Outlook search is not pulling up proper output

Question

When I search for emails received from outlook from any particular sender, The search brings up only email from my sent folder, instead from my inbox. those are unconnected to search/ the sender or subject.

What is going wrong?

How can I pull up previous emails from any particular sender?

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Answer 1

Dear @Shrinivas Kulkarni, 

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.   

I understand how inconvenient it must be when Outlook search doesn't return relevant emails from your inbox, especially when you're trying to locate messages from a specific sender. 

This issue can occur due to how the search scope is configured, potential indexing inconsistencies, or the duration set for mailbox synchronization. 

To help me better understand the situation and assist you effectively, could you please share a few details such as:    

1/ Is your account a personal account (such as @gmail.com, @outlook.com, @hotmail.com) or a work or school account managed by your organization? 

2/ If your account is a work or school account, are you the IT administrator?   

3/ Are you currently using New Outlook, Outlook on the web or Classic Outlook? 

4/ Have you updated your Windows system and the Outlook desktop app recently? 

5/ Which version of Outlook are you currently using?  

This will help us better understand the context and provide more targeted support. Any additional information will help us better understand and support you.     

In the meantime, if you’re using New Outlook on the web or desktop app, you can refer to some workarounds to verify the issue:   

Option 1: Check and update search scope 

Go to Settings > General > Search. 

Under Search, change it to Current Folder or All Folders. 

Save your changes. 

This ensures that the Inbox is included in your search results.  

For the “Current folder” option, you’ll first need to click into the Inbox or any folder you’d like to search before entering the sender’s name. This will ensure that the results only show emails from that specific folder. 

 

If you select the search “All folders” option, searching the sender's name will display emails from all folders. Each result will include a label indicating which folder the email is located in. 

 

Additionally, you can try adjusting the search options in the search bar to see if that helps refine the results. 

 

Option 2: Use filters to narrow search 

When searching for a specific sender: 

• Click the Search bar 
• Use the filter From: followed by the sender’s email (e.g., from:sender@example.com) 
• You can also refine by folder (Inbox), date range, or keywords 

This helps Outlook target the correct messages. 

Option 3: Increase sync duration 

If older emails are missing: 

Go to Settings > General > Offline 

Under Days of email to save, increase the duration (e.g., to 7 days or 180 days) 

Save and allow time for sync to complete 

This ensures older emails are available for search. 

Option 4: Rebuild search index  

This will refresh the search catalog and may take some time. 

This article provides further guidance on the topic: Fix search issues by rebuilding your Instant Search catalog - Microsoft Support 

Option 5: Repair the Outlook desktop app 

Repair the Outlook app to fix any corrupted files or configuration issues that might be causing the problem.    

Note:    

If you proceed with this step, all app settings and saved login information will be reset. This means you may need to reconfigure your preferences and sign in again after the reset.     

We recommend backing up any important settings or data beforehand, if possible.    

You can find this article helpful for further details: Repair an Office application - Microsoft Support   

As community moderators, we kindly ask for your understanding that our access to internal development details is limited. Our primary role is to guide users toward the appropriate resources and support channels. While we may not have visibility into performing deeper backend analysis, we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.  

I hope the information provided proves useful. Please proceed with the outlined steps and let me know whether they resolve the issue. If not, I’ll be glad to continue working with you to find a solution. 

Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout this process. Should you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out at any time. 

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