Outlook Search Folders and Saved Searches: What You Can (and Can't) Do

A Search Folder is the closest Outlook has ever come to a saved search: a virtual folder that always shows messages matching set criteria, without moving anything. Classic Outlook let you build them freely. New Outlook is slowly bringing them back, but not the way power users remember. Here's where things stand.

Search Folders in classic Outlook

In classic Outlook for Windows, Search Folders are flexible. Right-click Search Folders → New Search Folder, and you can build one from custom criteria such as messages from a specific person, containing certain words, over a certain size, or flagged. The folder updates itself as new mail arrives. It's effectively a saved search that lives in your folder list.

Search Folders in New Outlook

New Outlook removed Search Folders at first, then began reintroducing them. As of early 2026, they live in the Settings experience, and Microsoft expanded the available types to include options like Mail with attachments, Old mail, and Large mail.

The important caveat is that these are predefined types, not the fully custom, criteria-driven Search Folders from classic Outlook. You can pick from Microsoft's menu of folder types, but you can't yet build an arbitrary one from your own query. The feature is back in name, but the power-user version, saving the specific search you just built, isn't.

How to set up a Search Folder

Classic Outlook (custom)

1. Right-click Search Folders in the folder pane.
2. Choose New Search Folder.
3. Pick a template or select Create a custom Search Folder, then define your criteria.
4. The folder appears under Search Folders and stays current automatically.

New Outlook (predefined)

1. Open Settings.
2. Find the Search Folders section.
3. Add one of the available types, such as Mail with attachments or Large mail.
4. It appears in your folder list and updates on its own.

What's still missing

There's no true saved-search feature in New Outlook, no way to type a query, save it, and return to it later as a living view. The predefined Search Folder types cover a few common needs, but when your workflow depended on custom Search Folders, such as a folder for one client or one project, New Outlook can't reproduce it yet. This sits alongside other classic search features New Outlook hasn't restored, like Advanced Find and reliable sort-by-date.

A faster way to return to the searches you run often

Inbox Search is a free Outlook add-in that makes re-running a search trivial because the search itself is instant. Type a few words — plain language works — and your whole mailbox returns ranked results in well under a second, matching by meaning and by exact text. There's no index to babysit and no predefined-type ceiling on what you can look for. Search and indexing stay entirely on your device, with zero data sent elsewhere. Compatible with New Outlook, classic Outlook, the web app, and Mac.

Frequently asked questions

Does New Outlook have Search Folders? Yes, as of early 2026 Search Folders are available in New Outlook's Settings experience, with types like Mail with attachments, Old mail, and Large mail. They are predefined types rather than fully custom folders.

Can I create a custom Search Folder in New Outlook? Not yet. New Outlook offers a menu of predefined Search Folder types but doesn't support building an arbitrary one from your own criteria the way classic Outlook does.

How do I save a search in Outlook? The closest feature is a Search Folder, a virtual folder that always shows messages matching set criteria. Classic Outlook supports custom criteria, while New Outlook currently offers only predefined types. There's no "save this exact query" feature.

Where are Search Folders in New Outlook? They moved into the Settings experience in early 2026, rather than appearing only in the folder pane as in classic Outlook.