Features / Smart Search & Contextual Filters

Smart Search & Contextual Filters

Search inside Spaces with full-text and CLIP, and filter suggestions that adapt to what you've already selected.

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CLIP search for 'nature' in a Space showing 32 results with the filter panel displaying timeline, location, camera, and tag filters

Search inside any Space

Type a query into the search bar on any Space page and get instant results — powered by the same CLIP-based smart search that works on your main timeline. Search by description ("sunset over the ocean"), object ("red car"), or text visible in the photo.

Search results combine with your active filters. Select a year, pick a location, then search for "birthday" — you'll get exactly the photos that match all three. Click any result to open it in the full asset viewer with next/previous navigation across your search results.

Search for 'nature' combined with Italy location filter showing 4 results, with Italy expanded to show Florence and Rome cities

Filter suggestions that make sense

When you select a date range in the temporal picker, the location, camera, and people filters automatically narrow to only show values that exist within that period. No more clicking a country only to find zero photos — if it shows up in the filter, it has results.

Sections with no matching data collapse to a compact "(0)" indicator instead of showing an empty list. The temporal picker itself updates bidirectionally: selecting a location or person shows you which months actually have matching photos.

Filter panel with year 2024 selected showing narrowed location suggestions, collapsed People (0) and Camera (0) sections, and month grid with photo counts

Filter your entire library, not just Spaces

The same filter panel is now available on the main Photos page too. Filter your entire timeline by date, location, camera, people, tags, rating, and media type — all without leaving your library view.

Photos page with filter panel showing France selected, timeline filtered to 4 results across multiple years

Smarter cascades, fewer dead ends

Country-to-city and camera make-to-model cascades now query the server with the parent selection, so expanding "Italy" only shows cities where you actually have photos — Florence and Rome, not every city in the database. Combined with temporal scoping, expanding a country after selecting a year shows only the cities you visited that year.

If a previously selected filter value disappears after narrowing (e.g., you selected France then picked a year where you weren't in France), it stays visible but muted at the top of the list so you can deselect it rather than wondering where it went.

See Smart Search & Contextual Filters in action or set up your own instance.