The Complete Search Guide: Find Anything in Seconds

Search That Works Like Your Brain

You remember the clip. You don't remember the exact filename. You type something approximate and hope for the best.

SiftVid's search is designed for this. Fuzzy matching, typo tolerance, and multi-token queries mean you find what you're looking for even when you can't remember the exact words.

Basic Search

Typing in the Search Bar

Start typing. Results update in real time, no need to press Enter. Results appear in under 50 milliseconds regardless of library size.

Fuzzy Matching

Type certmony instead of ceremony. SiftVid finds it anyway. Typo tolerance is built in — you don't need perfect spelling to get accurate results.

Multi-Word Search

Type multiple words. SiftVid finds videos that match all of them. wide outdoor 2023 finds clips tagged with all three terms.

Advanced Search

Boolean Logic

Use AND, OR, NOT to build precise queries:

• ceremony AND wide — both terms must match
• drone OR aerial — either term matches
• outdoor NOT rain — outdoor clips without rain

Phrase Search

Wrap a phrase in quotes: “first dance”. SiftVid finds that exact sequence of words in filenames and tags, not each word independently.

Field-Specific Search

Prefix a term to search a specific field:

• tag:keeper — search only in custom tags
• codec:hevc — filter by encoding format
• res:4k — filter by resolution

Tag-Chip Filter System

Below the search bar, you'll see tag chips for your library's auto-tags and custom tags. Each chip has four states:

• Off (default) — no filter applied
• Include (single click) — show clips with this tag
• Require (double click) — only show clips that have this AND other required tags
• Exclude (triple click) — hide all clips with this tag

Combine tag chips with the search bar. Search for a subject, then exclude tags you don't want. Results narrow in real time.

Search Meets Sort

Any search result can be sorted. Run a complex multi-tag query and sort the results by duration, date, or file size. The sort persists if you refine your search further.

The best search is the one you never have to think about. Type what you remember. Find what you need.