How do I find an email I moved to a named folder ?

Try these Outlook steps to locate the email and the folder it was moved to:

1. Search for the message
   • Use the search box and search by subject, sender, or another keyword from the email.
   • If available, change the search scope to All folders or All Mailboxes so the search is not limited to the current folder.
2. Check the message location
   • When the message appears in search results, check which folder it is in.
   • If the folder is hidden inside another folder, expand the folder list and look for that folder name.
3. View all folders
   • In Outlook on the web light version, select Click to view all folders in the navigation pane.
   • In the drop-down box, select the folder to open it.
4. Move the message back if needed
   • Select the message, choose Move, then select the correct folder.
5. Check common places where moved mail may appear
   • Deleted Items: if the message was moved there by mistake, select it and choose Restore.
   • Archive or other expanded folders: a folder may have been moved under another parent folder.
6. If the folder itself seems lost in Outlook for Windows
   • Use Advanced Find to search the mailbox root:
     1. Select Inbox.
     2. Select the Instant Search bar.
     3. On the Search tab, select Search Tools > Advanced Find.
     4. In Look for, select Any type of Outlook item.
     5. Select Browse.
     6. Select only the root folder, usually shown as the email address.
     7. Clear Search subfolders, then select OK.
     8. Select Find Now.
     9. Move any found items to the correct folder.

If the issue is specifically imported IMAP mail in Outlook 2016 and messages seem missing after importing a .pst, change the view to View > Change View > IMAP Messages.

References:

• Read and send email in the light version of Outlook
• Email is missing from your Outlook.com inbox
• Items placed in root folder seem to be lost in Outlook
• I can't find my email messages after importing from an Outlook Data File (.pst)