Tip 1098: Searching for messages from a contact

When you needed to find messages and other Outlook items associated with a contact in older versions of Outlook, you could use the Activities page on the contact see everything linked to that contact. However, Activities was removed from Outlook 2013. While the People Pane replaces some of the functionality of Activities, it is limited to the last 200 items (but that can be changed by editing the registry.)

Instant Search is quick, but requires typing the name in the Search field… or not. You can drag a contact to the search field then click the all Outlook Items button. If you're careful and do it just right, Outlook will add the contact's File as name to the Search field. Then select All Outlook Items and start the search.

If you don't drag exactly right, Outlook creates a search for contactlastname:(first last). If this happens to you and you are struggling to get just the names in the search field, try clicking in the search field before dragging the contact to it. That has yet to fail me.

If you prefer using macros, you can create an Instant Search using a selected contact's name or email address, or create a search folder for messages To or From the contact.

Code samples are available at How to create an Outlook search folder using VBA and Use Instant search to find messages from a contact.

Of course, you can right click on any message and use Find Related, or click on Related in the ribbon of an open message, to find messages from that person or in the thread.

Published August 9, 2013. Last updated on August 16, 2013.