Search conversations

Use keyword search when you remember a past discussion but not which conversation it was in. Search runs on this computer. Open a result to read the surrounding messages.

Start a search

First, scan local conversations in Context. Then enter keywords in Search message text above the Conversations list and press Enter. Each keyword must have at least two characters.

Search matches consecutive text within messages:

Query	What it finds
travel	Messages containing travel, such as “travel plans” or the longer word “traveling”.
travel budget	Messages containing both travel and budget.

Start with one keyword if you only remember the general topic. Add more keywords separated by spaces to narrow the results.

View results

Results are grouped by conversation, with excerpts from matching messages below each one. Expand a conversation’s matches to see more results.

Click an excerpt to jump to that message on the right, with the keywords highlighted. Long matching messages expand automatically.

To look for more text in the open conversation, use Find in the conversation toolbar. It searches for the entered text as a single string within the content types enabled under Display content, which can include reasoning and tool content. See Read conversations for instructions.

What you can search

Search across conversations covers user and AI message text in the main conversation.

After you submit a search, the message below the search box shows which conversations it can search:

• Not activated: search covers a recent subset of your conversations.
• Activated: search covers all past conversations Context has found.

See the website pricing page for plans and included features.

Narrow the results

If you remember the Agent, project directory, or approximate date, filter by Agent, working directory, and end date. To search only your favorites, search from Favorites.

These filters narrow results within your current search scope.

Keyword rules and limits

Matching is case-insensitive for English letters. In addition to the minimum of two characters per keyword, the following limits apply:

• A query can contain at most 256 characters, including spaces between keywords.
• A query can contain at most 16 keywords. Multiple consecutive spaces are treated as separators.

If you cannot find what you need

Try these checks in order:

1. Use fewer or different keywords. Choose keywords you know appear in the same message.
2. Broaden the filters. Clear Agent, working directory, date, or Favorites restrictions and try again.
3. Wait for new content to be ready. Newly saved conversations must be scanned first. After scanning or activation, Context may still be preparing the search index. If the searchable conversation count is increasing, wait for it to finish, then press Enter again.
4. Check your search scope and message types. Read the message below the search box. Confirm that the conversation is within scope and the text is in a user or AI message in the main conversation.

If the issue persists, follow the reporting guidance in Frequently asked questions to send us the relevant details.