AI-Powered Excire Search 2026 Aims to Redefine Lightroom Workflows

Pattern Recognition Company (PRC) has released Excire Search 2026, the newest version of its AI-powered post processing plugin for Adobe Lightroom Classic.

Designed to streamline the workflow for photographers and videographers, the Excire Search 2026 plugin introduces dedicated AI culling tools, an integrated search panel, intelligent focus detection, and video organization features, while maintaining the AI-driven search and categorization tools of previous versions.

One of the standout features in Excire Search 2026 is its configurable AI-powered culling system. Photographers can group images by scene, content, or subject, then sort photos based on eye sharpness, face sharpness, overall image clarity, or aesthetic ratings. Users can also apply selection and rejection flags automatically, helping them quickly identify the best shots from a large batch. By reducing the manual sorting process, photographers can spend more time on creative decisions and less time managing files.

The plugin introduces a new Excire Search panel that integrates directly into Lightroom Classic. The panel can be displayed as a compact toolbar for quick access or expanded into a full window with image preview capabilities. Users can check face sharpness and confirm subject identity at a glance. This interface redesign is intended to make Excire’s AI tools more accessible during the editing process, without disrupting the normal Lightroom workflow.

Excire Search 2026 adds AI-powered support for video organization. By analyzing a representative frame from each video file, the plugin can automatically generate keywords, making videos searchable and easier to categorize alongside photo collections. This allows users to maintain a unified media library within Lightroom Classic, eliminating the need to manage photos and videos separately.

Alongside the new features, Excire Search 2026 continues to provide the full suite of AI search and organization tools introduced in earlier versions. Users can perform natural-language (prompt) searches, similarity searches, face and people searches, and duplicate detection. Automatic keywording and intelligent aesthetic ratings remain central, helping photographers quickly tag and categorize images without tedious manual input.

Excire Search 2026 emphasizes user privacy by running all AI analysis locally on the user’s computer. Files are never exported to cloud servers, and data is not accessed by third parties, allowing photographers to retain full control over their images. Additional improvements include support for HEIC and PSD files, faster processing of panoramic images, and the option to use a second database for larger collections.

The combination of AI culling, focus detection, and video management provides tangible benefits for photographers managing large catalogs. Portrait and event photographers, in particular, can quickly flag sharp images of subjects and remove out-of-focus frames. Videographers benefit from automatic keywording for video clips, making it easier to locate footage without manually reviewing every file. The plugin is designed to save time while keeping users in control of creative decisions.

Excire Search 2026 is available for both Windows and macOS beginning September 17, 2025. The full license is priced at $199, with a limited-time launch discount of $179. Existing users of Excire Search 2022 and 2024 can upgrade for $99 and $69, respectively. A 14-day trial version is also available.

Image credits: Pattern Recognition Company