Clever Clogs tip # 689
3 February 2022


Search the way you would say it (Microsoft Outlook) *


Did you know you can use everyday language to find emails in Outlook?

In the same way that you can use normal English when you want to jump to a specific date in your calendar - by typing, for example, tomorrow, next week, next month, next Wednesday - you can use "natural language" to find that needle in a haystack.

Here's how:

  1. Press CTRL + E or ALT + Q (or click in the Search box, if you prefer).
  2. Type what you're looking for. Oh, and it's not cAse sENsiTIve, so no need to press the Shift key!
  3. Press ENTER.

Some searches I find useful:

  • to judi last month attachment
  • from katherine september
  • from karen about tables

Have a play and let me know what works for you. If you want more examples, have a look at Microsoft's website.

Related tips

  1. Set a date using English words and formulas: tip_614.php
  2. Use Outlook's predefined filters to find that needle in a haystack: tip_677.php (This tip contains links to ten more search tips!)

This week's CleverClogsTipTime on LinkedIn, just in case you missed it...

Format dates to include the day of the week

K.

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* Unless stated otherwise this tip is written for Microsoft 365 desktop apps and Windows 10 users, but might also be useful in Office 2010, 2013 and 2016.