Custom Search Criteria

The text stored in the criteria field of Custom Search Menu Items represent a user defined search query string that can be entered directly into the search input box for any of the compatible search engines that are installed in Outlook. Categorize Plus is compatible with a variety of search engines including the Outlook 2007 Instant Search search engine, the Taglocity search engine, and the Lookeen search engine. When a Custom Search Menu Item is selected from the Categorize Plus Search Menu, then Categorize Plus reads the query string that is stored in the menu item's criteria field. Categorize Plus will then look for the search engine's input box, and if found, then Categorize Plus will automatically write the selected query string into the input box and execute the search command. This will cause the respective search engine to execute the search. Please refer to the Search Engines help topic for more information regarding the alternative search engines and their use with Categorize Plus.

Note: The Categorize Plus Search Menu and Search Combo Boxes are only available when a compatible search engine is installed in Outlook. Please refer to the Search Engines help topic for more information regarding the alternative search engines and their use with Categorize Plus.

Entering Custom Search Criteria

The criteria for Custom Search Menu Items can be entered directly into the criteria field when using the Menu Builder. If using the Outlook Instant Search search engine, then the criteria can also be created using the Outlook Instant Search dialog and then either copied directly into the criteria field or it can be selected from the Outlook Search criteria combo box drop down list as illustrated in step 4 of the example below. The criteria drop down list contains the Instant Search query string that is currently displayed in the Outlook Instant Search text box. If there is no text currently displayed in the Outlook Instant Search text box, then there will be no query string listed in the criteria drop down list.

Please refer to the following example to learn how to use the Outlook Instant Search dialog to create search criteria for use in the Custom Search criteria. The following example explains how to use the Outlook Instant Search dialog to create a Custom Search criteria that can be used to find all Outlook items that have an Excel file as an attachment.

Note: The available "Add Criteria" options listed in the Outlook Instant Search dialog will change depending on the current folder's default item type. For example, Mail and Post items present different "Add Criteria" options than those presented for Appointment items. Therefore, be sure to select a folder that has the desired default item type before attempting to create an Instant Search criteria using the method below.

Example using the Outlook Instant Search dialog to create an Outlook Search Criteria

Step 1: Expand the Outlook Instant Search dialog

Step 2: Select the "Attachment Contains" option from the "Add Criteria" drop down

Step 3: Add the Search Criteria to search for items that have Excel attachments

Step 4: Select the Search Criteria from the Menu Builder combo box drop down list