How do I search only in "Focused" inbox?

Copper Contributor

How do I conduct a search so it only returns emails in the "Focused" portion of my inbox?  I can't find an option for it in the advanced search.

4 Replies

@Venerable_Inceptor 

In Outlook, the search feature does not have a specific option to limit the search results to the "Focused" inbox only. However, you can achieve a similar result by using search operators in the search query. Here's how:

1. Open Outlook and go to the Mail section.

2. In the search box at the top of the window, enter the following search query:

 

 

category:Focused YourSearchTerm

 

 


Replace "YourSearchTerm" with the actual keyword or phrase you want to search for within the "Focused" inbox.

For example, if you want to search for emails containing the word "project" in the "Focused" inbox, your search query would be:

 

 

category:Focused project

 

 

3. Press Enter or click the Search button. Outlook will display the search results, limited to the "Focused" inbox only.

By using the `category:Focused` search operator, you can filter the search results to include only emails in the "Focused" inbox. This operator leverages the category assigned by Outlook to classify emails as "Focused" or "Other."

Note that the search query will still return results from other folders or locations if the emails are categorized as "Focused." To further refine the search, you can specify additional search criteria such as sender, date, or subject using the available search operators.

Keep in mind that the availability of search operators may vary depending on your version of Outlook and the configuration of your mailbox.

 

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Hi, I attempted to use the method you described.  However, it did not work.  Whenever I did a search using the category: method as you state, the search returned a null result.  I tried this with even the simplest of search words but the result was the same.

Please offer another way.

Thanks!

Any solutions for this use case? Search in "Focused" inbox only?

@Andre9999 

 

Currently, it is not possible to search for emails only within the Focused tab of your Inbox. Although the Focused and Other tabs categorize emails into important and less important messages, all emails are still located within the Inbox, which makes it impossible to search in just one tab.

 

I suggest that you give Microsoft feedback that explains your workflow so that they can better understand how this feature can benefit you and other users. You can provide your feedback using the Feedback Hub, which can be accessed through this link: https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/forum/89a8afa3-2e1c-ec11-b6e7-0022481f8472.

 

If you found this information useful, please consider marking it as the best response to help others who may have the same question.

 

/Teresa #traccreations4e 4/29/2024