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Outlook Search Operator Cheatsheet

Outlook search uses Keyword Query Language. This page gives the working operators and the ones that look like they should work but don't.

Operators (KQL syntax)
from:"Sam Smith"From a specific person (name or address)
to:sam@example.comSent to a specific recipient
subject:proposalSubject contains the word
hasattachment:trueHas at least one attachment
received:todayReceived today (also: yesterday, this week, last week, this month)
received:1/1/2026..3/31/2026Date range (US date format)
sent:>1/1/2026Sent after a date
importance:highMarked high importance
kind:meetingSpecific item type (also: contacts, tasks, notes)
size:>5MBSize threshold
category:RedTagged with a category
isread:noUnread (also: isread:yes)
from:sam AND subject:proposalBoolean AND
from:sam OR from:alexBoolean OR
NOT subject:newsletterBoolean NOT
What it does

Lists from:, to:, subject:, hasattachment:, received:, sent:, importance:, kind:, plus the date range and size operators. Flags syntax differences between Outlook Web and Desktop.

When to use

Auditing Outlook mailboxes. Building Outlook search folders. Compliance e-discovery.

FAQ

You know the rule. See where you sit against it.

Reference pages tell you the benchmark. Outsolvi tells you whether your team is above or below it — per-rep, per-deal, per-week — and which behavior changes move the number. From $7/user/mo yearly.

See your number
Nate SummersCo-Founder, Outsolvi

Nate built Outsolvi after watching every email-tracking tool he had ever used lie to him about opens. Outsolvi runs Tier 1 to 5 confidence scoring on every open, native in Outlook and Gmail, so the number on the dashboard is one a rep can actually act on.

Last reviewed May 25, 2026Editorially independent

We update these pages when the underlying mechanics change — new mailbox-provider rules, new tracker behavior, new measurement gaps. The dates above are real revisions, not auto-touches.