How to search in email messages body/text in Outlook?

As we know, when typing keywords directly in the Instant Search box, Outlook will do the search in emails’ subjects, bodies, attachments, etc. But we want to narrow the search scope and look for keywords in email’s message bodies only in Outlook. Any solutions? Yes, we get two solutions for this problem:

Search in message body/text of a certain email in Outlook

Please follow below steps to search your keyword in an email’s message body/text in Outlook.

1. Shift to the Mail view, and double click to open the email whose message body you will search the keyword in.

2. Click Message > Find. See screenshot:

3. In the opening Find and Replace dialog box, please type the keyword you will search into the Find what box, and then click Reading Highlight > Highlight All. See screenshot:

And now the specified keyword in the message body is highlighted, but not highlighted in message header. See screenshot:

4. Close the Find and Replace dialog box.

One click to enable Query Builder, and easily search with multiple keywords In message body

Kutools for Outlook can help you enable the Query Builder in Advanced Find dialog box with only one click. Under the Query Builder tab, you can add multiple search keywords, and specify the logical relationship "AND" or "OR" amount these keywords.  Click for 60-day free trial without limitation!
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Search in message body/text of all emails in a mail folder in Outlook

If you need to search the specified keyword in the message bodies/text of all emails in a certain mail folder, please do as follows:

1. Shift to the Mail view, and open the specified mail folder where you will search keywords in message bodies of all emails.

2. Press Ctrl + Shift + F keys simultaneously to open the Advanced Find dialog box.
Note: You can also open the Advanced Find dialog box by putting cursor in the Instant Search box and clicking Search > Search Tools > Advanced Find.

3. In the Advanced Find dialog box, please go to the Advanced tab, and define search criteria:

(1) Click Field > All Mail fields > Message;
(2) Select the contains from the Condition drop down list;
(3) Type the specified keyword into the Value box;
(4) Click the Add to List button.

And now the defined search criteria is added into the Find items that match these criteria box.

4. Click the Find Now button.

all emails whose message bodies contain the specified keyword are found out and listed at the bottom of Advanced Find dialog box. See screenshot:

5. Close the Advanced Find dialog box.

Demo: search in email messages body/text in Outlook


Tip: In this Video, Kutools tab is added by Kutools for Outlook. If you need it, please click here to have a 60-day free trial without limitation!

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  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    huendli@gmail.com · 7 months ago
    The problem is that the "Message" field also contains its header, and a pure "Body" field is missing. So if you're intending to search for a word that is also part of your email address domain, you're lost since all messages sent to that address are also being found.
  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    BlackVoid · 1 years ago
    My Office looks completely different.
    • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
      kellytte · 1 years ago
      There are several situations to get the Find feature:
      1. Use Find feature within a received email. In the main window, double click the certain received email to open it in the Message Window, then you will get the Find feature (or press F4 key directly).
      2. Use Advanced Find feature in one/multiple mail folders. In the main Outlook window, press Ctrl + Shift + F keys simultaneously to open the Advanced Find dialog.
      3. Use Find feature in a composing email. When creating a new email, or replying/forwarding an email, press Ctrl + F keys together will open the Find and Replace dialog.
  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    Vic · 2 years ago
    Thank you! The second solution is exactly what I was seeking!