Sometimes, when you use the search facility in Outlook Desktop client to look up an email within your mailbox, it may appear as if your results aren't being displayed or you are not seeing items you would expect. 

Microsoft Outlook Desktop Client implements many intelligent features to provide fast search, however it may omit some items despite the entered keyword. This is to reduce the amount of time it takes to display your search result.

When you search in Outlook desktop client, two search engines are used simultaneously. Depending on which engine finishes first, its result will be displayed to you.

Outlook uses local/offline search, known as Windows Desktop Search, as well as Online search over the network, known as Cloud Search. Windows Desktop Search Engine always takes priority as its fastest, but if the network search query returns the result quicker, even if it's by milliseconds, its result will be displayed to you first. This feature is called Outlook Instant Search. To learn more about this technology and how to utilise it to get the best search result, see the following article from Microsoft.

Find a message or item with Instant Search

Whilst the above described feature outputs search results fast, it may not give you the detailed search output or return that specific item you may be looking for. It is therefore recommend to narrow down your search query by using specific criteria. See the following article and use the reference table to learn quick tips to get the search result you want.

Learn to narrow your search criteria for better searches in Outlook

If you have used all of the above tips and tricks to look for an item within your mailbox and you are still not able to locate it, your search service on your computer may be broken and requires to be re-indexed. See the following Knowledge Base Article to find out how to resolve this problem.

Fix Outlook Search Service on your Computer

If you are still experiencing issues with search facility in both Outlook desktop client and or on the Web App via Office 365, contact IT Services to get help.

Contact IT Services

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