Quick Search by Dragging or Pasting an Image

Quick search is useful for temporary comparisons, finding the source of a screenshot, or searching from an external file quickly.

Drag an Image to Search

1. Enter the search workspace.
2. Drag an image file into the app window.
3. Release it in the workspace.
4. Wait for the app to start the search and show results.

The workspace accepts one dragged image at a time. Dropping several files shows a warning rather than starting batch search.

Paste a Screenshot to Search

1. Copy an image to the clipboard using a screenshot tool, chat app, browser, or file manager.
2. Return to the search workspace.
3. Press Ctrl+V.
4. Wait for quick search results.

Common Cases

Both workspace drag and paste follow Settings → Search → When pasting an image with Ctrl+V, which selects image or face search. Despite the setting’s name, dragging uses it too. Check it if the wrong search type opens. On Mac, use Command+V to paste.

Quick face search uses the first detected face. To choose someone in a group photo, open the Face dialog and select the target after detection.

• If the app says the clipboard has no image, copy an actual image and try again.
• If you need precise cropping, background removal, or scope settings, open the normal image search dialog.
• If drag search does not start, confirm the dragged item is an image file.

RAW search inputs

From 3.13.27, image, reference-face and pose search accept CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, DNG, RAF, ORF, RW2 and PEF through file selection, drag-and-drop and file paste. Reading a reference file does not import your library: prepare its matching search data first. Copying a path as text is not the same as copying the image file.

Clipboard Search Example

With paste set to image search, pasting the forest image creates a new result with eight matches. The original and its identical backup appear first, both at 100%. The reference image is visible on the left. This example uses image pixels on the clipboard.