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Online Face Recognition

Overview​

Online Face Search detects faces in an image and searches the web for visually similar faces. You upload an image or open one from a Workspace, select a detected face, and run a search that returns matches with similarity scores. Outputs include a grid of best matches and a downloadable ZIP of matched images. Results require review because similarity is not identity confirmation.

When to Use This Application​

  • You have a face image and need to find visually similar images on public web sources.
  • You need lead generation when you have limited identifiers beyond an image.
  • You need to compare multiple faces in one image by selecting each detected face.
  • You need a ZIP package of candidate matches for offline review or disclosure workflows.
  • You need to store the input image in a workspace as part of an investigation record.

Before You Begin​

  • Prepare an image that contains at least one clear, visible face.
  • If you plan to save the image to a workspace, confirm you have write access to the destination folder.
  • Confirm your environment allows outbound access to the online face search service.

Step-by-Step Walkthrough​

Step 1 — Provide an image​

Provide an image using one of these methods:

  • Upload a file using the file upload button.
  • Open from workspace by right-clicking an image file and launching the app from the context menu. After the image loads, it appears in the main area.

Step 2 — Detect faces​

Select Detect Faces in the left sidebar. The app scans the image and highlights detected faces:

  • Each face is outlined with a red border.
  • Each face receives a number (Face 1, Face 2, …).
  • A message confirms how many faces were found. If no faces are detected, the app shows an error message. Load a different image and try again.

Step 3 — Select a face​

If the image contains more than one detected face, use the dropdown selector to choose which face you want to search.

Step 4 — Configure search settings​

Configure the search settings in the left sidebar before you run the search.

Step 5 — Save image to workspace (optional)​

Save the input image to a workspace when you want to preserve it as evidence or share it with your team.

  1. Enable Save image to workspace.
  2. Select the destination Workspace from the dropdown.
  3. Enter the file path where the image should be stored, for example Faces/my-image.png. The app saves workspace images in PNG format.

Step 6 — Search the web for a face​

Select Search Web for Face. The app:

  • Analyzes the selected face
  • Sends it to the online face search service
  • Shows a loading spinner with a scanning message
  • Displays results when the search completes The search can take up to ~100 seconds depending on service response time.

Step 7 — Review results​

Results appear under Best Matches in a grid. Each match includes:

  • A face thumbnail
  • The source URL
  • A similarity score Use the per-result context menu (⋮) to interact with an individual match.

Understanding the Output​

Online Face Search outputs a ranked grid of web matches.

  • Face detection overlay
  • Red borders and face numbers show which faces the app detected in the input image.
  • Best matches grid
  • Each result includes a thumbnail, source URL, and a similarity score. Higher similarity indicates a closer visual match, but it does not confirm the person’s identity.
  • Similarity score
  • Use the score to prioritize review. Confirm candidates by opening the source images and checking contextual evidence.

Saving and Exporting Results​

Online Face Search supports two output actions:

  • Save the input image to a Workspace (optional)
    • What it does: stores the input image in a workspace folder
    • Where it ends up: specified folder path in the selected workspace
    • Settings: workspace selection and file path
    • Note: saved images are stored as PNG
  • Download matched images as ZIP
    • What it does: downloads all matched face images as a single ZIP file
    • Where it ends up: your local device downloads
    • Settings: none Select Download Images to download the ZIP.

Tips for Best Results​

  • Use a clear, well-lit image with faces that are not heavily obscured.
  • Run Detect Faces before adjusting search settings so you confirm face selection.
  • Use Facenet as a default model. Try ArcFace or Facenet512 when you need a different trade-off in matching behavior.
  • Increase Max Results when you need broader coverage and the first run returns few matches.
  • Save the input image to a workspace when you need auditability and team review.
  • Retry after timeouts. The online search relies on an external service and can fail due to connectivity or service delays.

Known Limitations​

  • Web results depend on an external service. Timeouts and connectivity failures can occur.
  • Similarity is not identity confirmation. False positives can occur, especially with low-quality images.
  • If no faces are detected, you must provide a different image or improve image quality.
  • Workspace-saved images are stored as PNG, which may change file format from the original upload.