Visual search
Describe the shot. Sift finds it.
No tagging, no logging, no folder digging. Type what you remember seeing and get the moments, not just the files.
In short: Sift’s Visual search looks at the frames of every clip and photo in the folders you sync and matches them to a plain-English description. Results are grouped one card per clip, with marks showing where in the clip each matching moment is, and weaker matches folded away.
No editor needed. Sift works on its own as a desktop app on Mac and Windows: search, preview, build Selects and share footage by link without opening an editor. The editor panels are optional.
How to search footage by visuals and speech with Sift · 2:37 · Watch on YouTube
How it works.
- Sync
Add folders or whole drives. Sift indexes them on your computer and watches for new footage.
- Describe
Type the shot: a place, an action, an object, a mood.
- Pick
Scrub the moments, save them to Selects, or send them to your editor.
Why editors use it.
Jump straight to the part of a long clip that matches.
Search across all synced drives at once. Offline drives stay searchable; hide them with one click.
Filter by folder, file type, shot date or match strength.
Found a good shot? <a href="/similar-shots/">Find others that look like it</a>, from any result or from Premiere’s or Resolve’s monitor.
Questions
Do I have to tag or log anything?
No. Sift reads the picture itself. You can add notes to clips, and notes are searchable too.
Which formats work?
Common camera and delivery formats including MP4, MOV, MXF, MTS and more. Camera RAW such as R3D and BRAW needs proxies. See Help for the full list.
How long does indexing take?
It depends on how much footage you add and your computer. Sift indexes in the background and you can search what’s done while it works.
Updated 2026-10-22
Keep reading.
Try it on your own footage.
Free for 3 days or 25 searches. No card. Then $99 a year for one computer, Mac or Windows. Everything in Sift, including the optional editor panels and one free link to share footage.