How to Search for Email in Outlook with Multiple Words?

If you are like most Outlook users, you keep a lot of your email archives in Word documents. These files can be quite valuable, and you need to be able to find them when you need them.

But eventually, the Word files in your inbox get buried under thousands of messages, and it’s tough to see the relationship between them and your email archives.

Microsoft Outlook search option acquires top position when you talk about searching your mail from your folder.

The search option available in Microsoft Outlook has improved its functionality to make users clearer and more transparent. If you want to find some email or data from the inbox or any other folder, use the search option.

Most of the time users are unable to find emails, the reason might be unknown. One of the common reasons is that Microsoft Outlook advanced search not working.

Microsoft Outlook provides several different approaches to make the best use of the search option available with the system.

Some specific kind of search folder or time you want to filter set up with just a few clicks before hitting search. Both Individual and business users get their messages very quickly to the point.

If you are struggling to get the Outlook search function. Must find out why Microsoft Outlook cannot search recent emails.

The Microsoft Outlook search bar missing

The most frequent problem you are unable to search for emails is ‘Missing Search Bar’, which is due to some Outlook errors. if you are on some urgent assignment, you just need a quick comeback.

  • Open Outlook
  • Click the File option left-hand side of the outlook screen >> Options >> Customize ribbon
Options Outlook
customize ribbon search bar Outlook
  • Select ‘Tools Tab’ in the field of ‘Choose Commands from‘. and also, select in the field of ‘Customize the Ribbon’, you should select the ‘Main Tab‘.
  • Locate ‘Search‘ on the left side and click the ‘Add‘ button in the center.
  • Click OK, and you will find the search bar again on the screen.

How to rebuild Microsoft Outlook?

Microsoft Outlook is unable to search emails, it is required to rebuild the Outlook search index. Here is the [Step by Step] process.

  • Click the File option left-hand side of the outlook screen >> Options
Options Outlook
outlook search option
  • Click Search >> Indexing Option >> OK >> Advance >> Rebuilt
rebuilt indexing
  • This process rebuilt all the search scenarios of the Microsoft Outlook Search, it will recreate all the broken tissues of the system.

What is Outlook Indexing?

In simple terms, an inventory is created from the terms found in email messages in your inbox.

It’s like the index page of your book, but instead of manually searching for the term in the book’s index, you’re searching for it electronically by entering the term in an Outlook search box.

Reduce your search parameter

Searching for a needle in the haystack is quite difficult how about if you narrow your search criteria?

For example, if you use several e-mail accounts on Outlook, you should select the relevant account before searching, to find your doctor’s prescription received 3 years back, it is easy if you find out by selecting the inbox folder. If the Outlook search function is still not working, Go for a restart.

Fixing PST Files in Outlook

PST file is Outlook stands for personal storage table it consists of all the folders, contacts, calendars, etc. So, all you need to do is run the scanpst.exe executable file.

You can search for this program by using the default Windows search box or you can locate the file under C: Program Files Microsoft Office.

How to search multiple words in Outlook?

  1. Open Outlook Application.
  2. Enter multiple words using ‘AND/OR‘ in the middle of words.
  3. The Result list consists of emails having described words.

The search function is my personal favorite option available in Outlook, I switch using a Gmail account from Exchange to Microsoft Outlook.

Microsoft Outlook also allows you to find your mail or document with Outlook search multiple words search options.

Usually, the search bar consists of criteria that work all your homework and brings the best-desired record on your screen, for some users it is required to find or narrow down the search criteria multiple words search comes into play.

search current mail box outllook

The search function in Outlook holds ‘AND/OR‘ search criteria, it’s quite simple if you search using the ‘And‘ word between two different keywords.

The result lists a resemblance to both the words that exist in the same subject mail (that means the mail subject required both the words you entered).

On the other hand, if you search using the ‘OR‘ word between two different keywords, The result lists a resemblance to either word (separately) that exists in the subject mail.

Let’s understand with an example

Select your search folder, and find out two keywords you need to search for now, for instance for making it easy, let’s type ‘order AND zomato’. It is clear the mail containing both zomato orders is on the list.

Search Multiple Keywords

On typing ‘order OR zomato’, you will get results specific for both the words as well as individual words in the subject line.

Search Multiple Keywords outlook

Note: It is especially important/mandatory to type ‘OR/AND’ in capital letters just to instruct Outlook to show the results according to the specific requirement. 

search icon outlook

How search option works best for you in Outlook?

In addition to the above information about multiple search keywords in Outlook & how to fix if Microsoft Outlook is not able to search emails? I like to share one more excellent feature of Microsoft Outlook that is:

Search Option under kutools tab

search option kutools outlook

This search option is more specific to finding some related criteria.

  • Emails contain the sender – Under these criteria, you must enter the email address in the search box, you want to find all related emails containing that email address in any form (To, CC, BCC).
  • Email from the sender – When you select this option you will get all related emails received from that Email Address, it is mandatory to type ‘from: “email address” and press enter.
  • Email to the sender – This search level is reverse from the above example, you will get (search result) all related emails to send to that Email address or sent by somebody else to that Email address, and that mail is copied to you, it is mandatory to type ‘to: “email address” and press enter.

There is a lot more to let you about the Outlook search engine, these above examples to real magic for individual or corporate users to narrow their search criteria to find out or filter some specific requirements.

If you continue to experience issues with the Outlook search function not working, you can probably go for rebuild Microsoft Outlook or reinstall Outlook.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Does Outlook search time range?

Outlook can search email between dates range, but there is no option available to search the mail between a range.

How To Search Specific Phrases In Outlook?

The most effective way to search for a specific phrase in Outlook is by using the Search feature. below you will get an explanation in detail of how to search for a specific phrase in Outlook, and to be able to do this, you will need to know what a ‘Search Scope‘ is.

  • Open your Folder, for instance, “Inbox”
  • Type your specific phrase with quotes in the Search box [for example “Technical Onboarding Manager”].
How To Search Specific Phrase In Outlook

Final Words

In Conclusion, you should be able to find your emails properly now. Outlook is a complex application and there are hundreds of features that can be hard to find, but hopefully, you have learned the basics and can now search Outlook effectively.

Learning how to search Outlook with multiple words is a wonderful way to increase productivity.

By entering multiple search words in Outlook’s search bar, you can often find emails that you would not have found otherwise. Once you get used to it, you’ll even wonder how you ever lived without this feature.

We hope that the article will be an immense help to those who wish to learn how to search Outlook with multiple words.

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