I built a privacy-first AI search that runs completely locally
Modern computers contain thousands of files: code, photos, documents, screenshots.
But finding the right file is still surprisingly difficult.
Most search tools rely on keywords.
So if you don’t remember the exact file name or text inside it, you're often stuck.
I wanted something different.
Something that works more like human memory.
So I built an open-source tool called Smart Local Search.
GitHub:
https://github.com/dan99nik/smart-locale-search
The problem
Traditional file search works like this:
You type a keyword:
- invoice
- report
- photo_2023
But what if you want to search like this?
photo with mountains and a lake
jwt authentication middleware
diagram of system architecture
Standard search engines can't understand meaning.
They only match text.
The idea
I wanted to build a semantic local search engine.
Something that allows you to search your computer the way you think.
Example queries:
- photo with mountains at sunset
- python jwt authentication
- database schema diagram
Instead of keywords, it understands descriptions.
Key principles
The project follows three simple principles.
1️⃣ Everything runs locally
No cloud.
No external APIs.
No data leaves your computer.
2️⃣ Privacy first
Your files stay on your machine.
No telemetry.
No analytics.
3️⃣ Open source
You can inspect the code, modify it, and build on top of it.
GitHub:
https://github.com/dan99nik/smart-locale-search
What it can search
Currently the project can search:
- files
- photos
- code
Using natural language queries.
Example:
- photo of mountains and lake
- authentication middleware
- api routing logic
Why I built it
I realized something:
Our computers contain massive knowledge bases.
But we still search them like it’s 2005.
Keyword search doesn't scale with modern workflows.
Especially when working with:
- large codebases
- photo libraries
- research folders
- documentation
Semantic search makes this much easier.
Demo idea
Example workflow:
Search query:
- jwt authentication middleware
Result:
- src/auth/jwt_middleware.py
Or:
Search query:
- photo with mountains and lake
Result:
- IMG_2023_08_mountains.jpg
Future plans
Some ideas for the roadmap:
- VSCode extension
- better indexing
- faster search
- plugin system
- UI
Looking for feedback
This is an early version and I’d love feedback from developers.
Questions I'm curious about:
- Would you use semantic local search?
- What would you search for?
- What features would be useful?
GitHub:
https://github.com/dan99nik/smart-locale-search
Final thought
We spend years building knowledge on our computers.
Maybe it’s time we had better ways to search it.
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