When you type a name or subject in the new Outlook search bar, the app shows suggested emails before you finish typing. These suggestions come from a local index and a cloud service, and they can clutter the results if you manage many messages. This article explains where the search suggestions settings are located in the new Outlook for Windows and what practical limits control how many suggestions appear. You will learn how to adjust the number of suggestions shown, disable them entirely, and understand the technical boundaries that affect their behavior.
Key Takeaways: New Outlook Search Suggestions Settings
- File > Options > Search > Suggestions: Turn off suggestions entirely or set a maximum of 5, 10, or 20 suggestions per search.
- File > Options > Search > Include messages from: Limit suggestions to the current folder, current mailbox, or all mailboxes to reduce irrelevant results.
- Server-side suggestion limit: The new Outlook cloud index returns a maximum of 25 suggestions per query, and the local index returns up to 10 suggestions per query.
How Search Mail Suggestions Work in New Outlook
The new Outlook for Windows uses a unified search index that combines a local cache with a cloud-based Microsoft 365 index. When you start typing in the search bar, the app sends a query to both sources simultaneously. The local index returns results from the cached copy of your mailbox, typically the last 12 months of data. The cloud index returns results from your entire mailbox stored on Exchange Online or Microsoft 365.
The suggestions list shows a mix of recent messages, people names, and subjects. The algorithm ranks results based on recency, frequency of interaction, and relevance to the typed characters. By default, the app shows up to 10 suggestions from the local index and up to 25 from the cloud index. The combined list is then capped by the setting you choose in Options.
Prerequisites for Using Search Suggestions
Search suggestions are available only when the new Outlook is connected to a Microsoft 365 or Exchange Online mailbox. IMAP and POP accounts do not support cloud-based suggestions. The local index requires that cached mode is enabled. If you use the new Outlook with a Gmail or Yahoo account, only the local index is used, and the suggestions limit is 10 items maximum.
Where to Find and Change Search Mail Suggestions Settings
The settings for search mail suggestions are located in the Options dialog. The steps below show how to access them and adjust the behavior.
- Open Outlook Options
Click File in the top-left corner of the new Outlook window. In the left navigation pane, click Options. A dialog box labeled Outlook Options opens. - Go to the Search tab
In the Outlook Options dialog, click Search in the left sidebar. The Search settings page appears with two sections: Suggestions and Indexing. - Adjust the number of suggestions
In the Suggestions section, locate the dropdown labeled Show this many search suggestions. Click the dropdown and select one of the following values: 5, 10, or 20. Selecting a lower number reduces visual clutter at the cost of fewer quick matches. Click OK to save. - Disable suggestions entirely
In the same Suggestions section, uncheck the box labeled Show search suggestions as I type. After you uncheck this box, Outlook will not display any suggestions while you type. You must press Enter to see full search results. Click OK to apply. - Restrict which mailboxes contribute suggestions
In the Suggestions section, click the dropdown labeled Include messages from. Choose one of the following: Current folder (only the folder you are viewing), Current mailbox (your primary mailbox only), or All mailboxes (includes shared mailboxes and archives). This setting does not affect the total suggestion count but narrows the pool of candidates. Click OK to save.
Practical Limits of Search Mail Suggestions
The new Outlook enforces several hard limits that affect how many suggestions appear and from where. Understanding these limits helps you avoid confusion when suggestions seem incomplete or missing.
Maximum Suggestion Count
The dropdown in Options offers only three choices: 5, 10, or 20. You cannot set a custom number such as 15. If you select 20, the app will attempt to show 20 suggestions, but the actual number may be lower if the combined local and cloud results total fewer than 20 items. The cloud index never returns more than 25 suggestions per query, and the local index never returns more than 10. Therefore, the effective maximum is 20, even though the cloud can theoretically supply 25.
Folder and Mailbox Scope
The Include messages from setting applies only to the suggestion list. Full search results after pressing Enter are not affected by this setting. If you choose Current folder, suggestions will only include messages from the folder you are currently viewing. This can be useful when you are working in a specific project folder and do not want suggestions from other folders. However, if you switch folders frequently, the suggestion pool changes each time.
Recency and Relevance Filters
The local index only caches messages from the last 12 months. Messages older than 12 months are not included in local suggestions unless they are pinned or marked as favorites. The cloud index includes your entire mailbox, but it applies a relevance score based on your interaction history. Messages you have not opened or replied to in over 90 days are deprioritized and rarely appear in suggestions unless you type a very specific subject line.
Shared Mailboxes and Archives
If you have permissions to a shared mailbox or an online archive, those mailboxes are included in suggestions only when the Include messages from setting is set to All mailboxes. When set to Current mailbox, only your primary mailbox is queried. Shared mailboxes and archives that are not fully indexed by the cloud service may return zero suggestions even when the setting is set to All mailboxes.
Common Misconceptions and Limitations
Why Do Suggestions Sometimes Disappear?
If you recently changed the suggestion count from 20 to 5, the app may still show a brief flash of 20 suggestions before settling to 5. This happens because the local index returns results faster than the cloud index. The app shows the local results immediately and then trims the list once the cloud results arrive. This is not a bug; it is a side effect of asynchronous indexing.
Why Do Suggestions Include People I Never Emailed?
The cloud index uses organizational data from Microsoft 365. If a person appears in your company directory or in a distribution list you are a member of, their name may appear in suggestions even if you have never exchanged email with them. To remove these suggestions, disable the cloud index by unchecking Show search suggestions as I type or by restricting the scope to Current folder and only using folders that contain your own messages.
Why Do Suggestions Not Include Attachments?
Search suggestions in the new Outlook only show email messages and people names. Attachments are not included in the suggestion list. To find an attachment, type the file name and press Enter to see full search results. The full results page includes a filter for attachments.
| Item | Local Index (Cached Mode) | Cloud Index (Microsoft 365) |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum suggestions per query | 10 | 25 |
| Data age limit | 12 months | Entire mailbox |
| Available for IMAP/POP accounts | Yes | No |
| Included in Options dropdown | Always | Only when connected to Microsoft 365 |
| Supports shared mailboxes | No | Yes, when scope is All mailboxes |
Now you can locate the search suggestions settings in new Outlook and adjust the count, scope, and on/off state. For most users, setting the count to 10 and the scope to Current mailbox provides a balanced experience. If you need to find an older message quickly, disable suggestions and use the full search with filters by pressing Ctrl+E and typing your query.