Fixing Issues with Outlook Email Search

Owned by Chris Miller, created
Last updated: Jan 13, 2023
2 min read

 Problem

When you search your email in the Outlook desktop client or in the Outlook web app, you do not get as many results as you were expecting. Either some emails seem missing, or the search results don’t go as far back as you expected.

 Solution #1 - Check Your Client Cache Settings

If you are searching for emails in your Outlook desktop client, and the results only go back a certain period of time, you may need to change your Outlook cache settings:

  1. Open your Outlook desktop app and select “File” at the top of the window.

  2. Click the “Account Settings” button and select “Account Settings…” from the drop-down menu.

  3. An Account Settings window will appear with the list of Outlook profiles in your client. Find the profile for the mailbox you are searching (most likely your username@wwu.edu) and double-click on it.

  4. The Offline Settings window will appear. Uncheck the box that says “Use Cached Exchange Mode” and click Next, then click Done.

    1. Alternatively, you can leave the box checked, but adjust the slider left and right to change how far back in time the local cache will go. This will determine how far back in time you can search.

  5. Close the Account Settings window and restart Outlook.

  6. Depending on the amount of email in your mailbox, it may take several minutes for the search function to fully work again.

These changes may significantly degrade the performance of your Outlook client. You can reverse the change by following the same steps as above, but checking the “Use Cached Exchange Mode” box instead of unchecking it.

If this does not resolve your issue, proceed to the second solution below.

 Solution #2 - Repair Your Search Index

If you do not get the search results you are expecting from either the Outlook desktop client or the Outlook web app, you may need to rebuild your Search Index (also known as the Instant Search Catalog).

For instructions on how to fix this issue, see Microsoft’s support article here: Fix search issues by rebuilding your Instant Search catalog - Microsoft Support

A failed search in Outlook may also be the result of a larger issue, such as a lack of network connectivity or a need to re-enter your password.