# References > Search the reference library by description, image or color, browse by category, find similar shots and add references to your board. Source: https://flashboards.yaroflasher.com/docs/media/references Last verified: 2026-10-13 (checked against FlashBoards app build 042ae39db) **Reference Search** is a curated library of still images inside your board. Find a look, a composition or a lighting setup, then add references to the canvas to use as [generation inputs](https://flashboards.yaroflasher.com/docs/generation/inputs.md). Searching, browsing and adding references is free. > **Note: Who can use it.** Every signed-in account on the web app. It's hidden when you're signed out and in demo mode. ## Open Reference Search Click **Reference Search** (the magnifier) in the top right of the board, next to the zoom controls. Press `Esc` to close it. The window has three tabs: * **Images**: the reference library. * **Video**: the video library. See [Video references](https://flashboards.yaroflasher.com/docs/media/references.md#video-references). * **Collections**: references collected earlier in this browser, if there are any. Reference Search itself has no collect button: to keep a reference, add it to the board with the plus on its card. ![Reference Search on the Images tab, with the Industries list on the left and a grid of reference images](https://media.yaroflasher.com/docs/media/references-overview.w2816.b55e94f1.webp) ## Search the library * **Describe an image…**: type what you want, such as "backlit portrait in fog", and press `Enter`. **Clear** goes back to browsing. * **Custom Search** (the image icon): drop, choose or paste a JPEG, PNG or WebP image to find similar references. **Clear image** stops. * **Color Search** (the palette icon): pick a color or type a HEX value, then click **Search**. Text, image and color searches cover the full library. To search by a board image, select one still image on the board, then click **Reference Search**. Results are ranked by similarity and marked **From the selected board image**. ## Browse by category The rail on the left lists **Industries**. Expand one to see its tiers, for example **T1 Canon** to **T4 Frontier**, and click a tier to browse it. **All industries** clears the selection. Styles and authors aren't listed in the rail. To find an industry, tier or author by name, type in **Industry, tier, or author** under the rail. Filters show as chips; click a chip's X to remove it. Results load as you scroll. If they stop, click **Load more**. ### Movie frames If your account has it, **Movies** appears in the rail. Browse films by genre, director, cinematographer or decade, then pick a film to see its frames. Open a frame to see details such as **Shot size**, **Angle**, **Time of day** or **Quality** (under **Lighting**). Click a value to filter by it. **Clear** in the **Movie filter** bar removes the filter. ## Look closer * Hover a card to zoom in slightly on its image. The card itself stays the same size. * Click a card to open **Reference details**, with zoom controls and the attribution or film details. Press `Esc` to close. ## Find similar references Hover a card to see its actions: * **Similar in library** (scan icon): visually similar references. For a movie frame, this includes frames from other films. * **Color match** (palette icon): references with a similar palette. * **Similar on Pinterest** (Pinterest icon): similar Pins, when available. In the similar panel, click **Load more** for more, or **Clear** to close it. If you see **This selection expired**, click **Refresh results** and select the reference again. **Similar on Pinterest** opens its own view. Click a Pin to find Pins like it, or click the link under it to open it on Pinterest. **Back to references** returns. > **Note: Pinterest search sends the image to Pinterest.** Clicking **Similar on Pinterest** sends the reference image to Pinterest, with no extra confirmation. Other searches don't use Pinterest. ## Add references to your board ### Step 1: Open the board you want References are added to the open board. ### Step 2: Click the plus on a card Hover a card and click **Add to board** (the plus in its top right). Wait for the check mark. Closing the window earlier stops the add. ### Step 3: Use it Close the window. The reference is now a normal image on the board, ready to use as an input. Pins from **Similar on Pinterest** have the same plus button. To add everything you collected, open **Collections** and click **Add all to active board**. **Clear collection** empties the list. The X on a reference removes it. On a shared read-only board, **Add to board** is disabled. Open one of your own editable boards to add references. [Video: Hover a card, click the plus, then close the window. The reference is on your board](https://media.yaroflasher.com/docs/media/references-add-to-board.h264.d41ecab6.mp4) ## Video references Open the **Video** tab, or click **Video references** (the film icon) next to **Reference Search**. It's a library of short video shots with filters, a **Screening** view and **Favorites**. Every signed-in account can browse and play video references. If the library can't load, you see **Video references are unavailable.** Wait a moment and open it again. If a thumbnail's hover preview can't play, its still image stays. Thumbnails that can't load at all show **Media unavailable**. Video references can't be added to the board. ## Report a reference Most accounts don't have a **Report** button. If a reference shouldn't be in the library, email support at the address in the site footer. See [Resources](https://flashboards.yaroflasher.com/docs/resources.md). ## Messages you may see | Message | What to do | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Reference Search is unavailable. Please try again.** | Click **Retry**, or reload the page. | | **Nothing in the catalog matches these filters.** | Remove a filter, or click **All industries**. | | **Only JPEG, PNG and WebP images can be searched.** | Convert the image, or take a screenshot of it. | | **This image could not be read.** or **This image could not be prepared for search.** | Try a different or smaller image. | | **Preview unavailable.**, **This reference expired.** or **Reference image unavailable.** | The reference is no longer available, for example because the results were open for a long time. Click **Refresh results**, then try again. | | **Could not add the reference to the board.** | Click **Retry add**. | | Add is greyed out with **This remote board is read-only** | You can only view this shared board. Open one you can edit. | | **No similar Pins found. Try another reference.** | Pick another reference, or click **Retry Pinterest search** after an error. | ## Related - [Inputs and references](https://flashboards.yaroflasher.com/docs/generation/inputs.md) - [Cameo Library](https://flashboards.yaroflasher.com/docs/media/cameo.md) - [Media Browser](https://flashboards.yaroflasher.com/docs/media/media-browser.md) - [MCP for AI agents](https://flashboards.yaroflasher.com/docs/integrations/mcp.md)