A critical search function outage has left millions of users unable to find content within Microsoft 365 apps, including Outlook on the web and OneDrive. According to an internal incident report seen by CyberNews.work, a recent deployment introduced a resource utilization issue that led to the problem. The company has already developed a fix and deployed it to restore service for affected users.
The outage is affecting search functionality in various Microsoft 365 apps, including Outlook on the web, Outlook desktop, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive. This means that users trying to find specific content within these services may be unable to do so, causing disruption to their work. While Microsoft hasn’t disclosed which regions are impacted by this outage, it has tagged it as an incident – a critical service issue with noticeable user impact.
This is not the first time Microsoft 365 has faced issues related to search functionality. Last year, the company mitigated incidents that broke file search for OneDrive, Outlook on the web, and SharePoint Online users. In July, a massive outage took down Azure and Microsoft 365 services for users in North America due to a bug in its automated network maintenance request system. Just last Monday, another incident brought down GitHub, its website, API, and many other services.
Microsoft’s latest issue is likely caused by the company’s efforts to improve performance and efficiency within its systems. However, it appears that this particular deployment introduced unintended resource utilization problems. The fact that Microsoft has already developed a fix and deployed it to reduce resource pressure suggests that the company is taking swift action to resolve the issue.
The incident highlights the importance of robust backup processes and contingency planning in cloud-based services. With millions of users reliant on these platforms, any disruption can have significant consequences for businesses and individuals alike. As more organizations move their operations online, the need for reliable and secure cloud services has never been greater. Microsoft’s efforts to resolve this issue demonstrate its commitment to maintaining high levels of service quality and user experience.
As a result of this outage, users are advised to check if any updates have been applied by their administrators and to report any further issues they encounter with search functionality within their Microsoft 365 apps. Additionally, organizations should take this opportunity to review their backup processes and ensure that they can quickly recover from any future disruptions.
Source: Bleeping Computer — 2026-08-18