What is Reverse image search? (search by image)

ChronoVerify glossary

Reverse image search finds where else an image appears online, using the picture itself as the query. It is the fastest way to catch a recycled or out-of-context photo: if the image was published before the event it claims to show, the claim fails. ChronoVerify deliberately does not do reverse image search; it reads the file's internal evidence instead, and the two checks answer complementary questions about the same photo.

Why it matters

Reverse image search establishes an image's external history while ChronoVerify establishes its internal one, and a rigorous check uses both. A photo can be internally consistent yet previously published, or stripped of metadata yet genuinely new. Search engines index by picture for free; the strongest options and when to use each are on the resources page.