51. Using Search
Finding your messages in a large mailbox isn’t difficult when you use Instant Search. If you use the same search over and over, you can create a search folder, which contains always-up-to-date search results.
Outlook also offers several other ways to find things in your mailbox, including the Find Related command and the People pane. Although these methods use essentially the same search criteria, each has unique benefits.
Using Instant Search
Instant Search is a quick and easy way to find your messages, contacts, or appointments. Simply type a keyword in the Search field or refine the search query using field names and wait a few seconds for Outlook to find items matching the keyword. If you don’t refine the search to specific fields, Outlook searches all common fields.
The Search tab, shown in Figure 51.1, displays when you click in the Search field or press Ctrl+E on your keyboard so you can select the fields to refine the search. After you learn the common field names, it’s usually faster to type the query into the Search field.
Choose the folders you want to search in the Scope group on the left side of the Search tab. Options include All Mailboxes, Current Mailbox, Current Folder, Subfolders, or All Outlook Items.
To set a specific scope as your default search scope, click the Search Tools button on the Search tab and select Search Options from the menu to open the Outlook Options dialog box. On this tab, you can configure the search options, including the default scope, the search term highlight color, and whether to include the Deleted Items folder in the results.
Using Instant Search Queries
Instant Search includes a number of commands you can use to refine a search. You can insert these commands by clicking buttons on the Search tab or you can type the query into the search field directly. Typing the query is a faster and more efficient way to do a search, when you know the commands to use.
To search by a field name, type the Outlook field name in the search field. Don’t use a space in multiple-word field names.
from:john
firstname:mary
To search between (but not including) two dates use the following format with any date field. This example will find messages received 1/2/2013 through 4/14/2013.
received:(>1/1/2013 AND <4/15/2013)
To include the two dates in the results, add an equal sign or use two periods between the dates. These two queries will find messages received 1/1/2013 through 4/15/2013.
received:(>=1/1/2013 AND <=4/15/2013)
received: (1/1/13..6/15/13)
To find messages of a certain size or within a size range use the greater than (>), less than (<), and equal (+) symbols or two periods.
size:10kb
size:=50KB<60kb
size:3mb..12mb
In addition to greater than, less than, and equal symbols, you can use commas, AND, or OR operators between search terms.
from:(mary NOT smith)
cc:(mary AND sue)
to:(mary OR billy)
You can use some natural language words with Instant search. Search recognizes days of the week (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday), the months (March, April, May), as well as today, tomorrow, yesterday, week, next month, last week, past month, and coming year. The space between multiple word phrases is optional: thisweek, nextmonth, lastweek, pastmonth, and comingyear are valid in Instant Search.
received:(last week)
start:(nextmonth)
Using Partial Word Searches
Instant Search can’t do the type of partial word search most people want, with the search term found anywhere in the word. Instant search looks for the search term at the beginning of each word. This means searching for ann would include Anniversary in the results but not MaryAnne. The search engine sees most punctuation as the end of a word, so it would find ann in Mary-Anne.
Finding Related Messages
Find Related is a predefined Instant Search query. You can access it by right-clicking a message in your mailbox or by clicking the Related button on the Message tab in an open message. The Find Related command enables you to find related messages in a conversation or from a specific sender.
Searching on the People Pane
If you need to find recent messages, attachments, or appointments from a specific person, view the People pane (see Figure 51.2) at the bottom of the Reading pane in an open message from that person.
FIGURE 51.2 The People Pane displays recent messages from the sender or any recipient of the current message.
The People pane lists the sender and each person the message was sent to, represented by a contact photo (if available) or a generic people icon. Click the photo or icon to view messages from that person and click any message to open it.
Minimize and maximize the People pane by clicking the top of the bar (or use the arrow on the right side). You can adjust the height of the maximized window by dragging the top edge. To turn the People pane off completely, click the People Pane button on the View tab and select Off from the menu.
The People Pane works best when you need to find recent messages as it is limited to the 100 most recent items, including Facebook or LinkedIn status updates.
Creating Search Folders
If there is an Instant Search you use a lot, you can create a search folder for it. Search folders are virtual folders that can display messages from any folder in the data file (unlike Instant Search, which can search all data files in the profile). If a search folder is used at least once every 8 days, the folder watches for messages meeting the condition of the search and adds them to the search results.
To create a search folder, follow these steps:
1. Right-click Search Folders in the folder list.
2. Choose New Search Folder.
3. In the New Search Folder dialog box, shown in Figure 51.3, select from one of the predefined searches or create a custom search folder.
4. Choose your search criteria.
5. Click OK to close the dialog box.
6. Right-click the new search folder and choose Show in Favorites.
Note
Search folders are limited only to email. You can’t use them with other Outlook item types. Search folders display the results of a search; messages are not moved to search folders.