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Outlook search - sort by category

Rainer 45 Reputation points
2026-01-29T08:48:30.78+00:00

I have a strange problem with sorting search results in Outlook classic.
When I sort by category, the categories disappear.

Inbox: 4 emails - two with category, two without

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Search results sorted by Date - categories are visible:
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Search results, sorted by category - categories disappear and are neither sorted nor grouped.
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When my colleague does a similar search, his results appear grouped by categoryUser's image

We both use an Exchange online account with M365 Apps for Business "Monthly Enterprise Channel" v. 2511 Build 19426.20260

I have tried to change the view, reset the view, recreated my Outlook profile, delete temporary data, switch between Cached Exchange Mode - nothing helps

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For business
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  1. Jayden-P 22,645 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-01-29T11:13:22.76+00:00

    Please note that our forum is a public platform, and we will modify your question to hide your personal information in the description. Kindly ensure that you hide any personal or organizational information the next time you post an error or other details to protect personal data.

    Hi @Rainer

    Thank you for reaching out to our Q&A forum.

    I have tested on several machines with different builds and the results are different.First, the machine with the exact build and version as yours (Monthly Enterprise Channel v. 2511 Build 19426.20260):

    I did see the same behavior as yours. I also notice that if you sort the mailbox folder first (sort by categories) then search, the categories will appear in the search result. Additional observation, on Search tab, choose any category, then delete category:="A", click enter and the categories will also appear.

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    On the second machine with Current Channel v. 2512 Build 19530.20184, I did not see this behavior. the result returns the correct categories. If possible, you can ask your IT admin to switch from Monthly to Current Channel.

    In your Account Settings, set the slider to all right to download all the emails offline. This could help with your search performance.

    Please try and let me know if you see the same behavior.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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  2. Rainer 45 Reputation points
    2026-01-29T11:52:22.9133333+00:00

    Hi Jayden-P,

    thanks for your answer.
    Unfortunately, none of your workarounds work on my device.

    Only when I choose all categories, I see them grouped/sorted:

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