your PC. If results are missing or arrive slowly, see Outlook search indexing slow and Outlook search not working.
How to search in Outlook on the web
In Outlook on the web (outlook.office.com for work and school accounts, outlook.live.com for Outlook.com), the search bar is at the top of the page. Press Alt+Q to jump to it, type a word or a name, then pick a suggested person below the box or press Enter for all results. Results include messages, contacts and files.
Select the Filters icon at the end of the search box to narrow the results by folder, sender, recipient, subject, keywords, date range and attachments. The folder filter is where you limit a search to one folder.
To leave search, select Exit Search in the search box or pick any folder in the folder pane. Esc cancels a search.
Alt+Q belongs to the Outlook keyboard shortcut set. If you switched to the Gmail, Yahoo Mail or Outlook.com set under Settings > General > Accessibility, the keys are different.
How to search in Outlook for Mac
The search box is in the upper-right corner of the Outlook window, on the toolbar. Press Option+Command+F to search the current folder, type your words, and the results appear on the Search tab.
On the Search tab, choose where to look: Current Folder, Subfolders, All Mail or All Items, or Current Mailbox for the mailbox you have selected. You can also narrow the results by fields such as From or Subject. Shift+Command+F starts an advanced search with an Item Contains filter.
Search matches attachment file names but not the text inside attachments. When you are done, click Close Search on the Search tab; otherwise the results stay on screen when you go back to Home. Save Search keeps a search as a Smart Folder.
Microsoft's Mac instructions are written for Outlook for Microsoft 365, 2024 and 2021 for Mac, so a few labels may differ in your copy. If search on your Mac returns nothing, see Outlook for Mac search not working.
How to search in the Outlook mobile app (iPhone, iPad and Android)
Open the Search tab (on iPhone, the Search icon is at the bottom of the screen) and type in the search box. Before you type, the tab already shows your contacts and a Files section with recent attachments; tap a contact to find attachments from that person.
Once results appear, turn on the Attachments filter (the paper-clip icon) to show only emails with attachments. On an iPad with a keyboard, Command+2 switches to the Search tab.
If the app finds nothing or only recent messages, see Outlook mobile search not working.
Outlook search operators and filters
Instead of just typing keywords, you can use search operators to target specific parts of your emails. These work in classic Outlook, New Outlook, and Outlook on the web.
| Operator | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
from: |
Emails from a specific sender | from:sarah |
to: |
Emails sent to a specific person | to:finance |
subject: |
Search subject lines only | subject:invoice |
hasattachment:yes |
Only emails with attachments | hasattachment:yes budget |
received:today |
Emails received today | received:today from:boss |
received:last week |
Emails from the past week | received:last week project |
You can combine operators: from:sarah subject:budget hasattachment:yes finds emails from Sarah with "budget" in the subject that have attachments.
In classic Outlook, you can also use AND, OR, and NOT to combine terms: budget AND Q3 NOT draft. These Boolean operators don't work reliably in New Outlook or Outlook on the web. For the full list of every operator and version compatibility, see our Outlook search operators cheat sheet.
Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook search
| Version | Go to the search box | Other search shortcuts |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Outlook for Windows | Ctrl+E or F3 | Ctrl+Shift+F: Advanced Find. Ctrl+Alt+A: all mail items. Esc: clear the results |
| New Outlook for Windows | Click the search box (Microsoft lists no key) | Esc: cancel a search. ?: list every shortcut |
| Outlook on the web | Alt+Q | Esc: cancel a search |
| Outlook for Mac | Option+Command+F | Shift+Command+F: advanced search |
| Outlook for iPad | Command+2 (Search tab) | Return: start the search |
When Outlook search isn't working
If the search box is there but the results are wrong, slow or empty, these guides cover the fixes for each version:
- Outlook search not working: the fixes to try first, in new and classic Outlook.
- Outlook search not finding emails: when messages you know exist do not show up.
- Outlook search indexing slow or stuck: rebuilding the Windows Search index for classic Outlook.
- Outlook for Mac search not working: rebuilding the index on a Mac.
- Outlook mobile search not working: why the iPhone and iPad app misses emails.
- Outlook search operators cheat sheet: every operator and which versions accept it.
The limitations you'll run into
Outlook search works well for simple queries — a sender's name, a keyword in the subject line. But it has real limitations that trip people up:
- Keyword-only matching. Outlook searches for exact words. If the email says "booking confirmation" and you search "hotel reservation," Outlook won't find it — even though they mean the same thing.
- Prefix matching only. Outlook matches from the start of words. Search "budget" and you'll find "budgeting" but search "dget" and you'll find nothing.
- Short numbers are ignored. Microsoft documents that numbers under five digits are skipped by the indexer. Searching "4521" won't find that string in an email body.
- New Outlook drops older results. Server-side search silently stops returning results when there are "too many" matches — which means older emails may not appear at all.
- No date sorting in New Outlook. Results are sorted by "relevance" with limited ability to re-sort by date.
When you need more than keyword search
If you regularly can't find emails you know exist, or if you need to search by meaning rather than exact keywords, Outlook's built-in search may not be enough. Inbox Search is an Outlook add-in that adds semantic search — it uses on-device AI to understand what you mean, not just the words you type.
Search "travel expenses from the Berlin trip" and it finds the relevant emails even if none of them contain those exact words. It runs entirely on your device (no email content leaves it), works in new and classic Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac and Outlook on the web, and keyword search is free and unlimited. Install it from Microsoft Marketplace.
For a detailed comparison with other search tools, see Best Outlook Search Tools Compared.
Search your Outlook inbox by meaning, not just keywords.
Inbox Search is an Outlook add-in with on-device AI. Find any email, even when you don't remember the exact words.
Install from Microsoft MarketplaceFrequently asked questions
How do I search in Outlook? Click the search box at the top of the Outlook window, type a name, word or phrase, and press Enter. In classic Outlook for Windows, Ctrl+E or F3 jumps to the search box; in Outlook on the web the shortcut is Alt+Q, and in Outlook for Mac it is Option+Command+F. In the Outlook mobile app, open the Search tab.
Where is the search bar in new Outlook? In new Outlook for Windows, the Search box is in the title bar at the top of the window. Select the Filters button at its right end to narrow the results.
How do I search all folders in Outlook? In classic Outlook, set Scope on the Search tab to Current Mailbox or All Outlook Items, or press Ctrl+Alt+A to expand the search to all mail items. In Outlook for Mac, choose All Mail or All Items on the Search tab. In Outlook on the web, use the folder option in the Filters panel to choose where to search.
What search operators work in Outlook? Outlook supports several search operators: from:name (emails from a specific sender), to:name (emails to a specific recipient), subject:keyword (search subject lines only), hasattachment:yes (only emails with attachments), and received:today or received:last week (date filters). In classic Outlook, you can also combine terms with AND, OR, and NOT.
Why can't I find emails I know exist in Outlook? Outlook's built-in search has several known limitations: it only matches from the beginning of words (not the middle), it ignores numbers under five digits, it silently drops older emails when there are too many results, and New Outlook's server-side search can miss messages entirely. If you're consistently missing emails, your search scope may be set too narrow, or the search index may need rebuilding.