Email Search Issues

Fix Outlook on the Web Search and Signatures Not Working

Maira Mehtab Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users are unable to use the email search function or apply roaming signatures when accessing Outlook on the web.

Product: Outlook on the web
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to search for specific emails or inserting saved roaming signatures while using the web-based Outlook client.
Observed behavior: The search function fails to return results and roaming signatures are inaccessible due to a Microsoft service update resynchronization (Incident EX920072).

Before you start

Confirm that your internet connection is stable and verify with your IT administrator if your Microsoft 365 tenant is actively affected by service incident EX920072.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Outlook Desktop or Mobile App

Bypass the web client issue by using the Outlook desktop or mobile applications, which are unaffected by this specific web service incident.

Microsoft incident EX920072 primarily affects the web version of Outlook. Desktop and mobile applications handle search indexing and signatures differently, allowing you to continue your work without interruption.

Launch the local application

Open the Outlook desktop application on your Windows or Mac computer, or open the Outlook app on your iOS or Android device.

Perform your email search

Click or tap on the search bar at the top of the interface and type your query to successfully retrieve your emails.

Insert your signature

Create a new email. Your locally saved signatures will be available under the 'Signature' button in the message ribbon.

Temporary Workaround: This method ensures you maintain full functionality while Microsoft engineers resolve the web resynchronization issue.

Solution 2

Monitor Microsoft 365 Service Health

IT administrators should track the incident status to know exactly when the web features are fully restored for all users.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is Microsoft incident EX920072?

Incident EX920072 is a documented Microsoft service degradation that began on October 28, 2024. It involves a service update resynchronization that temporarily broke the search function and roaming signatures specifically in Outlook on the web.

Are my emails lost if Outlook on the web cannot search for them?

No, your emails are completely safe. The issue only affects the search indexing mechanism on the web interface. You can still manually scroll through your inbox or use the desktop/mobile apps to search effectively.

How can I use my email signature while the web version is broken?

You can switch to the Outlook desktop application or mobile app. Because these applications store signatures locally or cache them differently, you can continue applying your signatures to outgoing emails without issue.

Outlook & Email Problems