Mac outlook search issue

Question

Using Mac OS Tahoe 26.3.1 and my outlook Version 16.107.2 search feature won't work. It is syncing with an IMAP account. Search works on my web browser. Also I tried to see if using a different program (apple mail) fixed the issue and it did. Tried to re-index spotlight but no luck. Tried to un-install and re-install the whole Microsoft 365 apps with preferences and it still won't work.

Answer 1

Hi Kurtis,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum. 

Since you’ve confirmed search works in Outlook on the web and you can find messages in Apple Mail, this points to an issue specific to the New Outlook for Mac experience rather than your mailbox data. In New Outlook for Mac, search is powered by Microsoft Search.

Below are the recommended steps for New Outlook for Mac and IMAP:

1. Check IMAP settings (download content & folder sync)

• Open Outlook > Settings > Accounts
• Select your IMAP account > Advanced.
• Review Download headers only: if it’s enabled, turn it off so Outlook downloads full message content
• Set/confirm Sync all IMAP folders every x minutes to ensure all folders stay up to date.
• If available, enable Use IMAP IDLE (if the server supports it) so folders update continuously.

2. Try Search Filters / AQS to rule out scope issues

• Select Filters at the end of the search box to adjust scope (Folder/Date/Attachments, etc.).
• Try one or two simple AQS searches in the search bar, for example:
  • subject:report / from:NAME / hasattachment:yes

3. Temporary workaround: use Outlook on the web to search

• While testing in the Mac app, you can continue using Outlook on the web for searching, since you already confirmed it works for your mailbox.

Please feel free to let me know if you have any further updates, thanks.

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Answer 2

Follow these Outlook for Mac search troubleshooting steps, focusing on items not yet resolved by reinstalling and generic Spotlight reindexing:

1. Confirm Spotlight indexing has finished

• If a new profile/account or large import was recently added, Outlook may show “No Results” until Spotlight finishes indexing. Wait for indexing to complete, then test search again.

2. Check Outlook profile name for special characters

• Outlook search can fail if the profile name contains special characters (for example, /).
• To view the profile name:
  1. In Finder, select Go > Applications.
  2. Right‑click Microsoft Outlook and select Show Package Contents.
  3. Expand Contents > SharedSupport and open Outlook Profile Manager.
• If the profile or identity name contains special characters, rename it:
  1. In Finder, open: /Users/<Username>/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/Outlook/Outlook 15 Profiles/
  2. Rename the Outlook profile folder and remove any special characters.

3. Ensure the Outlook profile is in the default location

• The profile folder must be under: ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/Outlook/Outlook 15 Profiles/
• If the profile or its parent folders were moved elsewhere, move them back to this path.

4. Verify Spotlight Privacy settings

• If the Outlook profile folder or its parent folders are added to Spotlight’s Privacy list, Outlook items will not be indexed.
• Remove the Outlook data path from Spotlight Privacy if present, then allow time for reindexing.

5. Force a targeted Outlook Spotlight reindex Since generic Spotlight reindexing did not help, run the Outlook-specific importer against the profile:
6. Restart the Mac to restart Spotlight services.
7. Open Finder > Applications > Utilities > Terminal.
8. Run:

      mdimport -L
   

   • If more than one Microsoft Outlook Spotlight Importer.mdimporter appears, delete the unused Outlook app, empty Trash, restart the Mac, and repeat from step 2.
9. In Terminal, reindex the Outlook database (replace <user_name> and <my_profile_name>):

      mdimport -g "/Applications/Microsoft Outlook.app/Contents/Library/Spotlight/Microsoft Outlook Spotlight Importer.mdimporter" -d1 "/Users/<user_name>/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/Outlook/Outlook 15 Profiles/<my_profile_name>"
   

   • By default <my_profile_name> is Main Profile unless renamed.
10. Allow time for reindexing to complete, then exit and restart Outlook and test search again.
11. If search still fails

• After completing the above steps and allowing enough time for Spotlight indexing, the remaining documented remediation is a full uninstall and reinstall of Office for Mac. Since this was already done, re‑check that:
  • The profile path and name conform exactly to the documented defaults.
  • No duplicate Outlook installations remain (only one Outlook app and one Spotlight importer).

If, after confirming these conditions and running the targeted mdimport command, search still does not work, the documented guidance is to reinstall Office for Mac again as a final step.

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References:

• Troubleshoot search issues in Outlook for Mac
• Outlook for Mac search returns "No Results," and task items are not displayed