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How to Search Inside a Message in Outlook
Can't find a specific word or phrase in a message? Here's what to do
By Heinz Tschabitscher Heinz Tschabitscher Writer University of Vienna A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on December 18, 2020 Reviewed by Ryan Perian Reviewed by Ryan Perian Western Governors University Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email MS Office Outlook Word Excel Powerpoint What to Know
Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013: In a message, go to the Format Text or Message tab. Select Find. Enter the search text next to Find What.Outlook 2010, 2007, 2003: Open a message. Press F4 or Find. (Outlook 2003 use Edit > Find.) Select search options and choose Find Next. This article explains how to search inside a message in Outlook. Instructions are supplied for Outlook 2019 through Outlook 2013. Additional information is given for highlighting all instances of a term in a message. Search Within a Message in Outlook
If you show email messages as a conversation in Outlook, the thread can become long. If you paste content into new messages, this text may need to be revised or formatted. When you want to find specific text in a message, use the Outlook Find and Replace tools to highlight the text inside the message. For Outlook 2019 2016 and 2013
To find specific text inside an email in Outlook 2019, 2016, and 2013: Double-click a message, create a new message, reply to a message, or forward a message. In the message window, go to either the Format Text tab or the Message tab. In the Editing group, select Find. In the Find and Replace dialog box, place the cursor in the Find what text box and enter the word or phrase you want to find. Select Find Next to locate the first instance of the word or phrase. To find and highlight all the instances of the word or phrase at one time, select Find In > Main Document. Select Find Next to move to each subsequent instance of the word or phrase. Select Cancel when you're finished. For Outlook 2010 2007 and 2003
To find specific text inside an email in Outlook 2010 and 2007: Double-click the message to open it in its own window. You cannot search inside a message that displays in the Outlook preview pane. Press F4 or click Find in the message's toolbar (the Message ribbon must be active and expanded). In Outlook 2003, select Edit > Find from the menu. Select your search options. Click Find Next to find all occurrences of your search terms in the message. To use the Edit > Find Next menu item in Outlook 2003, keep the Search dialog box open. Close the Find dialog box when you're finished. Find and Highlight Text on the Screen
To visually scan for every occurrence of a word or phrase in an email, instruct Outlook to highlight every instance of a specific word or phrase. Although the word or phrase is highlighted throughout the email, the highlighting doesn't show when the document is printed. Here's how to show highlighted text in a message: Open the message in a separate window. Go to either the Format Text tab or the Message tab. In the Editing group, select Find. In the Find and Replace dialog box, place the cursor in the Find what text box and enter the word or phrase you want to highlight. Select Reading Highlight > Highlight All to highlight all instances of the word or phrase. The text remains highlighted (even after the Find and Replace dialog box is closed) until you turn off highlighting. To turn off the highlighting, select Reading Highlight > Clear Highlighting. Select Close to close the Find and Replace dialog box. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Control F on iPad How to Purge Deleted Outlook Email How to Save an Outlook Email as a PDF How to Fix Outlook Search When It's Not Working How to Recall an Email in Outlook How to Remove Paragraph Symbols in Outlook How to Forward an Email as an Attachment in Outlook How to Search a PDF How to Insert a Link Into an Email With Outlook How to Fix It When Outlook Spell Check Is Not Working How to Insert an Inline Image in an Outlook Message How to Merge and Unmerge Cells in Excel Can You Find and Replace Words in Google Docs? Learn How to Properly Redirect an Email in Outlook How to Recover Mail From the Outlook Junk Mail Folder How to Search for Emails With Empty Subject Lines in Outlook Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies