In Outlook 365 online - how do you search for emails without a category

RJ-0735 0 Reputation points
2025-11-06T07:09:30.65+00:00

In Outlook 365 online ( I have an exchange account - but I assume it is the same even if otherwise ), how can we search for all emails WITHOUT a category assigned.

I have tried all sort of options in the search field - but nothing works. You guys really need to improve some of these very basic options that so many users have been chasing and for quite a long time.

Outlook | Web | Outlook on the web for business | Email

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  1. Liora D 18,930 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-11-06T09:06:39.5233333+00:00

    Dear R J,

    Welcome to Microsoft Q&A. 

    I’ve checked this thoroughly, and unfortunately, this is a known limitation in Outlook on the Web. There is currently no built-in search operator to find emails without a category assigned. I’ve seen many discussions and requests about this going back several years, which shows that this is a feature users have been asking for for a long time. 

    Personally, I agree with you, this would be a very useful feature for managing and organizing emails. At the moment, Outlook Web does not support this capability, but you can achieve it in Classic Outlook by creating a custom Search Folder. Here’s how: 

    Step 1: Switch back to Classic Outlook 

    • In Outlook desktop, click the gear icon (Settings) and select Switch to Classic Outlook.  User's image

    Step 2: Create a Search Folder for uncategorized emails 

    1. In the Mail view, select the email account where you want to create the Search Folder, then click Folder > New Search Folder.  User's image
    2. In the New Search Folder dialog box, select Create a custom Search Folder, then click Choose.  User's image
    3. In the Custom Search Folder dialog box, type a name for the folder (e.g., “Uncategorized Emails”), then click Criteria.  User's image
    4. In the Search Folder Criteria dialog box:  
      • Go to the Advanced tab. 
      • Click Field > Frequently-used fields > Categories. 
      • In Condition, select is empty. 
      • Click Add to List, then OK to save.  User's image

    This will create a Search Folder that automatically shows all emails without any category assigned. 

     

    I strongly recommend reporting this limitation to Microsoft so they can prioritize it for Outlook on the Web. You can do this by: 

    If you create a feedback post, please feel free to share the link here, I’ll gladly upvote it myself. 

    If you run into any issues while trying the steps, or if something still doesn’t feel quite right, please don’t hesitate to reach out again. I’ll do my best to support you however I can.  

    Looking forward to hearing back from you with any updates or additional details. 

    Warm regards, 

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".    

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