Outlook Search Not Working? Here’s to Fix It Quickly

Summary: In a corporate environment, the “Outlook Search Not Working” issue acts as a productivity blocker. This issue commonly occurs during mailbox migrations and in enterprises for large-scale data imports. Today’s technical article will discuss how to fix Outlook Search not working issue. We will look at the most common causes of Outlook search failures and ways to fix them. Continue to read the article to know more about the issue, causes, and the practical solutions to fix it.

Mac Outlook Search Not Working: Identify the Root Cause

Before implementing the solutions, let us look at the potential causes of the Outlook search failure issue. 

Questions to Ask	Identify the Cause & Possible Solutions
Issue limited to one user or many?	Single User: Client or Mailbox issue Multiple Users: Exchange issue All Tenants: M365 service incident
Does OWA search work?	If Yes: Issue with Windows Search or OST cache. Exchange is fine.
Is the search scope set correctly?	Scope dropdown set to Current Folder: Set it to Current mailbox or All Mailboxes.
Is Indexing paused or incomplete?	File > Options > Search > Indexing Options and says “Indexing is Paused”: Rebuild Windows Search Index
Is the Windows Search service actually running?	If Status is Disabled: Rebuild Windows Search Index
Has Outlook or Office been updated recently?	If Yes, cause search bugs: Install the latest version of both
Is the Outlook profile corrupted?	Search fails in one profile: Create a new Outlook profile
Is the OST or PST file damaged?	If Yes: Repair the Outlook OST/PST files
Is Outlook running in Cached Exchange Mode?	Search is slow or incomplete: Enable Cached Exchange Mode
Is the mailbox extremely large?	Yes, they can exceed Outlook search limits: Archive older mail

How to Fix Outlook Search Not Working?

Now, let us execute the solutions to fix the Outlook search function failures. We will also introduce a professional tool to backup the Outlook for Mac OLM data.

Fix 01: Rebuild the Spotlight Index

If the user comes with a query, “My Outlook search is not working”, then they need to rebuild the index. In macOS, Outlook relies on the Spotlight index to find the emails. Look at the steps to do it:

1. First, navigate to the Apple logo and then go to System Settings.
2. After that, choose Spotlight > Search Privacy > “+” > Macintosh HD drive.
3. Next, click on Open to add the drive and wait for a few seconds.
4. Now, select Macintosh HD > “-” and close the window.
5. Spotlight will automatically rebuild the index. After a few minutes, open Outlook and test the search function.

Fix 02: Create a New Outlook Profile

The Outlook search feature fails if the Outlook profile gets damaged. By generating a new profile, it may fix Outlook search issues.

Use the steps to begin the process:

1. Close the MS Outlook application completely.
2. Then, open Finder and press Go > Applications and open the MS Outlook application folder.
3. Next, press and hold the Option key on the keyboard and click on the Outlook icon.
4. Now, click on “+”, create a new profile, and choose Set as Default.
5. Launch the MS Outlook application and add your email account.
6. Allow it to sync and verify the Outlook search function. 

Fix 03: Repair the Outlook Data File (OST/PST)

If rebuilding the Spotlight index fails to fix the “Search not working in Outlook 365” issue, then the data file might be at fault. On macOS, Outlook stores the mailbox data in its profile folder.

The following are the steps to initiate the process:

1. Start by completely closing the Outlook application.
2. Next, open Finder > Go > Go to Folder and enter: ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/Outlook.
3. Click on Go and open the folder named Outlook Profiles.
4. Now, locate the profile folder, create a backup of it, and then rename the folder.
5. Open the MS Outlook application and sign in to your email account.
6. Wait for it to synchronize the mailbox data and then test the search function. 

Fix 04: Run Outlook Search Repair Utility

The Outlook Search Repair utility is provided by Microsoft. It helps to rebuild the Spotlight search database. 

Look at the steps to begin the repair:

1. First, quit the MS Outlook application.
2. Then, visit the official Microsoft website and download the Outlook Search Repair Tool.
3. It will first check if duplicate Outlook apps exist. If yes, remove the unwanted one and restart macOS.
4. Launch the tool again and click on Reindex.
5. Once the process is completed, close the tool and reopen MS Outlook.
6. Now, test the Outlook search function.

Fix 05: Update Microsoft Outlook and macOS

Sometimes, the search failure is because of the outdated versions of Outlook and macOS. Also, it can lead to the “Cannot Log into Outlook on Mac” error.

To update Microsoft Outlook, follow these steps:

1. Open MS Outlook and then click on Help > Check for Updates.
2. After that, enable Automatically keep Microsoft Apps up to date.
3. Next, click on the Update button if any updates are available.
4. Now, when the update finishes, restart the Mac and open Outlook.

Update macOS by following the steps below:

1. Start by opening the Apple menu and navigating to System Settings.
2. Then, head to General > Software Update.
3. If you find any updates, click on Update Now, download it, and restart your Mac.

Conclusion

The “Outlook search function not working” issue is very frustrating, especially when you depend on a quick search for important emails. This results in issues like indexing errors, outdated apps, corrupted files, or permission problems. To fix Outlook search not working, we have learnt various methods. We have also recommended a professional tool, the MacSonik OLM Converter Tool, for backing up the OLM data.

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