A method and system for searching messages is disclosed that includes searching a message repository to identify a plurality of conversations that each include at least one message that is relevant to a search query. Alternatively, conversations as a whole may be relevant to a search query rather than individual messages. Each of the plurality of the identified conversations includes one or more messages sharing a common set of characteristics that meet predefined criteria and a conversation identifier. A list of conversations is created representing at least a subset of the identified conversations and a conversation is selected from that list. In that selected conversation, first messages are differentiated from second messages which may differentiate portions of text or messages that are relevant to the search query from those that are not.