Video finder: find the moment inside your video by describing it.
Upload a video, type what happens in the scene — a person, an action, an object, words on screen — and jump to the timestamp. Try the live sample first, no upload needed.
What moment are you looking for?
0:01–0:05
4sStrong matchNinja leaping across a moonlit rooftop
0:15–0:20
5sStrong matchSamurai amid falling cherry blossoms
0:30–0:35
5sStrong matchMecha powering up under the lights
Sample search uses a prepared scene index.
What is a video finder?
A video finder is a tool that locates a video, or a moment inside one. SearchByVideo is the second kind: it watches a video you upload with Google Gemini 2.5 Flash, writes a timestamped description of each segment (picture and sound), and lets you search those descriptions in plain language. It does not search the web and it does not tell you where a clip came from.
Video finder vs reverse video search: which do you need?
Most results for “video finder” answer “where is this clip from?”. That is a different job from finding a scene inside a video you already have. Pick yours — only the first one is what SearchByVideo does.
Find a moment inside a video you have
You have the file — a recording, a vlog, a lecture, a gameplay session — and need the few seconds where something happens.
Use SearchByVideo: upload it and describe the scene.
Go to the toolFind where a clip came from
You have a short clip or a screenshot and want the original video, the movie, show or anime it is from, or a higher-quality copy.
Use a reverse image or video search (for example Google Lens on a key frame). SearchByVideo does not do this.
Reverse video search vs scene searchFind a video you watched but can't name
You remember a scene from a film, show or online video but not its title, and you don't have the file.
Search the web with the details you remember, or ask a community that identifies videos. SearchByVideo needs the video file to search it.
How to find where a clip came from (reverse video search)
SearchByVideo cannot do this, but the usual method is simple:
- Pause on a clear, distinctive frame — a title card, a logo or a recognizable location works best — and take a screenshot.
- Run a reverse image search on that screenshot, for example with Google Lens or Bing Visual Search.
- Open the matches, look for the earliest upload, the channel name or the title, then search for that title to find the full video.
How to use the video finder in three steps
- 1
Upload the video
Upload an MP4, MOV or AVI file. Pro analyzes videos up to 30 minutes; accounts without an active subscription up to 5 minutes. Each analysis costs 5 credits.
- 2
Describe the moment
Type what you remember in plain words, e.g. “the dog jumps into the pool” or “the slide that says Q3 revenue”. You don't need the exact words that were spoken.
- 3
Jump to the timestamp
Click a result and the player seeks to the start of the matching segment. Searching the same video again costs no extra credits.
Find characters, highlights and spoken moments inside a video
- A person or an action: “the kid blows out the candles” in a family video
- An object: “the red backpack on the table”
- Text on screen: a slide title, a sign or a scoreboard
- A setting or shot type: “drone shot over the beach at sunset”
- Sound and speech content: “when the crowd starts cheering”, “where she explains the refund policy”
- Gameplay, sports and podcast highlights: “the goal”, “the boss fight”, “when they start laughing”
Who uses a video finder for their own footage
Gaming and stream highlights
Find the boss fight, the clutch round or the moment chat reacted in a recorded session up to 30 minutes long.
Sports clips
Jump to the goal, the save or the substitution in match footage you filmed or were given.
Podcasts and interviews
Find where a guest talks about a topic or where everyone starts laughing, then cut the clip in your editor.
Lectures, demos and meetings
Go straight to the slide, the product shot or the explanation you need instead of rewatching the recording.
Video finder facts: formats, limits and timestamp accuracy
These numbers come from how the product is built, not from marketing estimates.
- Supported formats
- MP4, MOV and AVI. WebM is not supported.
- Maximum video length
- 30 minutes on Pro; 5 minutes for accounts without an active subscription. Longer videos are rejected before any credits are charged.
- Timestamp precision
- Depends on length: about every 2–3 seconds for clips under 1 minute, every 5–10 seconds for 1–10 minutes, every 30–60 seconds for 10 minutes or longer. A result points to the start of the matching segment.
- What the AI looks at
- Picture (people, actions, objects, settings, on-screen text) and sound (speech content, sounds, music), described segment by segment by Google Gemini 2.5 Flash.
- Cost
- 5 credits per new analysis, whatever the length within your plan. Pro includes 150 credits a month — up to 30 analyses. Searching an analyzed video again costs no extra credits.
- Analysis time limit
- Each analysis must finish within 120 seconds on the server. If it fails or returns no segments, the 5 credits are refunded automatically.
- Storage
- Uploaded source files are deleted after 7 days. The search index is kept, so you can keep searching the video.
What this video finder does not do
- It does not search YouTube, TikTok or the web, and it does not accept video links — you upload the file.
- It is not a reverse video search: it cannot tell you where a clip came from.
- It does not cut, export or download clips. It gives you the timestamp; trim the clip in your own editor.
- It is not a word-for-word transcript. It describes what is said, so for an exact quote a transcript is still the better tool.
- Videos with NSFW content are rejected and not analyzed.
Video finder FAQ
What is the best video finder for finding a scene in my own video?
If you already have the file, use a tool that searches inside the video by what is shown and heard. SearchByVideo does this: upload an MP4, MOV or AVI, describe the scene and jump to the timestamp.
Can I find a video from a clip or screenshot?
Not with SearchByVideo. To find where a clip came from, run a reverse image search on a clear frame (for example with Google Lens). SearchByVideo only searches inside videos you upload.
Can I paste a YouTube or TikTok link?
No. SearchByVideo works on video files you upload, not on links. If you own the video, download your copy and upload it.
How precise are the timestamps?
It depends on video length: about every 2–3 seconds for clips under 1 minute, 5–10 seconds for 1–10 minutes, and 30–60 seconds for longer videos. The player jumps to the start of the matching segment.
Does it only search spoken words?
No. It searches descriptions of the picture — people, actions, objects, settings and on-screen text — and of the sound, so it also works on silent or music-only footage.
How long can the video be?
Up to 30 minutes on Pro and up to 5 minutes for accounts without an active subscription.
How much does it cost?
SearchByVideo is a paid tool with no credits on signup. Pro is $24.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with 150 credits each month; monthly credits expire at the end of each billing period. Each new analysis costs 5 credits and repeat searches cost nothing extra. The first subscription has a 7-day refund window. The live sample on this page is open to everyone.
What happens to my uploaded video?
Uploaded source files are deleted automatically after 7 days. The text index of the video is kept, so you can keep searching it.
Search your own video now
Try the live sample above, or upload your own video and describe the scene.