Anime scene search identifies which anime a screenshot comes from by querying the trace.moe image recognition service. Upload a frame and the results show the anime title, episode number, and the exact timestamp — down to the second — along with a short video preview of the matching clip.
Reading the Similarity Score
Each result shows a similarity percentage indicating how closely the uploaded frame matches the indexed database frames:
- Above 90% (green): high-confidence match, almost certainly correct
- 80–90% (yellow): reasonable match — use the video preview to confirm
- Below 80% (red): low confidence, treat as a hint rather than an answer
A low score does not always mean the match is wrong. Anime with similar art styles, or frames that went through heavy post-processing or color grading, can register lower similarity even when the match is correct.
Screenshots That Work Best
The service matches visual features, so the quality of the frame matters:
- Clear character face or scene composition without obstructions
- No subtitles, watermarks, or heavy compression artifacts
- Avoid pitch-black transition frames or pure white flash frames — they have no usable features
- Do not upload frames that have been mirrored or heavily cropped
JPG and PNG both work. If a search returns no results, try a different frame from the same scene — even shifting a few seconds can make the difference.
Understanding the Timestamp Fields
Each result card shows two time values — from and to — in hh:mm:ss format. For example, 00:12:34 – 00:12:37 means the uploaded screenshot corresponds to a 3-second clip starting at 12 minutes 34 seconds in that episode. Each card also links to the Anilist database entry for the series.
When You Get No Results
Try a frame from a different point in the scene — especially avoid OP/ED sequences. Opening and ending credits appear in many titles and can cause ambiguous matches. A frame from the main episode body with clear character features gives the best results.