Question 1

How does AI search work?

Accepted Answer

TraceMind combines local full-text search with local semantic embeddings and hybrid ranking. The local model may need a moment to warm up, so an early search can show keyword results before semantic ranking is ready.

Question 2

Can I search by date or domain?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Free includes fixed date and domain filters. Pro adds custom date ranges, hour-of-day filtering, and chart drill-down.

Question 3

Can I import existing Chrome history?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Chrome-history import brings in up to 10,000 records from the last 365 days, including titles, URLs, visit counts, and timestamps. Chrome does not provide the original page text or screenshots, so semantic search becomes available after you revisit a page.

Question 4

Does TraceMind send my browsing history to its servers?

Accepted Answer

Core capture, indexing, storage, search, screenshots, and analytics run locally on your device. Initial model download and Pro license activation or validation use network connections; they do not upload browsing history for core indexing or search. Optional Pro Chat sends your question, prior turns in the current chat, and selected matching excerpts, titles, and URLs directly to the AI provider you choose with your own API key. TraceMind does not proxy or store those requests.

Question 5

Is local data encrypted?

Accepted Answer

Free uses local browser storage without TraceMind passphrase encryption. Optional passphrase encryption for local content and new encrypted backups (AES-256-GCM). It is off until a Pro user enables it.

Question 6

How much can TraceMind store?

Accepted Answer

TraceMind has no product page cap. Local storage remains subject to browser and device quota, and content compression, deduplication, screenshot settings, and offline snapshots affect actual use.

Question 7

What is in a TraceMind backup?

Accepted Answer

Plain JSON export and restore cover supported indexed history data. Offline-page snapshots are not exported, and embeddings rebuild after import.

Question 8

Can Free users back up their history?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Plain JSON import and export are free. Pro is required to create a new encrypted backup, but restoring an encrypted backup is never gated.

Question 9

Does the offline viewer make a complete copy of a page?

Accepted Answer

Save HTML snapshots manually or automatically, with an image option and per-page size limit. They open in a sandboxed viewer; resource availability depends on what was captured.

Question 10

What does Chat send to an AI provider?

Accepted Answer

Optional Pro Chat sends your question, prior turns in the current chat, and selected matching excerpts, titles, and URLs directly to the AI provider you choose with your own API key. TraceMind does not proxy or store those requests.

Question 11

Which Chat providers are supported?

Accepted Answer

OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google Gemini. Retrieval happens locally; the provider generates the streamed answer and receives the current Chat turns plus selected matching context.

Question 12

Are Chat keys and conversations saved?

Accepted Answer

Keys are kept locally in chrome.storage.local and excluded from exports. Chat turns are held in the open extension UI and are not persisted as TraceMind history.

Question 13

What does Pro add?

Accepted Answer

Pro adds notes, tags, suggested tags, pinning, medium through Ultra HD screenshots, offline snapshots, passphrase encryption, encrypted-backup creation, custom analytics controls, unlimited domain exclusions, and optional Chat.

Question 14

How many devices can use one Pro license?

Accepted Answer

1 device per Pro license. Move a license by taking it over on a new device, which deactivates the oldest active device.

Question 15

What happens if I cancel Pro?

Accepted Answer

Your local data remains in your browser profile. Pro-only controls become unavailable, while Free search, local data, saved pages, and plain backup import/export remain available.

TraceMind FAQ: AI Browser History Search Questions

Search and capture

Privacy and storage

Backups and offline pages

Chat

Plans and licensing

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