Microsoft 365 Help Search email: useful tips and filters
Find messages by sender, job number, date or attachment without scrolling through the whole inbox.
Before you start
- One clue: a person, job number, subject word, approximate date or filename.
Choose the option that matches your screen or the task you want to do.
New Outlook
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Choose the mailbox
Select your work mailbox in the folder list. If the message belongs to a shared mailbox, open that mailbox first.
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Enter a starting clue
Click Search across the top. Type a sender’s name, a job number or a word from the subject, then press Enter to see the full results.
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Check the search area
Check the scope or folder filter. Choose All folders or the whole current mailbox if you are unsure where the email is stored.
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Narrow the results
Select the filter icon at the right of the search box. Fill in From, Subject or a date range. Start with one extra filter so you do not hide the message accidentally.
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Find files in email
Select Has attachments, tick Attachments in advanced filters, or choose Files where offered. Add a sender or filename clue if the list is still long.
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Check the actual message
Open a result and check its date, sender and attachment before using it. Several messages may have the same subject but different document versions.
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Clear the search
Select the X in the search box or clear the filters, then select Inbox. This restores the normal email list.
Classic Outlook
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Open the relevant account
Select a folder inside your work mailbox. Avoid starting in a personal mailbox if you are looking for work email.
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Start searching
Click the search bar near the top, type a useful clue, then press Enter. A Search ribbon appears when search is active.
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Widen the search if needed
Use the scope dropdown to choose Current Mailbox or All Mailboxes. Current Folder only searches the folder you opened.
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Refine by sender or subject
On the Search ribbon, choose From or Subject, then supply the matching value. Add a date filter when you can remember roughly when it arrived.
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Look for attachments
Choose Has Attachments on the Search ribbon. You can also type
hasattachments:yesalongside your search clue. -
Review and close
Open the likely email and check its details. Choose Close Search or the X in the search field when you want the normal folder view back.
You have finished when…
- You can open the correct email and identify its sender, date and attached document.
Helpful tips
- Try a distinctive job number or phrase such as “switchboard inspection”, rather than a very common word like “job”.
- In desktop and web search, examples include from:alex@example.com, subject:invoice and hasattachments:yes. Replace the example address with the actual sender. Use the visible filters if you prefer not to type search commands.
- Quotes keep words together: "site inspection" is more specific than separate searches for site and inspection.
- Use a date-range filter instead of typing ambiguous dates. Check Sent Items for a message you sent, and Archive for a completed conversation.
Something looks different?
Too many results
Add the sender, one distinctive word or a short date range. Clear old filters before trying a completely different search.
No results appear
Check the selected account and search scope. Try fewer words, check spelling and search all folders. A new desktop installation may still be downloading or indexing mail.
An attachment is missing
Some emails contain a OneDrive or SharePoint link rather than a file attachment. Search for the sender or subject as well as using the attachment filter.
Microsoft help & further guidance
Menu names can change as Microsoft updates the apps. These official pages include further instructions.