This may sound odd, but the most efficient search keyword in Outlook is a space. Often people only use one word or name to search, but when you use more words you get much more tailored results – exponentially more precise with each word you add. The right word combination will make it a lot easier

to dig up the right emails. Use at least two words, which do not need to be a phrase or occur in any particular order. The more specific the words you use, the better. You will get more precise results if you search for ‘quarterly review’ rather than ‘meeting’. But use whatever you can think of off the top of your head and don’t waste time looking up. Do mind your spelling, though. The search function looks for exactly what you’re asking.

Keep in mind that Outlook searches all of the following elements:

• The subject field
• Name fields
• Date fields
• The body of the email (text)
• Searchable attachments**If you have activated indexing in your email client*

This means that, if you can remember words from the text or even attachments, you can use that as part of your search query. This can be very helpful if you know product codes or invoice numbers that make the email you’re searching for relatively unique.

“Try to search for email the same way you would search the internet. If you can’t remember the subject or someone’s name, don’t break your head over it! Just use the words you can remember from the email or attachment, just as if the email is a website that you need to find using Google!”