Searching Tagged Images

Search Basics

Tag-AI's powerful search functionality lets you quickly find images based on their AI-generated tags.

To search your tagged images:

1. Enter search terms in the search field at the top of the main window
2. Press Enter or click the Search button
3. Results will appear in the gallery view

Search Syntax

Tag-AI supports several powerful search syntax options:

Simple Keyword Search

Enter one or more keywords separated by spaces:

beach sunset

This finds images tagged with both "beach" AND "sunset".

Exact Phrase Search

Use quotation marks for exact phrase matching:

"red car"

This finds images with the specific tag "red car" (not just any image with both "red" and "car" separately).

Combined Search

Mix exact phrases and keywords:

"black cat" outdoors

This finds images tagged with both "black cat" AND "outdoors".

Partial Matching

Tag-AI automatically performs partial matching on keywords:

mount

This would match images tagged with "mountain", "mounting", "dismount", etc.

File Path Search

Search terms are also matched against file paths:

vacation2023

This would find images in folders containing "vacation2023" even if not explicitly tagged with this term.

Viewing Results

Result Display

Search results are displayed in a flowing grid layout in the main window. For each image:

• A thumbnail preview is shown
• Hover over an image to see date and tags
• Left-click to open the full image in your default viewer
• Right-click to open the metadata editor

Results Loading

For performance reasons, large result sets are loaded in batches:

• Initial batch loads immediately
• Additional images load as you scroll
• A status message shows total matches found

Search Performance

Database Optimization

Tag-AI uses several techniques for fast searches:

• SQLite indexes for tag matching
• Full-text search capabilities for complex queries
• Optimized database schema for quick retrieval

Large Libraries

For very large image libraries (100,000+ images):

• More specific search terms will yield faster results
• The first search after starting the application may be slightly slower
• Subsequent searches use cached database connections for better performance

Advanced Search Techniques

Finding Rare Combinations

To find unusual tag combinations:

"underwater" "ancient ruins"

This would find underwater photos of ancient ruins.

Searching by Image Content Type

The AI tags typically include content type, allowing searches like:

"portrait" "professional"

This finds professional-looking portrait photos.

Seasonal Searches

Search for season-specific images:

"autumn" "foliage"

This finds fall foliage photos.

Event Searches

Find images from specific events:

"wedding" "ceremony"

This finds wedding ceremony photos.

Troubleshooting

No Results Found

If your search returns no results:

• Try broader terms (fewer keywords)
• Check for typos in search terms
• Try searching for part of a word instead of the whole word
• Verify that the images have been processed by running a scan

Too Many Results

If your search returns too many results to browse effectively:

• Add more specific keywords
• Use exact phrase matching with quotation marks
• Combine multiple specific terms

Unexpected Results

If search results include unexpected images:

• Check the image tags by hovering over the thumbnail
• Remember that file paths are also searched
• Consider that the AI tagging may have detected elements you didn't expect