<<< Previous | Simple Mail Access Protocol, Version 1 | Next >>>

# Searching messages

C: SEARCH MARKED NOT TO "nobody@example.com"
S: * SEARCH 1 3-5 7
S: +OK Messages searched
C: SEARCH 1-5,15-20 LARGER 10000
S: * SEARCH 1 3-5 17
S: +OK Messages searched

The `SEARCH` command instructs the server to search messages in the currently open folder. The next whitespace delimited word specifies the set of messages to search. The remaining words specify the search criteria. The set of messages to search is specified in one of four ways:

MARKED

  Search only the messages that have the `MARKED` flag already set.

UNMARKED

  Search only the messages that do not have the `MARKED` flag set.

ALL

  Search all messages.

`range`

  `range` is a comma-separated range of message numbers to search. Consecutive message numbers may be given as `A`-`B`, indicating messages A through B, inclusive.

Each `SEARCH` command specifies a single search criteria. Simple criterias are combined to form more complicated searches by using a series of `SEARCH` and `STORE` commands. First, all messages have their `MARKED` flag cleared. The list of messages found by the first `SEARCH MARKED` command is fed into the `STORE` command, setting their marked flags. Then additional searches are performed, using `SEARCH MARKED` or `SEARCH UNMARKED`, with or without the `NOT` keyword, forming a complex query.

The `NOT` keyword optional follows, and indicates that the following search criteria specification should be logically inverted. For example, if the search is for messages with the subject line containing "foo", the search will not be for messages whose subject line does not contain "foo".

The available search criteria are:

REPLIED

  Search for messages that have the `REPLIED` flag set.

DELETED

  Search for messages that have the `DELETED` flag set.

DRAFT

  Search for messages that have the `DRAFT` flag set.

SEEN

  Search for messages that have the `SEEN` flag set.

FROM `string`

  Search for messages that have `string` in their "`From:`" header.

TO `string`

  Search for messages that have `string` in their "`To:`" header.

CC `string`

  Search for messages that have `string` in their "`Cc:`" header.

BCC `string`

  Search for messages that have `string` in their "`Bcc:`" header.

SUBJECT `string`

  Search for messages that have `string` in their "`Subject:`" header.

HEADER `header` `string`

  Search for messages that have `string` in their "`header`" (without the colon) header.

BODY `string`

  Search for messages that have `string` in their content.

TEXT `string`

  Search for messages that have `string` in their content or headers.

BEFORE `mm-ddd-yyyy`

  Search for messages whose `INTERNALDATE` is earlier than `mm-ddd-yyyy`.

ON `mm-ddd-yyyy`

  Search for messages whose `INTERNALDATE` is `mm-ddd-yyyy`.

SINCE `mm-ddd-yyyy`

  Search for messages whose `INTERNALDATE` is on or after `mm-ddd-yyyy`.

SENTBEFORE `mm-ddd-yyyy`

  Search for messages whose `Date:` header is prior to `mm-ddd-yyyy`.

SENTON `mm-ddd-yyyy`

  Search for messages whose `Date:` header reads `mm-ddd-yyyy`.

SENTSINCE `mm-ddd-yyyy`

  Search for messages whose `Date:` header reads on or after `mm-ddd-yyyy`.

LARGER `n`

  Search for messages whose estimated size is more than `n` bytes.

SMALLER `n`

  Search for messages whose estimated size is less than `n` bytes.

NOTE: | All text strings above use the UTF-8 character set. For header or content searches, the search string must be converted to the header's (MIME-encoded) or content's character set. Searching should be case insensitive. Date-based searches specify months by their short English names.

The server's `* SEARCH` reply enumerates messages found by the search. For extremely large folders, the server may send multiple `* SEARCH` replies in order to keep line lengths under the maximum. No `* SEARCH` replies are sent when no messages are found by the search criteria.

<<< Previous | Home | Next >>>
Copying and moving messages | Up | Logging off