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Where to Find Keyword Search in Microsoft Planner

Huda Qurayshi Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to locate the keyword search or filtering feature in Microsoft Planner, which appears to have been moved, replaced, or is missing in their current environment.

Where to Find Keyword Search in Microsoft Planner

Product: Microsoft Planner
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Searching for or filtering specific tasks by keyword within a Microsoft Planner board to manage workflow.
Observed behavior: The traditional Filter by keyword option is no longer visible in its usual location. It may have been replaced by a search icon or is completely missing when accessing Planner via Microsoft Teams.

Before you start

Before troubleshooting, check whether you are accessing Planner through the Microsoft Teams desktop application or directly via a web browser, as the top menu interface can occasionally render differently between platforms.

Solution 1Recommended

Locate the Magnifying-Glass Search Icon

Microsoft has updated the Planner interface by replacing the text-based keyword filter with a dedicated search icon to streamline the top menu navigation.

This is the standard intended behavior following recent Microsoft 365 interface updates. The functionality remains exactly the same, but the visual entry point has changed.

Open your Planner board

Navigate to your target project board within the Microsoft Planner interface.

Locate the top-right menu

Look at the top-right corner of the Planner board, near the members and filter settings.

Click the magnifying-glass icon

Click on the magnifying-glass icon to expand the search text box.

Enter your keyword

Type your desired keyword into the search bar to instantly filter the visible tasks on your board.

Solution 2

Use Planner for the Web as a Workaround

If the search icon is entirely missing when viewing Planner inside Microsoft Teams, switching to the web version usually restores the missing interface elements.

Solution 3

Submit Feedback or Contact Your Administrator

If the feature is missing across all platforms, it may be disabled by a corporate policy or temporarily affected by a Microsoft background rollout.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why did the 'Filter by keyword' option disappear from my Microsoft Planner?

Microsoft frequently updates the Planner user interface to improve usability. The older 'Filter by keyword' text option was replaced by a more universal magnifying-glass search icon to save space on the top navigation bar.

Is the search feature missing due to my Microsoft Teams settings?

It is possible. Sometimes the Microsoft Teams integration fails to load certain Planner UI elements. If you cannot see the search icon inside Teams, accessing Planner directly via your web browser (tasks.office.com) usually resolves the issue.

Can my organization's IT department disable the keyword search in Planner?

Yes, in some enterprise environments, administrators implement custom policies or deployment settings that might inadvertently hide or disable certain features. If the search icon is missing on both Teams and the web, you should contact your IT administrator.

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