How to Search for a message in Microsoft Teams
Desktop
Messages, people, files, and other info shared within Teams can be found using a variety of filtering and searching options.
Teams’ search box can be used to start any search. Team searches for keywords or names related to the words or names you type. Alternatively, you can press Enter to get the full list of suggested items.
There is a list of teams on the left side of the Teams search page. Click on an item to view it in its entirety.
Search your current location with Ctrl+F
You can search messages within Teams chats or channels by pressing Ctrl+F (cmd+F on macOS).
- Among the areas you can search are recent chats or the General channel within a team.
- Enter your search terms by pressing Ctrl+F followed by Enter. You will be able to see the search results from within that conversation or chat room.
- The location of the message will be scrolled up when you select any of the available results.
Search for one-on-one or group chats
In the search box, type the person’s name. Any group chats will be listed along with their name. You can enter a one-on-one chat with them by clicking their name, or you can enter a group chat to continue your conversation.
If a group chat has a name, you can search by that name or by the participants’ names.
Search for teams and channels
Enter the name of a team or channel to search for it. You can navigate directly to the Team or channel by selecting the suggested option from the list.
Search for messages
In the search box, type a keyword and press Enter. The keyword search results are displayed here.
Filter your results
You can refine your search results by clicking Messages, People, or Files above your results after you’ve entered your search terms. After you make your initial selection, another tier of filters will appear, offering a granular search option.
As an example, you can filter messages based on who sent them, where they came from, and more.
Use search modifiers
KQL (Keyword Query Language) provides richer search results for messages. Modifiers supported by Teams include:
- From: Name of the person
- In: Group chat or channel name
- Subject: Message with a keyword in the subject
- Sent: Date
Search tips from the pros
- To get results for any words with a matching prefix, put an asterisk after the word. It is necessary to type the first few letters of a word following by an asterisk immediately afterward. Using the search box, for instance, you can look up any word that starts with those four letters (server, service, etc.).
- When searching for an exact match on a word or phrase, use quotation marks. As an example, let’s take the word “budget” as an example.
- Additionally, the search box also allows you to correct spelling errors as well as search for people using their nicknames.
Filter your activity feed
You can type a keyword in the Activity feed by selecting Filter. It is also possible to see certain types of notifications, such as unread messages, @mentions, replies, and likes, by selecting More options.
Select the Feed option at the top of the page, and then select My activities to only view your activity.
Find your saved messages
Select More options > Save this message if you would like to save a message.
Saved messages can be viewed by selecting your profile picture in the upper-right corner of Teams, and then selecting them. You can also search for saved using /saved.