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Gmail and Outlook search builder

Fill in a form and get the exact search to paste into Gmail or Outlook. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

You just approve.

Bytes2Pro teamUpdated 2 min read

The short version

  • One form produces a Gmail search and an Outlook search side by side.
  • Gmail and Outlook use different operators, and the tool says when one cannot express a filter.
  • The operators come from Google's and Microsoft's own help pages, linked below.

Everything you type stays in this page. Nothing is saved, sent or searched for you.

What are you looking for?
A name or an address.
Separate with commas: invoice, receipt.
Filters
Date

Gmail search

Outlook search

Gmail and Outlook operators side by side

Examples are taken from Gmail Help: Refine searches in Gmail and Microsoft: How to search in Outlook. Microsoft says to type AND, NOT and OR in uppercase.

Search operators for Gmail and Outlook
To findGmailOutlook
From a personfrom:amy@example.comfrom:"bobby moore"
To a personto:john@example.comto:bobby (in Sent Items)
Cc a personcc:john@example.comcc:bobby
Words in the subjectsubject:(dinner movie)subject:"bobby moore"
Has an attachmenthas:attachmenthasattachment:yes
Attachment file typefilename:pdfNo documented operator
Unreadis:unreadread:no
Starred or flaggedis:starredhasflag:true
Larger than a sizelarger:10Mmessagesize:>5 MB
A date or periodafter:2026/01/15 before:2026/01/20 or newer_than:2dreceived:1/15/2026 or received:"this week"
Leave a word outdinner -moviebobby NOT moore
Either of two thingsfrom:amy OR from:davidbobby OR moore
An exact phrase"dinner and movie tonight""bob"

How it works

Each field becomes the operator that provider documents. A sender becomes from: in both, an attachment filter becomes has:attachment in Gmail and hasattachment:yes in Outlook, and a size becomes larger:5M in Gmail and messagesize:>5 MB in Outlook. Copy the result and paste it into the search box.

The builder runs in the page. It does not connect to your mailbox, so it cannot see your mail and nothing is sent anywhere. The Open in Gmail link only opens Gmail's own search with your query filled in.

Gmail and Outlook do not share a syntax

The ideas match and the spelling does not. Gmail uses is:unread where Outlook uses read:no. Gmail takes dates as after:2026/01/15 or newer_than:2d; Microsoft documents a single day such as received:1/15/2026 or a named period such as received:"this week". Where one provider has no documented operator for what you asked, the result says so instead of guessing.

When a search misses

  • Outlook shows a limited list. Microsoft says only the first 1,000 results are returned, so narrow the search if the message is not there.
  • Outlook matches word starts. Microsoft describes prefix matching: ray finds Raymond but not tray.
  • Gmail negatives work on conversations. Google notes that a conversation with an excluded term in one message can still appear, because Gmail matches messages first.
  • Outlook operators are uppercase. Type AND, NOT and OR in capitals.

Examples

  • Invoices with a PDF from the last month: Gmail invoice has:attachment filename:pdf newer_than:1m, Outlook invoice hasattachment:yes received:"last month".
  • Unread mail from one person: Gmail from:amy@example.com is:unread, Outlook from:amy@example.com read:no.
  • Big messages over 10 MB: Gmail larger:10M, Outlook messagesize:>10 MB.
  • A phrase you remember: Gmail "annual offsite", Outlook "annual offsite".

What the builder leaves out

Gmail has more operators than a form can hold, among them label:, category:, in:, list: and filename:. Google lists them all in Refine searches in Gmail. After a Gmail search, Google also lets you turn the results into a filter.

Questions, answered

What is the Gmail search operator for attachments?

Use has:attachment to find messages with any attachment, and filename:pdf to find a file type or name. The builder writes has:attachment when you tick Has an attachment.

Does Outlook have the same search operators as Gmail?

Many ideas match, but the spelling differs. Outlook uses hasattachment:yes, read:no and messagesize:>5 MB where Gmail uses has:attachment, is:unread and larger:5M. Microsoft also asks for AND, NOT and OR in uppercase.

Does this tool read my mailbox?

No. It builds text in your browser from what you type. It makes no request to Gmail or Outlook, and nothing is saved or sent.

Can I turn a Gmail search into a filter?

Yes. Google's help page says that after you search, you can use the results to set up a filter for those messages.

And the rest of the inbox

Otto reads what arrived across Gmail and Outlook, drafts the replies, books the time and keeps track of what you are still owed. It prepares each one and waits for you to approve it.

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