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Microsoft 365 (Outlook for Windows) - Find a message with Instant Search

Need to find an important message in your crowded inbox or folder? Maybe you remember who sent it, or a word or phrase it contains. But who wants to scroll through pages of mail, looking for that message? Use Instant Search to find it quickly.

Want to specify multiple conditions, such as who sent the message, words in its body or subject line, or a date range when you received it? See the section Use Advanced Find.

For tips on getting even better search results with Instant Search, see the article Learn to narrow your search criteria.

 Important   Instant Search shows the first 30 matches. You can get up to 250 results by clicking More, below the results. If you want more than 250 results, you can change an Outlook option. See the section Remove the limit on the number of search results.

Take advantage of Instant Search

Microsoft provides step-by-step instructions on how to use the Instant Search feature.

Remove the limit on the number of search results

Important: This setting may not exist within the most current version of Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.

  1. Click File > Options > Search.
  2. Under Results, uncheck the Improve search speed by limiting the number of results shown box.
  3. Click OK.
  4. Restart Outlook.