Published: January 2004

In this article I will describe the new Search Folder functionality found in Outlook 2003. Search Folders are a kind of new user interface for the Advanced Find functionality, which has been with us through several Outlook generations. The thing that makes Search Folders new and unique is the possibility for defined search criterias to be saved and represented through a kind of virtual folder in the Outlook client. What this means is it gives us a virtual folder view of the content in one or more "normal" folders, for which a search criteria has been defined.

Its important to understand that Search Folders only can contain message items (not contacts, tasks, journal items etc.), another limit is they only can include message items from within a single Information Store, but that should be plenty for most of us anyway.

When a default Outlook 2003 client is installed, its preconfigured with three standard Search Folders - For Follow Up, Large Mail and Unread Mail - as shown below:

A Search folder is considered “dead” (yes thats the term for it) until its activated With "dead" is meant - it hasn’t been queried for search results yet, you activate a "dead" Search Folder simply by clicking on it. A “dead” Search Folder is presented in italic and an active in bold. Its also worth noting a “dead” Search Folder (unlike active ones) won’t be visible through a Outlook Web Access (OWA) session. Another limit is you can’t create nor delete Search Folders through the OWA interface, but Search Folders works both with Outlook MAPI clients configured in online and cached mode, but be aware that modifications made in cached mode won't appear immediately in online mode and vice versa.

Creating a Search Folder

You can create a Search Folder using one of below three methods:

1. Through the Menu > File > New > Search Folder…
2. By clicking the New button dropdown menu in the standard toolbar > then Search Folder
3. Right-click the Search Folders folder in left pane > then New Search Folders…

Which brings us to below screen:

Here you can choose between a few predefined standard search folders, such as Mail flagged for follow up, Important mail etc., but we will in this article be concentrating on creating a custom Search Folder, so drill down to the very bottom and click Create a custom Search Folder

Now hit Choose… > then give the Custom Search Folder a related name, in this example we will create a Search Folder named Unread RSS, which will represent any unread messages from my RSS folders. I have around 70 RSS Feeds (which are pulled down with the help of Newsgator) so the Search Folders functionality really comes to justice, as I otherwise would have to browse the RSS folders manually.





Now that the Custom Search Folder has been named, we should click the Browse… button, which bring us this screen:

Here we should uncheck any folders except the one named RSS Feeds (which contains all 70 RSS Feeds) > then hit OK

Well the time a come to define a search criteria, so click Criteria… > then More Choices. As we are only interested in having the Search Folder show unread messages, we should put a checkmark in Only items that are: > then specify Unread exactly as below::

This was the last required setting for our Search Folder, the only thing left to do is to click OK three times.

Our Custom Search Folder are now ready for use, it can be found under the Search Folders folder in the left pane (in order to see it you may have to expand the Search Folders folder).

If you at some point in the future want to get rid of one or more Search Folders, you simply delete the respective folder by rightclicking it > then choosing Delete SearchFolderName on the context menu (don't worry only the Search Folder itself gets deleted, not the content of any of the "real" folders it represents).

Final words

The new Search Folders functionality is one of the more attracting improvements in Outlook 2003, especially if you (like me) organize mail messages in many different subfolders. Search folders makes your experience with the Outlook client so much more effective - if used in the proper way that is - because if you create too many Search Folders it could as well have the opposite effect, and then you would rather be without.

Relevant Reading

831751 - Support WebCast: Using Search Folders and Quick Flags in Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
817890 - You Can Only Create a Search Folder for an E-mail Folder
831400 - Search Folders Are Missing in Outlook Web Access
831402 - How to troubleshoot Search Folders in Outlook 2003


Should you have any questions or comments, send them to: henrik@outlookexchange.com

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