Search function does not work on new Outlook for Mac

Hi Dianna Hammond

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A forum and for sharing your issue. 

To better understand what’s happening, could you please provide a bit more detail: 

-Which macOS version are you using?  

-Which Outlook version are you currently on? 

-Was Outlook installed from the App Store or from the Microsoft website 

-Did this issue start recently, or has it been happening for a while 

Additionally, could you try searching for the same email using Spotlight (press Command + Space) and let me know if it returns any results? 

In the meantime, you can try the following steps: 

1.Rebuild the Spotlight index 

Outlook for Mac relies on Spotlight for search functionality. If the Spotlight index is incomplete or corrupted, search results may not appear.  

You can follow the steps in this Microsoft article to reindex Outlook data: Troubleshoot search issues in Outlook for Mac - Microsoft Support 

2.Re-add your account 

Remove your account from Outlook and add it again to allow a fresh sync. 

You may also refer to the Q&A Assist response and try step 3 to check whether your Outlook profile name contains any special characters (such as “/”), as this may affect search functionality.

Please understand that our initial reply may not always immediately resolve the issue. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.   

I look forward to your update. 

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.  

Follow these steps to troubleshoot search not working in the new Outlook for Mac:

1. Run the Outlook search repair tool
   • Use the OutlookSearchRepair utility to repair Spotlight indexing for Outlook data. This is the first recommended step when Outlook for Mac search returns “No Results” or misses items.
2. Allow time for Spotlight to finish indexing
   • If a new profile was created, a new account was added, or data was recently imported (PST/OLM), Spotlight indexing may still be in progress.
   • While indexing is incomplete, Outlook will show “No Results” or partial results. Leave Outlook and the Mac powered on and connected, then try the search again later.
3. Check the Outlook profile name
   • Search can fail if the Outlook profile name contains special characters (for example, a slash /).
   • To view the profile name:
     1. Open Finder → Applications.
     2. Right‑click Microsoft Outlook → Show Package Contents.
     3. Go to Contents → SharedSupport and open Outlook Profile Manager.
   • If the profile name contains special characters, rename the profile folder:
     1. In Finder, open:
        • /Users/<Username>/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/Outlook/Outlook 15 Profiles/
     2. Rename the profile folder to remove any special characters.
     3. Reopen Outlook and test search again.
4. Ensure the Outlook profile folder is in the correct location
   • The Outlook 15 Profiles folder must be under:
     • ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/Outlook
   • If it has been moved or is under a location excluded from Spotlight (Privacy tab), search may not return results. Move it back to this path if needed.
5. Use Outlook search options appropriately (new Outlook behavior)
   • In the new Outlook, adjust search scope and filters:
     • Go to Settings → General → Search and set the default scope (for example, Current Folder).
     • Use filters to narrow results so older items are shown if there are many matches.
   • When searching multiple accounts, search each account separately and use All Folders for that account, as multi‑account search is not supported.

If search still returns no results after these steps, repeat running OutlookSearchRepair and verify again that indexing has fully completed.

References:

• Troubleshoot search issues in Outlook for Mac
• Outlook for Mac search returns "No Results," and task items are not displayed
• Troubleshooting Outlook search issues