Outlook search returns nothing or stale results
Nearly always the search index is broken or not finished rebuilding after an update or new machine.
Try this first
- 1(In classic Outlook with the File menu. If new Outlook is in the way, toggle it off top-right.) Click in the search bar and pick 'All Mailboxes' at the bottom instead of 'Current Folder'; the scope often quietly narrows.
- 2Outlook > File > Options > Search > Indexing Options. Check that Outlook is listed and the index is not still 'building'.
- 3Rebuild the index: Indexing Options > Advanced > Rebuild. Expect about an hour during which search is unreliable.
- 4Does search work on outlook.office.com? Then it is the local index, not your mailbox.
When to bring us in
If the index is still empty after an overnight rebuild, or several colleagues hit it at once, we want to take a look.
See also
- Outlook crashes or freezes on large attachmentsUsually the mailbox cache is the culprit, not Outlook itself. Shrinking or relocating usually helps within ten minutes.
- Teams: they cannot hear me, or I hear nothingIn our experience Teams usually picked the wrong audio device after a Windows update or a new headset.
- OneDrive has stopped syncingThe cloud icon is grey or has a warning. Locally changed files are not showing up for colleagues.
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