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How do you search full message bodies?

  • 3 replies
  • 3 have this problem
  • 2 views
  • Last reply by christ1

AidanBell
AidanBell
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In earlier versions of Thunderbird, it was possible to select "Body" and search the entire contents of emails. That option has now disappeared from my search options (Edit/Find/Search Messages). Do I have a bug in my system, or is there now a different way of searching messages? Or is it actually no longer possible to search message bodies? Below is the full list of search options available to me. Thank you.

From Date Priority Status To CC To or Cc From, To, Cc ot Bcc Age in days Size (kB) Tags Attachment Status Junk Status Junk Percent Junk Score Origin

Customise

In earlier versions of Thunderbird, it was possible to select "Body" and search the entire contents of emails. That option has now disappeared from my search options (Edit/Find/Search Messages). Do I have a bug in my system, or is there now a different way of searching messages? Or is it actually no longer possible to search message bodies? Below is the full list of search options available to me. Thank you. From Date Priority Status To CC To or Cc From, To, Cc ot Bcc Age in days Size (kB) Tags Attachment Status Junk Status Junk Percent Junk Score Origin ---------------------- Customise

All Replies (3)

christ1
christ1
  • Top 25 Contributor
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You can only search the body of messages which have been downloaded to your computer. Is that the case?

Alternatively you can try Global Search. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/global-search

Modified by christ1

AidanBell
AidanBell Question owner
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Many thanks for the response. Having to export all my messages to the computer in order to then search them seems a very long-winded workaround. Surely it must be possible to search messages within the Thunderbird interface? I use Global search, but it searches only subject and to/from fields, not message bodies.

But I'm still curious why message body no longer appear in the otherwise fully-featured "Edit/Find/Search Messages"?

christ1
christ1
  • Top 25 Contributor
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Surely it must be possible to search messages within the Thunderbird interface?

You'd need to check 'Run search on server', but that's pretty slow.

I use Global search, but it searches only subject and to/from fields, not message bodies.

Please read the article linked above to understand what 'Global Search' is and what it does.

I'm still curious why message body no longer appear in the otherwise fully-featured "Edit/Find/Search Messages"?

It does here, but then I never use "Edit/Find/Search Messages". I do use 'Global Search'.

As yet another alternative take a look at 'Quick Filter Toolbar'. https://support.mozilla.org/kb/quick-filter-toolbar

Modified by christ1