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Remove "Best Matches" from Outlook search results

DM 5 Reputation points
2025-01-03T20:16:58.79+00:00

How do I remove the "Best Matches" from Outlook? It's completely useless and irrelevant and has no bearing on the search. When I am searching Outlook, I am looking for an email or email chain, NOT A DOCUMENT, ATTACHMENT, PICTURE, OR ANYTHING OTHER THAN AN EMAIL!!!!!!

It's so stupid when Outlook pulls up all these attachments and documents, and will open them, BUT NOT OPEN THE EMAIL ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE ITEMS! WHY THE expletive deleted WOULD IT NOT OPEN THE EMAIL!?!?!?! IT'S AN EMAIL PROGRAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just want that crap to go away and just be able to search my email like the search used to be when it functioned properly. The current crAPP version has nothing relevant and you have to search multiple times to find an email in the EMAIL search!

Outlook | Windows | Classic Outlook for Windows | For business
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  1. LeeDonahue-7650 30 Reputation points
    2026-02-10T23:07:03.82+00:00

    DM was pretty clear that they're using Outlook Search, not Windows Search. This is an Outlook problem. Outlook search is flatout garbage now. It steers to irrelevant results, ignores obvious matches, searches the servers before the local machine, and looks in other locations despite directions to stay within a destination. If I'm looking in a folder and there's no results, tell me no results. Don't show me results in other locations. Absolute trash product now.

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  2. Hornblower409 5,820 Reputation points
    2025-01-04T15:39:19.3633333+00:00

    From you description is sounds like you are using "Windows Search" (which shows "Best Matches" at the top of the results and includes files, etc.) - not Outlook Search.

    How to use Outlook Search depends on which version/type of Outlook you are using. Without knowing that, all I can offer is: Open the Outlook app/program. Look for a "Search" or magnifying glass icon next to an input box. i.e. Use the Search box IN Outlook. Not the Windows Search box on your Desktop.


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