Exclude a Folder From Search in Outlook – Delete Items in Outlook Search

“Hello everyone, I am a professor. I used Outlook 2010 as an email client. Usually, I sort my messages into different folders for my ease. Thus, I need to use the Search filter to find the emails. However, it may result in unwanted search results which are irrelevant to me. Sometimes, I always wish to remove Sent Items, Junk E-mail, RSS feed, and some other folders from the search list. How to exclude a folder from search in Outlook 2010?”

Many times when users perform an instant search with a scope set of “All Mail Items”. Microsoft Outlook will result out many irrelevant items such as Drafts and RSS feeds. Afterward, finding out the needed one from search list becomes difficult for the users. Therefore, in this article, we will illustrate a few methods to fix Outlook Search issues faced by users while they try to exclude items from Outlook search.

How to Exclude a Folder from Search in Outlook?

When the users use Outlook search filter to find out any specific data item. At that time, MS Outlook considered ‘Current folder’ for default searching option. Also, ‘All Outlook item’s and ‘All Mail Items folders’ are available for wider search. However, searching in the wider environment, many needless like draft items will display on the Outlook interface. So, in order to remove a search folder in Outlook 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, follow this step-by-step guide to set search filter which does not contain your unnecessary items and folders in it. So follow the steps to remove a particular item in Outlook search results.

Methods to Exclude Items from Outlook Search

Here we discuss two approaches that may help you to remove / delete search folder in Outlook 2010 and other versions. Two approaches are explained here, which describes step by steps procedure to exclude a folder from search in Outlook account.

Approach 1: Use Permanent Filter to Remove Items from Search Results

1. 1. To start the process, open MS Outlook application on the system.
   2. In Outlook main interface, mainly in Mail Pane, you need to click on Inbox folder.
   3. Next, click on the Search tab and then select All Mail Items.
   4. After that, type any search in the text bar. You will clearly view all the results including the draft, deleted, and RSS data items.
   5. Now, click on View tab in order to open view bar. Here, you have to select the View Settings option.
   6. As soon as you click on View Settings, a dialog box named as Advanced View Settings: Compact open on the screen. Click on Filter option under the Description heading.
   7. Next, a new Filter dialog box appears on the Outlook interface. From this window, click on Advanced tab.
   8. Now, perform the following steps to remove or exclude a folder from search in Outlook:
      • Click on Field drop-down button and select All Mail Fields. After that, click In Folder.
      • Under the Condition box, choose ‘doesn’t contain’ option.
      • In Value box, write the name of the folder that you want to exclude like Drafts.
      • At last, click on the Add to List button to continue the process.
      • After that, repeat the above steps to add the folders that you want to exclude from Outlook search.
      • In a case, when you want to eliminate RSS items, then set Field equivalent to Message Class. Also, in Condition box, pick ‘doesn’t contain’ option. Type ‘ipm.Post’ in Value box and then press Add to List button.
      • Finally, click on OK button until all the opened dialog boxes are closed.
   9. Now, again type a search in the bar for verification. This time the search result does not include the folders that you exclude from Outlook search filter. And you will receive only the relevant data items in the search list.

Important Note: These modification steps explained to exclude items from Outlook search is permanent in the search view. Now onwards, whenever a user tries to search any email, Outlook automatically filters out folders that you have excluded above.

Approach 2: Create New “Search Filter”

This is a bit easy and quick way to make a new ‘Search Filter’ view within a few clicks. Now, go through the mentioned steps to exclude a folder from search in Outlook 2016 and other lower editions:

1. To initiate the task, open Manage View dialog box.

• In Outlook 2007
  Click on View >> Arrange By >> Current View >> Define View.
• In Outlook 2010, 2013 & 2016
  Click on View >> Change View >> Manage Views.

2. After that, you need to click New.
3. In Create a New View, do the following things:

• Name of new view -> Search Filter
• Type of View -> Table
• Can be used on -> All Mail and Post folders

4. Next, click on the OK button to continue the process.
5. Now, Select your Inbox folder in Outlook.
6. Click on View tab>> View Settings.
7. In Filter dialog box, select the Advanced tab.
8. Now, perform the following steps:

• Field: In Folder
• Condition: doesn’t contain
• Value: <Excluded Folder name>
• Next, click on Add to List button.
• Finally, press OK until all the tabs are closed.

Bottom Line

It is true that you will become frustrated when you receive a lot of irrelevant search results. Microsoft Outlook is having so many folders, so searching for a particular email or anything else will be more frustrated. Because the search result might be displaying unnecessary files in the result. So, what do you think? Do you need to exclude items from Outlook search result? A simple solution is explained in this blog. Take the help of above-mentioned steps and exclude a folder from search in Outlook 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016. Choose the relevant approach to remove search folders in Outlook. Excluding unnecessary items from Outlook search is important to improve the working efficiency of Outlook account. So, why are you waiting!!