Find items by doing a basic search in Outlook for Mac

2016 2011

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From the search box on the Outlook toolbar, you can do a quick search of the current folder. You can also to find text within a specific item.

Do a basic search in Outlook

You can use the search box on the toolbar to search in the current folder or view.

1. Go to the folder or view that you want to search, such as Mail, Calendar, or People.

2. In the upper-right corner of the Outlook window, enter your search word or words in the search box .

   Outlook displays the search results on the Search tab.

3. When you are done looking at the search results, on the Search tab, click Close Search.

   

   Notes: 

   • If you don't click Close Search, the Search tab remains active. The item list continues to show the search results even if you click another tab, such as the Home tab.

   • An Outlook search includes the file names of attachments but not the text inside attachments.

   • To save a search as a Smart Folder, on the Search tab, click Save Search, and then enter a name for it under Smart Folders.

     

Search within an item

1. Open the item.

2. On the Edit menu, point to Find, and then click Find.

3. In the Find box, enter your search word or words.

   In the item, Outlook highlights the first instance of your search phrase.

   To find the next or previous instance of your search phrase, use the forward and back arrows .

   Note: The keyboard shortcut for searching within an item is + F .

You know you have an e-mail message somewhere, but you just can't locate it in Outlook. Don't worry—with the many search options in Outlook for Mac, you can use a combination of different search criteria to find the information you're looking for.

1. In the Navigation pane, click Mail.

2. On the Edit menu, point to Find, and then click Outlook Items.

   The Search tab appears.

3. Define the scope of the search by clicking a scope button on the Search tab, such as Subfolders or All Mail.

   

4. Add any of the following criteria to refine your search:

On the Search tab, click	To search based on
Advanced	Text that appears anywhere in an item.
From	The sender of a message.
Subject	Text that appears in the subject of a message.
Attachment	Whether or not an item has an attachment, or the size of an attached file.
Sent To	The recipients of a message.
Received	The date that you received a message.
Date Sent	The date that a message was sent.
Important	The priority level of a message.
Unread	The read status of a message.
Flagged	The follow up status of a message.
Category	The category assigned to a message.

1. Note: Some search criteria will require you to enter additional information.

2. To modify your search by adding or removing criteria, do any of the following:

To	Do this
Add an additional criterion	Click .
Delete one of your search criteria	Click the next to the criterion that you want to delete.

1. When you are done looking at the search results, on the Search tab, click Close.

   

   Notes: 

   • The available search criteria are specific to where you are within Outlook, such as Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, and Notes.

   • If you don't click Close, the Search tab remains active. The item list continues to show the search results, even if you click another tab, such as the Home tab.

   • An Outlook search includes the file names of attachments but not the text inside attachments.

   • The keyboard shortcut for starting an advanced search is SHIFT + + F .

   • To save a search as a Smart Folder, on the Search tab, click Save, and then enter a name for the Smart Folder.