# mu > Index and search emails from a local Maildir. > More information: . - Initialize the email database, optionally specifying the Maildir directory and email addresses: `mu init --maildir={{path/to/directory}} --my-address={{name@example.com}}` - Index new emails: `mu index` - Find messages using a specific keyword (in message body, subject, sender, ...): `mu find {{keyword}}` - Find messages to Alice with subject `jellyfish` containing the words `apples` or `oranges`: `mu find to:{{alice}} subject:{{jellyfish}} {{apples}} OR {{oranges}}` - Find unread messages about words starting with `soc` (the `*` only works at the end of the search term) in the Sent Items folder: `mu find 'subject:{{soc}}*' flag:{{unread}} maildir:'/{{Sent Items}}'` - Find messages from Sam with attached images, between 2 KiB and 2 MiB, written in 2021: `mu find 'mime:{{image/*}} size:{{2k..2m}} date:{{20210101..20211231}} from:{{sam}}` - List contacts with `Bob` in either name or email address: `mu cfind {{Bob}}`