1. The Tip Sheet to end all Tip Sheets for
OneNote Search Function
Everything you’d ever need to know be a Pro at OneNote Search
Where to Search?
When using the search bar, there are several options to determine where you’re going to look
for your file. By clicking on the link on the top left corner of your search page (See Figure 1), you
can toggle between five options:
1. This page
2. This Section
3. This Section Group
4. This Notebook
5. All Notebooks
By default, the search scope is set to All Notebooks. You can change that by first clicking on your
desired search scope, then select Set This Scope as Default
Pro Tip: By pressing Ctrl + F, OneNote will automatically restrict your search scope to your current page.
Refining Your Search Results
Once you’ve entered your keyword into the search bar, you can refine your search results by
clicking on the Pin Search Results link at the bottom of your search list (See Figure 2). This
allows you to sort your results by the following 3 options:
1. Sort by Section
2. Sort by Title
3. Sort by Date Modified
By default, the results are sorted by Date Modified in ascending order. You can change the sort
order by clicking on the button next to the Sort by Drop down box
Figure 1
Figure 2

2. Advanced Tips and Tricks
Here are some general search tips and tricks that will allow you to narrow down your search
options:
1. When you enter a word in the search bar, OneNote will automatically search for all forms of
the word. For example, if you type the word Write in the search bar, OneNote will search for
write, writing, written, wrote, etc. If you only want OneNote to search for the exact match
of the word, make sure to encapsulate your key word with quotation marks.
2. You can use the operators OR and AND to help refine your search. They must be written in
ALL CAPS when entering the search. Eg. I’m looking for an email for a distribution memo of
an Audit file sent to me back in May, I can enter in the search bar “Audit” OR “Distribution
Memo” AND “May”
3. OneNote’s Search function will search for anything that looks like text when performing a
search. That means if you have posted a printout or screenshot of a document that contains
text, OneNote will automatically search within any recognizable text within the printouts as
well. To learn how to insert a printout of an attachment to your OneNote page, see my
Advanced OneNote Tip #1 in wiki.
Sources: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/onenotetips/archive/2010/11/16/searching-for-notes-in-onenote.aspx &
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote-help/search-notes-and-navigate-results-HA102749797.aspx