Outlook · Fix-itDraft

Outlook search isn't finding anything

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You type a name or a subject you know is in the mailbox, and Outlook returns nothing, or it skips older mail. The fix depends on which Outlook you have. New Outlook and classic Outlook search in different ways, so the same repair doesn’t work on both.

These steps are for Outlook on a Windows PC, for Microsoft 365, Exchange, or Outlook.com. If search works in Outlook on the web but not in the desktop app, the mailbox itself is fine and you can keep using the web while you fix the app.

Which Outlook are you using?

Microsoft’s support pages use this check: look at the ribbon for Settings.

  • If you see Settings, you’re in new Outlook. Follow the new Outlook section first. New Outlook searches the service in the cloud. Rebuilding the Windows search index will not fix it.
  • If you don’t see Settings on the ribbon, you’re in classic Outlook. Classic Outlook relies on the Windows Search index on your PC. That’s where indexing status, the Windows Search service, and a catalog rebuild matter.

You can switch between them with the New Outlook toggle in classic Outlook, or by opening the other app if both are installed. Use the section that matches the app that’s failing.

New Outlook: search returns nothing or skips old mail

Check the search scope and deleted items

  1. In the search box, notice whether you’re searching the current folder, the current mailbox, or a narrower scope. A search in one folder won’t find a message that lives in another.
  2. New Outlook doesn’t currently support searching several accounts at once. Select the account you want, then search in All Folders for that account.
  3. To include Deleted Items, go to Settings > General > Search. Under Search results, turn on Include deleted items, then save.
  4. You can set the default scope to Current Folder from that same Search settings page if results feel messy. Online archives are included automatically.

If new Outlook finds a large number of matches, older items may not all appear. Use filters (from, date, subject) to narrow the search.

Increase how much mail is stored offline

If older messages are missing, new Outlook may not have them saved on this PC.

  1. Go to Settings > General > Offline.
  2. Open Days of email to save and choose a longer period.
  3. Save, then give Outlook time to sync before you search again.

Classic Outlook: search returns nothing

Work through these in order, as Microsoft lists them. Stop when search starts returning mail you know is there.

1. Run the Windows Search troubleshooter

  • Windows 11: Start > Settings > Privacy & security. Under Windows permissions, open Searching Windows. Scroll down and select Indexer troubleshooter.
  • Windows 10: Start > Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot, then run Search and Indexing.

2. Check indexing status in Outlook

  1. Select the search box in classic Outlook.
  2. On the ribbon, open Search Tools > Indexing Status.
  3. If Outlook is still indexing, note the number of items remaining, wait a few minutes, and check again. If the number isn’t dropping, continue.

3. Confirm your data files are included

With the search box selected, open Search Tools > Locations to Search, and make sure all of your Outlook data files are checked.

4. Make sure the Windows Search service is running

  1. Press the Windows key, type services.msc, and press Enter.
  2. Find Windows Search, and double-click it.
  3. Set Startup type to Automatic (Delayed Start) if it isn’t already.
  4. If the service isn’t running, select Start.

5. Include Outlook in the Windows index

  1. Close classic Outlook.
  2. Open Indexing Options from the Windows Control Panel or the Start menu.
  3. Confirm Microsoft Outlook is listed under Included Locations. If it isn’t, select Modify and check Microsoft Outlook.
  4. Select Advanced, open the File Types tab, and find msg. It should be set to index properties and file contents. The filter description should mention Office Outlook MSG IFilter.

6. Rebuild the search catalog

Only do this if the steps above didn’t help. A rebuild can take a while, and search may be incomplete until it finishes.

  1. Close classic Outlook.
  2. Open Indexing Options > Advanced > Rebuild, then confirm.
  3. Let indexing finish before you judge the results.

If older mail is missing in classic Outlook

  1. To include Deleted Items in an All Items search, go to File > Options > Search, and turn on Include messages from the Deleted Items folder in each data file when searching in All Items.
  2. To cache more mail locally, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings, select the account, choose Change, and move the Download email for the past slider farther to the right, or to All. Choose Next, then restart Outlook.

If you’re searching a shared mailbox, Microsoft says the All Mailboxes scope may return no results. Select the shared mailbox and use the Current Folder scope instead.

If it still fails

  • Try the same search in Outlook on the web. If the message is there, you can open it while you keep working on the desktop app.
  • In classic Outlook, Microsoft also suggests testing search in a new Outlook profile, or repairing Office (Installed apps > Microsoft 365 > Modify > Online Repair) if the index is healthy and search still fails. Create a new profile only after the indexing steps, and only if you can already reach the mailbox on the web.
  • Don’t delete your PST or OST file to “reset search.” That’s not the documented fix and can cause a long re-download.

Still stuck?

If search is still empty after the steps for your Outlook version, I can connect remotely and check it with you. Support is after-hours, nationwide, with local help in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. Details are on the Work with me page.

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