diff --git a/.changeset/fix-email-search-operators.md b/.changeset/fix-email-search-operators.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0f5756a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/fix-email-search-operators.md
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+---
+"fastmail-cli": patch
+---
+
+Fix `email search` to parse fielded query operators.
+
+Previously, `fastmail email search "from:alice@example.com"` sent the
+entire string as a plain text search, so sender-based searches would
+never return results. The CLI now parses field operators before building
+the JMAP filter:
+
+- `from:<value>` maps to `filter.from`
+- `to:<value>` maps to `filter.to`
+- `cc:<value>` maps to `filter.cc`
+- `bcc:<value>` maps to `filter.bcc`
+- `subject:<value>` maps to `filter.subject` (supports quoted values: `subject:"hello world"`)
+- `body:<value>` maps to `filter.body`
+- Any remaining text is passed as `filter.text` for full-text search
diff --git a/src/commands/email.test.ts b/src/commands/email.test.ts
index e9df55b..63eed42 100644
--- a/src/commands/email.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/email.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { describe, expect, mock, test } from "bun:test";
 import type { JmapClient } from "../jmap/client.ts";
-import { getReplyContext, parseDate } from "./email.ts";
+import { getReplyContext, parseDate, parseSearchQuery } from "./email.ts";
 
 describe("parseDate", () => {
   test("handles ISO 8601 format", () => {
@@ -561,3 +561,73 @@ describe("getReplyContext", () => {
     ).rejects.toThrow("Email not found: email-123");
   });
 });
+
+describe("parseSearchQuery", () => {
+  test("plain text becomes filter.text", () => {
+    expect(parseSearchQuery("project update")).toEqual({
+      text: "project update",
+    });
+  });
+
+  test("from: operator", () => {
+    expect(parseSearchQuery("from:foo@bar.com")).toEqual({
+      from: "foo@bar.com",
+    });
+  });
+
+  test("to: operator", () => {
+    expect(parseSearchQuery("to:baz@qux.com")).toEqual({ to: "baz@qux.com" });
+  });
+
+  test("cc: operator", () => {
+    expect(parseSearchQuery("cc:someone@example.com")).toEqual({
+      cc: "someone@example.com",
+    });
+  });
+
+  test("bcc: operator", () => {
+    expect(parseSearchQuery("bcc:hidden@example.com")).toEqual({
+      bcc: "hidden@example.com",
+    });
+  });
+
+  test("body: operator", () => {
+    expect(parseSearchQuery("body:invoice")).toEqual({ body: "invoice" });
+  });
+
+  test("quoted subject operator", () => {
+    expect(parseSearchQuery('subject:"hello world"')).toEqual({
+      subject: "hello world",
+    });
+  });
+
+  test("from: combined with free text", () => {
+    expect(parseSearchQuery("from:foo@bar.com project update")).toEqual({
+      from: "foo@bar.com",
+      text: "project update",
+    });
+  });
+
+  test("multiple operators", () => {
+    expect(parseSearchQuery("from:foo@bar.com to:baz@qux.com")).toEqual({
+      from: "foo@bar.com",
+      to: "baz@qux.com",
+    });
+  });
+
+  test("from: and quoted subject with free text", () => {
+    expect(
+      parseSearchQuery(
+        'from:alice@example.com subject:"meeting notes" important',
+      ),
+    ).toEqual({
+      from: "alice@example.com",
+      subject: "meeting notes",
+      text: "important",
+    });
+  });
+
+  test("empty string produces empty filter", () => {
+    expect(parseSearchQuery("")).toEqual({});
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/commands/email.ts b/src/commands/email.ts
index 54cf76d..af7529c 100644
--- a/src/commands/email.ts
+++ b/src/commands/email.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {
   type EmailAddress,
   type EmailBodyPart,
   type EmailFilter,
+  type EmailFilterCondition,
   getEmails,
   queryEmails,
   setEmails,
@@ -454,6 +455,55 @@ Options:
   console.log(JSON.stringify(formatEmail(email, true), null, 2));
 }
 
+type SearchQueryField = "from" | "to" | "cc" | "bcc" | "subject" | "body";
+
+/**
+ * Parse a search query string into a structured JMAP EmailFilterCondition.
+ *
+ * Supports field operators: from:, to:, cc:, bcc:, subject:, body:
+ * Values can be quoted (subject:"hello world") or unquoted (to next space).
+ * Any remaining text that is not a field operator is set as filter.text.
+ */
+export function parseSearchQuery(query: string): EmailFilterCondition {
+  const filter: EmailFilterCondition = {};
+  const fields: SearchQueryField[] = [
+    "from",
+    "to",
+    "cc",
+    "bcc",
+    "subject",
+    "body",
+  ];
+
+  let remaining = query;
+
+  for (const field of fields) {
+    // Match field:"quoted value" or field:unquoted-value
+    const quotedPattern = new RegExp(`(?:^|\\s)${field}:"([^"]*)"`, "g");
+    const unquotedPattern = new RegExp(`(?:^|\\s)${field}:(\\S+)`, "g");
+
+    let match = quotedPattern.exec(remaining);
+    if (match) {
+      filter[field as SearchQueryField] = match[1];
+      remaining = remaining.replace(match[0], " ");
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    match = unquotedPattern.exec(remaining);
+    if (match) {
+      filter[field as SearchQueryField] = match[1];
+      remaining = remaining.replace(match[0], " ");
+    }
+  }
+
+  const text = remaining.trim();
+  if (text) {
+    filter.text = text;
+  }
+
+  return filter;
+}
+
 /**
  * Search emails.
  */
@@ -464,7 +514,7 @@ export async function searchEmails(args: string[]): Promise<void> {
     console.log(`
 Usage: fastmail email search <query> [options]
 
-Search emails using text query.
+Search emails using text query with optional field operators.
 
 Options:
   --limit <n>       Max results (default: 20)
@@ -473,8 +523,18 @@ Options:
   --before <date>   Received before date (ISO 8601, YYYY-MM-DD, or 7d)
   -h, --help        Show this help
 
+Query operators:
+  from:<value>      Match sender address
+  to:<value>        Match recipient address
+  cc:<value>        Match CC address
+  bcc:<value>       Match BCC address
+  subject:<value>   Match subject (quote multi-word: subject:"hello world")
+  body:<value>      Match body text
+  (other text)      Full-text search
+
 Examples:
-  fastmail email search "from:newsletter" --after "7d"
+  fastmail email search "from:newsletter@example.com" --after "7d"
+  fastmail email search 'from:alice@example.com subject:"project update"'
   fastmail email search "project update" --after "2026-01-01" --before "2026-01-15"
 `);
     return;
@@ -491,9 +551,7 @@ Examples:
   const limit = getNumber(parsed, "limit") ?? 20;
 
   // Build filter
-  const filter: EmailFilter = {
-    text: query,
-  };
+  const filter: EmailFilter = parseSearchQuery(query);
 
   const mailbox = getString(parsed, "mailbox");
   if (mailbox) {